Tompkins County, New York Genealogy

United States Genealogy

New York

Tompkins County

Guide to Tompkins 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 Tompkins 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

Tompkins County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York, United States Genealogy
Location of New York in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	1817
County Seat	Ithaca
Courthouse
Photo courtesy Chad Fust
Address	320 N. Tioga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Tompkins County Website

Tompkins County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for Daniel D. Tompkins, who served as Governor of New York and Vice President of the United States. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

Tompkins County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1908	1880	1817	1817	1817	1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent Counties

7 April 1817: Created from parts of Cayuga and Seneca 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.

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:

Cities
Ithaca (county seat)
Towns
Caroline Danby Dryden	Enfield Groton Ithaca	Lansing Newfield Ulysses
Villages
Cayuga Heights Dryden	Freeville Groton	Lansing Trumansburg
Hamlets
Caroline Center Enfield Center	Etna	Podunk
Census-designated places
Brooktondale East Ithaca Forest Home Jacksonville McLean	Newfield Northeast Ithaca Northwest Ithaca Slaterville Springs South Hill	South Lansing Varna West Danby

Tompkins 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.
  

Cemeteries

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

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

• 1800-1965 - New York, Cemetery Abstracts, 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	20,681	—
1830	36,545	76.7%
1840	37,948	3.8%
1850	38,746	2.1%
1860	31,409	−18.9%
1870	33,178	5.6%
1880	34,445	3.8%
1890	32,923	−4.4%
1900	33,830	2.8%
1910	33,647	−0.5%
1920	35,285	4.9%
1930	41,490	17.6%
1940	42,340	2.0%
1950	59,122	39.6%
1960	66,164	11.9%
1970	77,064	16.5%
1980	87,085	13.0%
1990	94,097	8.1%
2000	96,501	2.6%
2010	101,564	5.2%
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.

State

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

• 1840s-1850s - Pastor's Hand Book, Book A, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free. Marriages.
  

• 1840s-1860s - Original Marriage Records of Rev Levi Pitts, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1850s-1880s - Pastor's Hand Book, Book B, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free. Marriages.
  

• 1854-1855 - Tompkins County Members of the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education 1854-1855, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1870 - The Tabernacle Baptist Church, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free. Includes membership list.
  

• 1880s-1940s - The Snyder Hill Free Will Baptist Church, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free. Includes membership list.
  

• Gross, Edna May. Unpublished Records of Births, Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Deaths. Ithaca, N.Y.: unknown, 1986. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  

Cornell University's Study Center for Early Religious Life in Western New York has an online guide to Tompkins County church records in their library.

Additional Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tompkins 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 Records

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

Emigration and Immigration

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

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 Tompkins 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

Tompkins County was formed by an act of the legislature, April 17, 1817 - taken from Cayuga and Seneca Counties. Its lineage extends back to Onondaga, Kerkimer, Montgomery, Tryon and Albany counties. It was named in honor of governor Daniel D. Tompkins. The county of Tompkins when formed contained the towns of Hector, Ulysses, and Covert taken from Seneca County, and the town of Dryden and a part of the towns of Locke and Genoa from Cayuga County.

Tompkins County, as originally formed, had within its limits a good portion of Cayuga Lake and extended westward to the Seneca Lake. Tompkins County is bounded on the north by Cayuga and Seneca Counties, on the east by Cortland and Tioga, on the south by Tioga, Schuyler and Chemung, and on the west by Chemung and Schuyler.  Its county seat is Ithaca.

The County of Tompkins consists of nine townships: Caroline, Danby, Dryden, Groton, Enfield, Ithaca, Lansing, New field and Ulysses, along with many villages and hamlets.

Some of the finest farming lands in the state are found in Tompkins County on the eastern and western shores of Cayuga Lake.

Addtional Resources:

For more information and family name details, see the book,"An outline history of Tioga and Bradford counties in Pennsylvania, Chemung, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins and Schuyler in New York : by townships, villages, boro's and cities".

Another excellent history of Tompkins County is found in"Landmarks of Tompkins County, New York : including a History of Cornell University by W.T. Hewitt", and FHL US/CAN Film.

See the FamilySearch Catalog for more historical entries for Tompkins County, New York.

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

Online

Microforms

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Tompkins 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.)

• 1817-1860 - Index to Deeds Tompkins County, NY 1817-1860 Inclusive, courtesy: NYGenWeb.

Additional resources

Additional resources for Tompkins County, New York Genealogy land records may be found in the Tompkins County, New York Genealogy – Land Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche may be available for viewing at various Family History Centers. 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.

Maps

• Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration

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

• 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 the 1750s; toll booths opened by 1804.
• Forbidden Path, 1767 from Athens, Pennsylvania to Salamanca, New York
• Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, Otsego County, New York Genealogy to Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Genealogy, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.
• 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: Caroline · Danby · Dryden · Enfield · Groton · Ithaca · Newfield · Ulysses.

Regiments. Service men in Tompkins County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.

- 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies G, H and K.

- 21st Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies B and M.

- 30th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.

- 32nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies E and I.

- 64th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 109th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, F and G.

- 137th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, G, I and K.

- 138th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.

- 143rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and I.

- 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company I.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1791-1980 - New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images

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.

The petitions for Tompkins County, New York Genealogy are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and its centers:

• 1818–1900 Listed as "Petitions, proof of wills, letters of administration, and estate papers" FHL Film 869195 (59 films).
  

Online Probate Abstracts and 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
  
• 1817-1903 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
  
• 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 - Tompkins County: Administration bonds, 1890-1903; Bonds, 1896-1901; Decrees, Minutes, Orders, 1831-1914; Dower records, 1817-1882; Executor records, 1862-1910; Final settlements, 1868-1907; General index, 1818-1951; Guardianship records, 1817-1913; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1823-1904; Letters of testamentary, 1869-1904; Sales, 1831-1907; Will index, 1910-1936; Wills and Administrations, 1850-1891; Wills, 1817-1903; Wills, Administrations, Petitions, 1818-1900.

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above also may be among those on microfilm including:

• 1817–1932 Index 1818–1951, Probate Records: Wills 1817–1903, Index to wills 1818–1936, Minutes 1831–1914, Guardian 1829–1916, Letters of administration and testamentary 1823–1904 FHL Film 853116 (48 films)
• 1818–1900 Petitions, proofs, estate papers FHL Film 869195 (59 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tompkins 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 Tompkins County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1983). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.771 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Tompkins County Public Library Attention: Nancy Stoehr 101 East Green Street Ithaca, New York 14850 Phone: 607-272-4556 Fax: 607-272-8111

Genealogical Resources: Local history, newspapers, books Thompkins County Research Guidelines Research Request Form

John M. Olin Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 Rare and Manuscript Collections

Genealogical resources: Website offers a guide to Genealogical Research at Cornell. Resources include compiled genealogies, local histories, biographical dictionaries, maps, censuses, newspapers, city directories, church records, periodicals, heraldry, manuscripts, land records, and alumni records.

The History Center 401 E. State/MLK Jr. St. Ithaca, NY 14850 Phone: (607) 273-8284 Fax: (607) 273-6107 Hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 11am-5pm (and by appointment) Closed: Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays (and on major holidays)

Genealogical Resources: Research and Reference Services County Timeline, Books, Maps, vital records, family name files, pictures, and much more. Mary Williams, Research Librarian Phone: 607-273-8284 x8 E-mail: library@thehistorycenter.net Donna Eschenbrenner,Archivist Phone:607-273-8284 x4 Email:archives@TheHistoryCenter.net

Tompkins County Museum
401 East State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 273-8284
FAX: (607) 273-6107

County Historian's Office

Carol Kammen,Historian 125 East Court Street Ithaca, New York 14850 Phone: 607-273-5298 ckk6@cornell.edu

Genealogical Resources: 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 Tompkins County Clerk's office has marriage, divorce, court and land records. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Tompkins County are held, see the Tompkins County Courthouses 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 Affiliate Libraries

• Ithaca New York Family History Center

Societies

Finger Lakes Genealogical Society
PO Box 581
Seneca Falls, New York 13148

Central New York Genealogical Society Box 104, Calvin Station Syracuse, New York 13205 E-mail: CNYSG@yahoo.com

Genealogical Resources: :Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publishes 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.

Crooked Lake Review 6877 Van Amburg Road Hammondsport, NY 14840 E-mail: editors@crookedlakeview.com Blog

Genealogical Resources: According to the website: "The Crooked Lake Review is a local history magazine for the Conhocton, Canisteo, Tioga, Chemung and Genesee river valleys, and for the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario regions of New York State.". This website deals with stories, histories and information dealing with people, events, and places in relationship to the area.

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

Tompkins County is considered a consolidated county because birth and death records were collected from the towns, cities and villages and are on file with the Office of Vital Records in Ithaca. See this link for information about obtaining copies of birth and death records for most towns from 1880 to the present. Towns with records beginning later than 1880 are listed on the Office of Vital Records website.

Records may be ordered from the Tompkins County Office of Vital Records and must be requested by mail. Fees apply for both a record search and for a document copy. There is a 50-year restriction for deaths and a 75-year restriction for births. The restriction is waived if the applicant can prove the relationship to direct-line ancestors. Copies are also available at the New York State Department of Health in Albany. See New York Vital Records Wiki page for more information about ordering records from Albany.

Marriage records are usually found at the office of the town, city, or village clerk where the marriage license was issued. See the heading Places on this wiki page for links to local community wiki pages and their available records. Limited consolidated Tompkins County marriage records 1908-1935 are available at the Family History Library. 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.

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.
However, birth records were collected and consolidated from the town records by Tompkins County. See the Tompkins County Health Department for information about ordering records. Most town records begin in 1880.

• 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

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. 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. The marriages in this county were recorded by the county clerk from 1908 until 1934.

• 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 images
  

• 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Archive.org - images of index

• 1908–1935 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; FHL Film 1008784 (first of 12 films); FHL Film 853063 (first of 7 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 groon, 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."
  

• 1820s-1900s Miscellaneous Marriages of Tompkins County 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.
However, death records were collected and consolidated from the town records by Tompkins County. See the Tompkins County Health Department for information about ordering records. Most town records begin in 1880.

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
  
• 1880-1956 - Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
• 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."
  

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

• 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.
  

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Tompkins County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Tompkins– 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.

Tompkins County New York Genealogy Websites

• Tompkins County NYGebWeb
• Tompkins County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• Tompkins County Genealogy

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free