Chenango County, New York Genealogy

United States Genealogy

New York

Chenango County

Guide to Chenango County, New York ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

This page describes sources of genealogical data about Chenango County, New York Genealogy families, including links to smaller localities at the bottom of this page. New York, United States Genealogy-related pages show useful statewide sources. United States Genealogy pages explain the terminology and contents of genealogical records.

New York Online Genealogy Records

Chenango County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York, United States Genealogy
Location of New York in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	March 15, 1798
County Seat	Norwich
Courthouse
Address	5 Court Street Norwich, NY 13815 Chenango County Website

Chenango County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for an Oneida word meaning "large bull-thistle." The County is located in the south central area of the state.

Chenango County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1908	1880	1798	1798	1798	1663
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent County

15 March 1798: Created from Herkimer and Tioga counties.

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating New York County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation New York County Boundary Maps" (1683-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

• 4 April 1804: 70 square miles taken to add to Oneida County.
• 21 March 1806: part taken to create Madison County.
  

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Towns
Afton Bainbridge Columbus Coventry German Greene Guilford	Lincklaen McDonough New Berlin North Norwich Norwich Otselic Oxford	Pharsalia Pitcher Plymouth Preston Sherburne Smithville Smyrna
Villages
Afton Bainbridge Earlville	Greene New Berlin Oxford	Sherburne Smyrna
Hamlets
Holmesville	Mount Upton	Rockdale
Census-designated places
Guilford	Smithville Flats

Chenango County New York Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

• 1581–1917 New York, Family Bible Records at Ancestry– ($); Index. Database is a collection of genealogically important records taken from the Bibles of colony and state residents. Reveals the Bible's original owner, brief record of descendants,and a particular event such as birth or marriage as recorded in Bible.
  

Biography

Cemeteries

Online Grave Transcripts	Published Grave Transcripts	County Cemetery Directories
Findagrave.com*	Family History Library*	Findagrave.com*
Interment.net*	WorldCat*	Tombstone Project*
Cemetery Site*		Names in Stone*
New York Gravestones*		Billion Graves*
NYGenWeb*		FamilySearch Places
Billion Graves*
Names in Stone*
Linkpendium*
Ancestry*
*See the New York Cemeteries page for details about each site.

Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Links to web sites with partial lists, maps and the interred of Chenango County, New York, USA cemeteries.

• 1800-1965 - New York, Cemetery Abstracts, 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index
• Partial list of Chenango County Cemeteries with links to lists of the interred on New Horizons Genealogy, dedicated to New England and New York cemeteries pre-1940.
• Partial list of Chenango County Cemeteries at the NY Hometown Locator, a gazetteer web site with maps. Additions are welcomed.

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	15,666	—
1810	21,704	38.5%
1820	31,215	43.8%
1830	37,238	19.3%
1840	40,785	9.5%
1850	40,311	−1.2%
1860	40,934	1.5%
1870	40,564	−0.9%
1880	39,891	−1.7%
1890	37,776	−5.3%
1900	36,568	−3.2%
1910	35,575	−2.7%
1920	34,969	−1.7%
1930	34,665	−0.9%
1940	36,454	5.2%
1950	39,138	7.4%
1960	43,243	10.5%
1970	46,368	7.2%
1980	49,344	6.4%
1990	51,768	4.9%
2000	51,401	−0.7%
2010	50,477	−1.8%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Federal

U.S. Census Mortality Schedules for New York, 1850-1880:

• Available online at Ancestry ($).
• Deaths are included for the 12 months prior to the census, 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, and 1879-80 beginning 1 June and ending 31 May of the census year.
• Basic contents of the records include: Name, sex, age, color, marital status, place of birth, month of death, occupation, and cause of death. 1870 also has parents' birthplace. 1880 lists how long a resident of the county.
• Also on FHL Films 1415128–42.

• The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see directories.
  

State

Source	1825	1835	1845	1855	1865	1875	1892	1905	1915	1925
Ancestry.com	-	-	-	Yes	-	Yes	-	-	Yes	Yes
Family History Library film	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
FamilySearch image	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
New York State Library film	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes

New York State 1865 and 1875 Census Marriage, Mortality; and 1865 Soldier Mortality records:

• Images available online at New York State Census, 1865 and New York State Census, 1875. Click on the link to go to the page, then click on the ‘Browse through images’ link and select your county, then select an ancestor's town and browse to the end of the population schedule until you find the Marriage, Mortality, and 1865 soldier mortality schedules.
• Includes marriages and deaths for the 12 months prior to the census, ending 1 June of the census year.
• Marriage entry content: Husband's name, wife's name, ages and previous marital status, month and day and place of marriage, and church or civil ceremony.
• Death entry content: Name, age, sex, color, marital status, month and day of death, native state or country, occupation and cause of death.
• 1865 deaths of officers and enlisted men entry content: Name, age, marital status, citizenship status, enlistment date, original regiment, original rank, regiment at death, rank at death, promotions, death date and place, manner of death, surviving associates, and burial place.
• Also on microfilm. See the Family History Library line in the above State Census Chart.

Church Records

Church records are good substitutes for birth, marriage, and death information and are most often found on a local city/town or county level.  Published and manuscript church records can be found at public, university, and private libraries.

For a brief general history of denominations and a guide to finding various New York denomination's records, see New York Church Records Wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

• Unpublished cemetery & church records for Chenango County. collected and compiled by Genealogical Committee Capt. John Harris Chapter FHL film 860334 Item 1

Additional Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Chenango County, New York Genealogy Church Records  in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Court

Ancestors may have also been involved in municipal, state, or federal court cases. See also New York Court Records and United States Court Records.

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

• 1906-1942 - New York Book Indexes to Passenger Lists, 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

Maps and Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Genealogy

• Rootsweb message board for Chenango County, New York Genealogy has many information threads about families that resided in that county. There is a search engine that allows you to search by surname and topic.

History

Land and Property

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See New York Land and Property for more details, especially about the papers generated in New York State by large speculative land companies.

Original land records in Chenango County, New York Genealogy began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online

Microforms

• 1798-1969 Deed Records: 1798-1905 FHL film 811830 (first of 158 films) - Index included: 1798-1769
  
• 1798-1899 Mortgage Records 1798 - 1861 FHL film 819898 (first of 24 films - Index included: 1798 - 1899
  

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Chenango County, New York Genealogy deeds. (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
• FamilySearch Catalog using the search phrase: 1, New York - Land and Property. (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search.)

Maps

• Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration

Migration routes for early European settlers to and from Chenango County, New York Genealogy included:

• Susquehanna River
• Ancram (NY) Turnpike 1805, also sometimes called the Catskill Road, from Salisbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut Genealogy to Catskill, Greene County, New York Genealogy
• Catskill Road 1750s from Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Catskill, Greene County, New York Genealogy
• Catskill Turnpike  (aka Susquehannah Turnpike ) from Catskill, NY to Unadilla, NY; route travelled by Europeans by 1792; toll booths opened by 1804.
• Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
• Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, Otsego County, New York Genealogy to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.
• Minsi Path 1766 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kingston, Ulster County, New York Genealogy
• Ulster and Delaware Turnpike 1802 from Salisbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut Genealogy to Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York Genealogy

Military

Civil War

• 1861-1865 - New York, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Town registers. The New York town clerks kept a bound register of all soldiers from their town serving in the Civil War 1861-1865. Registers are arranged by county, and town. Some town registers are missing. The registers include an index at the start of each town.

Content. Many register entries include full name, residence, date and place of birth, parents names, marital status, date of enlistment and muster and rank, discharges, death, or promotion.

Access. The original registers are at the New York State Archives in Albany, New York. Microfilm copies are found at the Family History Library (FHL Film 1993401-37). They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($).

Available towns. Registers are available for: Afton · Columbus · Coventry · German · Lincklaen · McDonough · New Berlin · North Norwich · Norwich · Otselic · Oxford · Pharsalia · Pitcher · Plymouth · Preston · Sherburne · Smithville · Smyrna.

Regiments. Service men in Chenango County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were formed in Broome County:

- 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Battery A.

- 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company K.

- 10th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies K, L and M.

- 17th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

- 17th Veteran Regiment, New York Infantry

- 19th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 20th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies L and M.

- 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies E and L.

- 26th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 76th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 89th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 90th Regiment, New York Infantry, Second Company B.

- 114th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, E, F, H and I.

- 157th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C and F.

- 161st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.

- 168th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A and H.

- 176th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

- 193rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1791-1980 - New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
• SAMPUBCO Index of naturalization records

Newspapers

Obituaries

Periodicals

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Probate Records

Probate records including original estates and wills for New York are held in the office of the county Surrogate Court beginning in 1787, or when the county was formed. Prior to 1787, most are housed at the New York State Archives. See New York Probate Records for more information about using probate records.
Content:  Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types:  Wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distribution.

Probate Petitions

In 1830, state law required the Surrogate Court clerk to issue a probate petition for a deceased individual with property. This petition, unique to New York, usually lists the deceased's death date. It also lists the heirs, their relationship to the deceased, and their residence. Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 479. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004. Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 57.

These petitions are often found in the estate files and can be obtained from the county Surrogate Court.

Online Probate Indexes

• 1629-1971 - New York Probate Records 1629-1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
• 1659-1999 - New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1787-1835 - Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors ($); includes Chenango County, New York Genealogy.
• 1792-1901 - SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
  
• 1797-1850 - Index of Wills of Chenango County, New York from 1797-1850, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
  
• 1797-1850 - Barber, Gertrude A. Index of Wills of Chenango County, New York, From 1797-1850: Records are Kept at Norwich, Chenango Co., N.Y. New York: unknown, 1989. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• 1851-1875 - Barber, Gertrude A. Index to Wills of Chenango County, N.Y.: At Surrogate's Office, Norwich, N.Y., 1851-1875. New York: unknown, 1989. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• 1866-1923 - New York Kings County Estate Files 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images

Online Probate Records

Original county-by-county New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971 are available free online at FamilySearch. To access these records, click Historical Records below, then click "Browse through 1,630,900 images". Then select the county name, and then the probate records and time of interest.

• Historical Records - Chenango County: Accounts, Orders, 1830-1859; Administration bonds, 1890-1915; Appraisal records, 1892-1902; Bond index, 1878-1915; Creditor notices, 1859-1910; Dower records, 1830-1848, 1863-1868; Estate index, 1798-1970; Final settlements, 1856-1913; Final settlements, Orders, 1871-1897; Guardianship bonds, 1890-1915; Guardianship records, 1814-1940; Letters of administration, 1811-1829, 1848-1904; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1830-1882; Letters of guardianship, 1860-1890; Letters of testamentary, 1890-1904; Minutes, Orders, 1830-1903; Orders, 1858-1909; Probate records, 1809-1912; Publication orders, 1884-1912; Sales, 1858-1901; Tax records, 1892-1907; Will and Proceeding index, 1798-1970; Wills, 1792-1901

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above may also be on microfilms like these:

• 1798-1970 Probate records FHL Film 826040 (63 films).
• 1792-1922 Wills FHL Film 819856 (30 films).

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Chenango County, New York Genealogy probate wills in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Chenango County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1982). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.777 A3. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

The Otis A Thompson-Local History Room Guernsey Memorial Library 3 Court Street Norwich, NY 13815 (607)-334-4034 Inquiry Form	Genealogical Resources: Published genealogies, family folders, obituary indexes, local histories, city directories, vital records, cemetery records, census records, newspaper collection.
Moore Memorial Library 59 Genesee Street Greene, NY 13778 607-656-9349	Genealogical Resources: Chenango American newspaper, Ancestry Plus subscription, censuses, vital records, local history museum (Greene Museum).
Norwich City Historian Hale Street Norwich, NY (607) 334-1218 Email: jtelesky@norwichnewyork.net	Genealogical Resources: Records of local government officials, railroad, canal, corporations/businesses, historical events, significant people, folklore, obituaries, crime/punishment, architecture, genealogy, photos/slides/CD’s/tapes, and education (schools).
Earlville Free Library 6 North Main St. Earlville, NY 13332 (315) 691-5931	Genealogical Resources: Local newspapers, cemetery records, school yearbooks, old photographs, local histories, and scrapbooks.
Oxford Historical Society and The Oxford Historical Museum 1 Depot Street Oxford, NY 13830 (607) 821-1223
Oxford Memorial Library Fort Hill Park Oxford, NY 13830 (607) 843-6146
Afton Museum 116 Main Street Afton, NY 607-639-1625 Email:aftonnyhistorian@gmail.com
Coventry Museum Coventry, NY 607-656-9517
Unadilla Valley Historical Museum/Mt Upton Historical Society Route 8, PO Box 135 Mt Upton, NY 13809 607-764-8375
Norwich Pharmacal Co. Museum Eaton Center, 19 Eaton Avenue Norwich, NY 13815 607-334-4839
Northeast Classic Car Museum NYS Route 23-24 Rexford Street Norwich, NY 607-334-AUTO
Plymouth Historical Society Depot Plymouth, NY 607-334-9721

County Historian's Office

Patricia E. Evans, Historian
Joan Lieb, Historical Research Assistant
45 Rexford Street
Norwich, NY 13815
Phone: (607)337-1845
E-mail: countyhistorian@co.chenango.ny.us

The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.

Courthouses

The Chenango County Clerk's office holds marriage, divorce, court and land records. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Chenango County are held, see the Chenango County Courthouse page.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

Introduction to Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist in the study of genealogy.

The closest FHC in Chenango County is the Norwich New York Family History Center. For additional Family History Centers, search this online FHC directory.

Societies

Chenango County Historical Society 45 Rexford Street Norwich, NY 13815-1121 607-334-9227	Genealogical Resources: Local histories, family folders, local records, cemetery records, censuses, photographs.
Afton Historical Society 116 Main Street Afton, NY 13730 Phone: 607-639-1110 Facebook
Central New York Genealogical Society Box 104, Calvin Station Syracuse, New York 13205 E-mail: CNYSG@yahoo.com	Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks (At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 B2t) quarterly with annual index. Counties served: Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oreleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, and Yates.
Go-Won-Go Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Greene, New York wilcox@frontiernet.net
Guilford Historical Society Box 201 Guilford, NY 13780
Norwich Civil War Round Table Chenango County Historical Museum 45 Rexford Street Norwich, NY 607-334-3313 DLManzer@citlink.net
Unadilla Valley Railway Society and Museum PO Box 791 New Berlin, NY 13411

Social Groups Online

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Taxation

Town Records

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. Vital records from 1880/1882 are kept by town and village clerks, although some (Kent’s and Putnam Valley’s) are available in the County Historian’s Office. For further details, try the links to individual town Wiki pages found in Places. See also:

• Gordon L. Remington, New York Towns, Villages, and Cities: A Guide to Genealogical Sources (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002). NEHGS online edition; At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 D27r. Alphabetical list including date founded, if a town history exists, church and cemetery sources, and if a Civil War register (TCR) exists.
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1904 (New York: Martin B. Brown, 1905)
  
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1922 (Poughkeepsie: Lansing Broas, 1923)
• List of Town Clerks, Record Managers and Historical Societies
  

The County Archives has the following records:

• 031 Petitions, Licenses, and recognizance to sell liquor (Tavern licenses) 1813-1878
• 139 Monthly Reports of Hunting and fishing licenses, 1908-1938
• 165 Certificates of Qualifications as Examiner in Lunacy, 1883-1947
  

Vital Records

Vital records of birth, marriage or death were first recorded at the local level in the village clerk, town clerk, or city clerk’s ledger book. If you know where a birth, marriage or death took place, a copy of the certificate or record may be obtained by writing to the town, village or city clerk. See also How to order New York Vital Records or order electronically online.

See the heading Places on this wiki page for links to local community wiki pages and their available records. See New York Vital Records for a discussion about beginning dates and availability of vital records in New York.

Use substitute records for birth, marriage, and death information. These substitute records include Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records.

Vital Records of Chenango County, New York before 1880: Marriages, Births, Deaths from Original Sources (courtesy: NYGenWeb) combined information culled from several sources to provide vital record information.

Birth

Early births were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording births in 1881. Births were not recorded on the county level.

Birth Substitutes

• 1640–1962 New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.
  

Marriage

Early marriages were sometimes recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) In 1880, town clerks were to record the marriage and a copy was sent to the New York State Department of Health (state level). Town clerks continue to record marriages. Marriages were recorded by the Chenango County clerk starting in 1908 and go until 1935.

• 1639-1962 - New York, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $

• 1664–1784 New York. Secretary of State, Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued By the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784 (Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1860). At Cornell University digital library-free; Internet Archive - free; Ancestry edition($); At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Film 514675 Item 1 or 930131 Item 2. Marriage bonds issued in the State of New York prior to 1784, and the earliest record dating 1664.
  

• 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936 at FamilySearch — index and image
  

• 1908–1935 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

• 1908–1922 Marriage records, and licenses FHL film 1023091(first of 7 films)
  

• 1908–1935 Chenango Co., New York, marriage record FHL film 819843(first of 6 films)
  

Marriage Substitutes

• 1686-1980 New York Marriages, 1686–1890 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
  

• 1800–1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry– ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.
  

• 1801–1880 Barber Collection- Newspaper Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

• 1813-1850 10,000 Vital Records of Central New York at World Vital Records ($).

• 1822-1906 Miscellaneous Chenango Marriage Notices at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1840-1841 Chenango Marriages from Chenango Telegraph at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1859-1862 Marriage Records, Chenango Telegraph 1859-1862 at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1868-1869 Marriage Records, Chenango Telegraph 1868-1869 at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1853-1878 Death & Miscellaneous Chenango Marriage Notices at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
  

• 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
  

Divorce

Pre–1787	All divorces were granted by the governor or legislature and were very rare.
1787–1847	All divorces were granted by the court of chancery. These records are found in the New York State Archives or for the New York City area at the New York County Clerk's office.These divorces were granted only on the grounds of adultery.
1847–present	All divorces are handled by the county Supreme Court where the divorce was granted. Divorce files in New York are sealed for 100 years. Contact the County Clerk for information about divorce records.

Divorce judgment papers often include date and place of the marriage and the names and birthdates of any children. Local newspapers may publish notices of divorce actions.

Death

Early deaths were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording deaths in 1881. Deaths were not recorded on the county level.

Death Indexes

• 1824-1962 - New York, Church and Civil Deaths, 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
• 1880-1956 - New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1880-1956 - New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry — ($), index only
  
• 1957-1963 - New York State Health Department, Genealogical Research Death Index, 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — Index only
  

Death Substitutes

• 1795–1952 New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. The entries are primarily from the IGI along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as Family Records, Church Records, and Civil Registration. There may be entries that cite a specific source.
  

• 1801–1890 Barber Collection- Newspaper Deaths at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

• 1822-1904 Miscellaneous Chenango Obituary Notices at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information.
  

• 1853-1878 Death & Marriage Notices from the Oneonta Herald at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
  

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for death information.
  

• 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
  

• 1880s-1920s Selected Obituaries Chenango and Madison County at NYGenWeb - free.
  

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Chenango County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Chenango– Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.

Voting Registers

Chenango County New York Places

Chenango County New York Genealogy Websites

• Chenango County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• The Chenango County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Chenango County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Chenango County. (Mirror site)
• Chenango County Genealogy

Chenango County New York Genealogy References

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International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free