Jefferson County, New York Genealogy

United States Genealogy

New York

Jefferson County

Guide to Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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

Jefferson 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 28, 1805
County Seat	Watertown
Courthouse
Address	195 Arsenal St. Watertown, NY Jefferson County Website

Jefferson County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for Thomas Jefferson. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

Jefferson County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1908	1880	1805	1805	1805	1663
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent County

• Created 28 March 1805 from Oneida County.

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.

• 1817: Carleton Island, captured from the British in the War of 1812 was annexed.

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
Watertown (county seat)
Towns
Adams Alexandria Antwerp Brownville Cape Vincent Champion Clayton Ellisburg	Henderson Hounsfield Le Ray Lorraine Lyme Orleans Pamelia Philadelphia	Rodman Rutland Theresa Watertown Wilna Worth
Villages
Adams Alexandria Bay Antwerp Black River Brownville Cape Vincent Carthage	Chaumont Clayton Deferiet Dexter Ellisburg Evans Mills Glen Park	Mannsville Philadelphia Sackets Harbor Theresa West Carthage
Hamlets
Adams Center Belleville Calcium Depauville Felts Mills Fishers Landing Fort Drum Great Bend	Henderson Herrings La Fargeville Lorraine Natural Bridge Oxbow Pamelia Center Pierrepont Manor	Plessis Redwood Rodman Sanfords Four Corners Thousand Island Park Three Mile Bay

Jefferson 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 Project*
Cemetery Site*		NYGenWeb*
New York Gravestones*		Names in Stone*
NYGenWeb*		Billion Graves*
Billion Graves*		FamilySearch Places
Names in Stone*
Linkpendium*
Ancestry*
Stories in Stone
JEFFERSON COUNTY CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS
*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.	%±
1810	15,140	—
1820	32,952	117.6%
1830	48,493	47.2%
1840	60,984	25.8%
1850	68,153	11.8%
1860	69,825	2.5%
1870	65,415	−6.3%
1880	66,103	1.1%
1890	68,806	4.1%
1900	76,748	11.5%
1910	80,382	4.7%
1920	82,250	2.3%
1930	83,574	1.6%
1940	84,003	0.5%
1950	85,521	1.8%
1960	87,835	2.7%
1970	88,508	0.8%
1980	88,151	−0.4%
1990	110,943	25.9%
2000	111,738	0.7%
2010	116,229	4.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

• The 1890 Census is lost. For substitutes see Directories.
  

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	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes Index	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
FamilySearch Images	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
New York State Library	-	-	-	-	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

• 1864 - Funerals from the Records of Rev. J. Stewart at NYGenWeb - free.
  

Dutch Reformed

• German Flats Dutch Reformed Church, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
  

German Evangelical Church

• German Evangelical Church, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
  

Methodists

• Index to North Country Methodists, courtesy:NYGenWeb.
  

Presbyterian

• Index of Names in Presbyterian Church of Oxbow, NY, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
  

• Oxbow Presbyterian Church Records, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
  

• Oxbow Presbyterian Church Records on rootsweb, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
  

Additional Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.

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

Online

• Welcome to Jefferson County, New York

Microforms

• 1805-1942 Deed Records 1805-1902, 1907 FHL film 895025 (first of 194 films) - Index included: 1799-1873
  
• 1805-1888 Mortgage Records 1805-1855 FHL film 894819 (first of 29 films - Index included: 1805-1888
  

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Jefferson 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.)

Additional resources

Additional resources for Jefferson County, New York Genealogy land records may be found in the Jefferson 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)

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: Adams · Alexandria · Brownville · Champion · Clayton · Ellisburg · Henderson · Hounsfield · Le Ray · Lorraine · Lyme · Orleans · Pamelia · Philadelphia · Rodman · Rutland · Watertown · Worth.

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

- 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Batteries C, D and H.

- 6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery, Company E.

- 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company E.

- 7th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company E.

- 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company H.

- 13th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies H and I.

- 18th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies H, I, K, L and M.

- 20th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L and M.

- 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies G and K.

- 25th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company H.

- 26th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company H.

- 35th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C, E, G, I and K.

- 59th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

- 94th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 129th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company L.

- 193rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies G and H.

World War I

• Jefferson County in the World War: A Record of the Activities of the Various Organizations and Individuals Who Devoted Their Energies to the Cause of Freedom in the Great Conflict of 1914-1918, Containing the Honor Roll of Those Who Served in Army, Navy and Marine and the Portraits of Those Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice. Watertown, N.Y., 1920. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1791-1980 - New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
• SAMPUBCO Browsable index of applicants.

Newspapers

Old Fulton NY Post Cards has the largest online collection of 400 New York 1795-2007 newspapers. The instructions for this quirky site are needed to get the most out of it.

• Search engine for all 400 newspapers.
• List of 400 newspapers 1795-2007 at this site.

• Wiki instructions for finding ancestors in Old Fulton NY Post Cards newspapers.
• Site's FAQ instructions about how to do searches.

Old Fulton NY Post Cards has the following Jefferson County, New York Genealogy newspaper images:

• Adams New York Herald 1876-1877
• Carthage Ny Republican 1885-1906
• Jefferson County Journal 1872-1922
• Watertown New York Reformer 1850-1862
• Watertown Ny Times 1870-1922

Other resources:

• Watertown Herald, 1886-1918 at Northern New York Historical Newspapers

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 Jefferson County, New York Genealogy are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and its centers:

• 1805–1900 (1945) Listed as "Estate papers" FHL Film 894445 Item 3 (278 films) First film is an index. How to use FamilySearch Catalog

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 $
• 1850-1908 SAMPUBCO Free browsable index of guardianships (minors)
• 1866-1923 New York Kings County Estate Files 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
• SAMPUBCO - Free browsable index of heirs and also of testators of wills

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.

• 1805 - 1900 Historical Records - Jefferson County: Estate papers index, 1805-1900
• 1830 -1900 Letters of administration index, 1830-1900
• 1830 - 1900 Minutes index, 1830-1900
• 1830 - 1900 Will index, 1830-1900
• 1830 - 1910 Minutes, 1830-1910
• 1830 - 1913 Wills, 1830-1913
• 1830 - 1924 Letters of administration, 1830-1924
• 1831 - 1900 Guardianship index, 1831-1900
• 1832 - 1895 Real estate records, 1832-1895
• 1850 -1900 Letters of testamentary, 1850-1900

Probate records found at Historical Records and described in Online Probate Records above are also found on microfilm as follows:

• 1805–1945 Estate Papers,includes general index (Petitions)FHL Film 514577 (278 films)
• 1830–1900 Record of Wills, includes general index FHL Film 894446 (36 films)
• 1830–1924 Letters of Administration, index 1830–1900 FHL Film 897755 (10 films)
• 1850–1900 Letters Testamentary FHL Film 897764 (7 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1985). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.757 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Libraries

• Jefferson Community College, Mervil Dewey Library
  1220 Coffeen St.
  Watertown, New York 13601
  Phone: 315-786-2413 or 315-786-2225
  Email: jyoung@sunyjefferson.edu

Collection includes histories of Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and other contiguous North County counties, local information, periodicals, Harold Sanderson Civil War Database and more.

Roswell P. Flower Genealogy Library 229 Washington St. Watertown, NY 13601 315-785-7711 wat-genealogy@ncls.org

Genealogical resources: Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest Online databases. Censuses, military records.

Museum

• Jefferson County Historical Society Museum
  228 Washington Street
  Watertown, New York 13601
  Phone: 315-782-3491
  Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10 am - 5 pm
  Saturday 10 am - 4 pm

County Historian's Office

Mr. Ranger, Historian
Jefferson County Building
175 Arsenal Street
Watertown, NY 13601
Phone: (315) 785-5149

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 Jefferson County Clerk's office has marriage, land, court, military discharge and naturalization records as well as the state census. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Jefferson County are held, see the Jefferson 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

• Watertown New York Family History Center

Societies

• Jefferson County Historical Society
  228 Washington Street
  Watertown, New York 13601
  Phone: 315-782-3491
  Publication: Quarterly Newsletter Museum Musings

Collection includes artifacts, letters, photographs and more. For genealogical research contact the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library's Genealogy Department.

• Historical Association of South Jefferson
  29 East Church Street
  Adams, New York 13601
  Phone: 315-232-2616 or 315-298-5953
  Email: hasouthjeff@yahoo.com or quick4@peoplepc.com
  Hours: Monday and Tuesday 8 am - 2 pm
  Thursday 10 am - 4 pm
  Most Fridays 8 am - 2 pm
  Other hours by appointment.

• 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.

Social Groups Online

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

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.

• 1847-1849 Vital Records of Jefferson County, 1847, 1848, and 1849 - free.
  

• 1872-1951 NYS Historic Newspapers. Includes Cape Vincent Eagle (1872-1951), Watertown Herald 1886-1918.
  

• 1891, 1910 Various 1891 and 1910 births, marriages, and deaths Jefferson County Journal USGenWeb Archives - free.
  

• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~aliecor/genealogy/index_wdt/index_to_deaths.htm Index to births, deaths, marriages in Watertown Daily Times and Jefferson County Journal] - free.
  

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. 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 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 images
  

• 1908–1935 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.FHL film 895212 (first of 59 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."
  

• 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.
  

• 1864-5 Marriages from 1865 Census at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• Canadian Marriages of Jefferson Countians at NYGenWeb - free.
  

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."
  

• 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.
  

• 1864-5 1000 Vital Records from 1865 Jefferson Co., NY Census at RootsWeb.
  

• 1864-5 Deaths and Deceased Veterans from 1865 Census at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 2004-7 Index to Obituaries from the Watertown Daily Times at NYGenWeb - free.
  

Additional Resources

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

Jefferson County New York Genealogy Websites

• Jefferson County Genealogy and History, an affiliate of the American History and Genealogy Project (AHGP)
• Jefferson County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• The Jefferson County NYGenWeb Project, a member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Jefferson County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Jefferson County. (Mirror site)
• Jefferson County NY Genealogy
• Jefferson County New YorkGenealogical Society

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free