Ontario County, New York Genealogy

United States Genealogy

New York

Ontario County

Guide to Ontario 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 Ontario 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

Ontario County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York, United States Genealogy
Location of New York in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	January 27, 1789
County Seat
Courthouse
Address	27 North Main Street Canandaigua, New York 14424 Ontario County Website

Long House Iroquois.jpg

Ontario County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for Lake Ontario. The County is located in the west area of the state.

Ontario County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1908	1880	1789	1789	1789	1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent County

27 January 1789: Created from Montgomery 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.

• 1791: A part taken from Montgomery County.
• 18 March 1796: Steuben County set off.
• 30 March 1802: Genesee County set off.
• 1814: A part taken from Steuben County.
• 23 February 1821: Livingston and Monroe counties set off.
• 5 February 1823: Yates County set off.
• 11 April 1823: Wayne County set off.

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
Canandaigua (county seat)	Geneva
Towns
Bristol Canadice Canandaigua East Bloomfield Farmington Geneva	Gorham Hopewell Manchester Naples Phelps Richmond	Seneca South Bristol Victor West Bloomfield
Villages
Bloomfield Clifton Springs Manchester	Naples Phelps Rushville	Shortsville Victor
Hamlets
Border City Centerfield Cheshire Fishers	Hall Hopewell Center Ionia Orleans	Seneca Castle Stanley
Census-designated places
Crystal Beach Gorham	Hall Honeoye	Port Gibson

Ontario 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

• Ontario County, New York Biographies -- Access Genealogy

Business Records and Commerce

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*		Names in Stone*
NYGenWeb Cemeteries*		Billion Graves*
Billion Graves*		FamilySearch Places
Names in Stone*
Linkpendium*
Ancestry*
Ontario County AHGP
*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.	%±
1790	1,075	—
1800	15,218	1315.6%
1810	42,032	176.2%
1820	88,267	110.0%
1830	40,288	−54.4%
1840	43,501	8.0%
1850	43,929	1.0%
1860	44,563	1.4%
1870	45,108	1.2%
1880	49,541	9.8%
1890	48,453	−2.2%
1900	49,605	2.4%
1910	52,286	5.4%
1920	52,652	0.7%
1930	54,276	3.1%
1940	55,307	1.9%
1950	60,172	8.8%
1960	68,070	13.1%
1970	78,849	15.8%
1980	88,909	12.8%
1990	95,101	7.0%
2000	100,224	5.4%
2010	108,085	7.8%
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.

State

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

• The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has many census indexes online. They have completed up to 1892. The indexes are divided by towns.

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

Online Databases

• 1823-1874 Rev. Noah Barrell's Record of Marriages, 1823-1874 at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1846-1888 - Marriages Performed by Rev. O.P. Alderman of Naples & Phelps 1846-1888, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.

• 1850s-1880s - Marriage and Funeral Records of Universalist Church, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.

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

Additional Church Records

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

The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has placed many of their historical records on-line including various court records.

Crime and Criminals

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 Ontario 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

• The original owners of this land were men of Massachusetts and Connecticut, Nathan Gorham and Oliver Phelps.
• They were trustees for thirteen Dutch investors in Amsterdam. Trustees were needed because aliens were not then permitted to own land. This tract was later known as The Holland Purchase.
• The legal transactions and recordings were conducted in Massachusetts by the General Court assembled and passed in that House of Representatives and Senate. It was approved byJohn Hancock, the governor of Massachusetts, before it was recorded in New York. Many transactions thereafter recorded include the grantors Nathan Gorham of Massachusetts and Oliver Phelps of Connecticut. A deed in 1817 from Oliver Phelps daughter, Mary, granted land to the school commissioner of Connecticut.
• More about Bristol and Our History, by the Town of Bristol, has a fairly lengthy history of the town (accessed 19 October 2011).

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 Ontario County, New York Genealogy began in 1789.These records are housed at the Record and Archives Center,3051 County Complex Drive in Canandaigua, New York, 14424. 

Online

Microforms

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Ontario 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.)

• The indenture was procured from Chiefs and Warriors of the Five Indian Nations inhabiting this land by “fee or right of soil” in July of 1789. Nathan Gorham of Charlestown, Massachusetts and Oliver Phelps claimed title and began their development of this New York land from that date forward while never establishing residence in that State.
• The original records for the Holland Land Company are in Holland. SUNY (State University of New York) at Fredonia microfilmed the records and they are in SUNY Brockport, New York.
• Also available at familysearch.org "Holland Land Company Records"

The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has placed many of their historical records on-line including the following:

• Real Property Deeds for the period 1789-1845.
• Chattel Mortgages 1830's-1860's
• Chattel Morgages 1840's-1870's

Additional resources

Additional resources for Ontario County, New York Genealogy land records may be found in the Ontario 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)
• Map of Ontario County Showing Town Boundaries - Ontario County NYGenWeb
• Maps of Ontario County - Linkpendium
• Maps of Bristol's Past - Town of Bristol
• Western New York Legacy has many digital maps for western New York

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Ontario County for European settlers included:

• Great Genesee Road 1794
• Erie Canal 1825

Military

General

• Bristol Veterans lists veterans buried in the town of Bristol.

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: Bristol · Canadice · Canandaigua · East Bloomfield · Gorham · Hopewell · Naples · Phelps · Richmond · Seneca · Victor · West Bloomfield.

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

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

- 1st Regiment, New York Engineers, Company G.

- 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies A, D, G and M, 2nd Company L, and 3rd Company K.

- 9th Regiment, New York Cavalry , Companies F and M.

- 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company C.

- 18th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.

- 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies H and L .

- 28th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 33rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and H.

- 38th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

- 55th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, E, F, G, H and K.

- 85th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B and G.

- 100th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

- 126th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D E, H and K.

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

- 148th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C, D, F, G, I and K.

- 154th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

- 160th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

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

- 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, D and I.

The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has placed many of their historical records on-line which include the following military records:

• Civil War Records
• Civil War Pension Records
• Military Commissions
• Civil War Records from 1865 Census Records
• Revolutionary War Pension Records

Naturalization and Citizenship

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

• 1803-1956 The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has place two Indexes for Naturalization Records for the periods 1803-1906 and 1906-1956 on line.

• 1907-1966 New York, Western District Naturalization Index, 1907-1966 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

Newspapers

• Old Fulton Postcards.  -   Free search-able web site which holds newspapers from upstate New York.
  
• Daily Messenger (Canandaigua, New York) - ancestry.com - $ need subscription
  
• Ontario County (NY) newspapers on microfilm and paper at all NYS locations - New York State Library

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 Ontario County, New York Genealogy newspaper images:

• Canandaigua NY Ontario Repository 1817-1826
• Naples NY Neopolitan 1840-1887
• Naples NY News 1898-1943
• Naples NY Record 1870-1960
• Phelps NY Citizen 1877-1955
• Phelps NY Country Editor 1963-1966
• Geneva NY Advertiser 1841-1904
• Geneva NY Courier 1831-1883
• Geneva NY Daily Times 1895-1978
• Geneva NY Expoiter 1806-1809
• Geneva NY Finger Lake Times 1977-1988
• Geneva NY Gazette 1809-1823
• Geneva NY Gazette 1809-1914
• Geneva NY Palladium 1825-1828

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): 54.

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

Online 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.
• 1789-1926 Surrogate Court Records, courtesy Ontario County Historian's Site.
• 1795-1888 SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
• 1795-1827 Ontario County Estate Records for residents of what is now Yates County, courtesy The Yates County Office of Public History.
• 1848-1850 Harriett M. Wiles, Abstracts of Wills of Ontario County, New York, 1848-1849-1850: Volume 12 (XII) (Liber D) (Sl.: s.n., 1949). Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1866 - 1923 New York Kings County Estate Files 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
• 1927-1965 - Index to Surrogate Court Records, courtesy Ontario County Records and Archives Center.
  

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 - Ontario County: Decrees, Minutes, Orders, 1862-1872; Guardianship records, 1814-1817, 1862-1876; Inventories, 1797-1822; Letters of administration, 1851-1864; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1838-1865; Letters of guardianship, 1830-1862; Letters, 1830-1838, 1864-1870; Orders, 1862-1874; Probate records, 1818-1851, 1862-1924; Real estate records, 1851-1883; Surrogate record index, 1789-1965; Wills, 1795-1823, 1830-1875

Probate Records on Microfilm

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

• 1789–1965 Surrogate Record, General Index FHL Film 834755–834756
• 1795–1924 Probate Records (includes wills and index) FHL Film 834757 (42 films)
• 1797–1822 Estate Inventory Files FHL Film 1769004 (6 films)
• 1830–1833 Probate records FHL Film 834833 (14 film)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Ontario 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 Ontario County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1984). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.786 A3 and film 1597833 Item 4. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

• Pioneer Library System has names and addresses of libraries in Ontario, Livingston, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
  

• Ontario Public Library, 1850 Ridge Road Ontario, NY 14519, phone: (315) 524-8381

- Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming, Livingston Counties (OWWL) Catalog

• Bloomfield Public Library, 9 Church St, E Bloomfield, NY 14443, phone: 585-657-6264

• Bristol Library, 6750 County Rd 32 Canandaigua, NY 14424, phone: (585) 229-5862. Web site explains about the local history and genealogy resources with information about the Town of Bristol Historian. Requests may made to the town historian.

• Geneva Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Collection has atlases, histories, city directories, and filmed newspapers.

• Ontario County Public Libraries web site lists libraries in Ontario County with their addresses and links to their web sites.

• Ontario County Historian's Site has information about veteran burials, cemeteries, and other historical records.

Courthouses

The Ontario Records Management Officer has marriage, divorce, probate, court land, Revolutionary War, naturalization records as well as state census and county maps. For further information about where the records for Ontario County are held, see the Ontario County Courthouse page.

County Clerk

County Clerk
20 Ontario Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 396-4200

County Historian

County Historian 3051 County Complex Drive Canandaigua, NY 14424 Phone: (585) 396-4034

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.

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

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 for family history research.

The main FHC for Ontario County, New York Genealogy is the Palmyra New York Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Societies

Ontario County Genealogical Society
55 North Main Streets
Canandaigua, NY 14424
585-394-4975
E-mail: barbarah@ocgsny.net
Website

Ontario County Historical Society
55 North Main Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424
(585) 394-4975
Website

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; 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.

Western New York Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 338
Hamburg, New York 14075-0338
Email: info@wnygs.org
Directory

Focus is on eight Western New York counties - Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, Orleans, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany - which comprise the area of the original Holland Land Company purchase.

Social Group 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.

• The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has placed many of their historical records on-line. They include marriage records, Poor House Indentures, and Vital Town Records.
• Various nineteenth-century newspaper vital records at NYGenWeb - 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.

• 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 1933.

• 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 Ontario County Index to Marriages, 1908-1935 (file folders) at The Ontario County Department of Records, Archives and Information Managament Services - free.
  

• 1908-1935 Ontario County Index to Marriage Records 1908-1935 (4 bound volumes) at The Ontario County Department of Records, Archives and Information Management Services - free.
  

• 1908–1935 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; FHL film 1007172 (first of 17 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."
  

• 1809–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2b. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 1813–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries;FHL Book 974.7 V2bf. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 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
  
• 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."
  

• 1809–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2b. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 1813–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries;FHL Book 974.7 V2bf. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 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 Ontario County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Ontario– 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

Ontario County New York Places

Ontario County New York Genealogy Websites

• Ontario County NYGenWeb
• Ontario County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• The Ontario County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project
• USGenWeb Archives
• USGenWeb Archives backup site
• The Ontario County Records and Archives Center
• FamilySearch.org catalog for Ontario County
• ancestry.com Ontario County Search - $ need ancestry.com subscription
• Ontario County Links - NY (AHGP - American History and Genealogy Project)
• Ontario County Links - GenealogyLinks.net
• Ontario County Links - My New York Genealogy
• Ontario County Links  - D'ADDEZIO.com
• Ontario County Links - I Dream of Genealogy Scroll down to Ontario County, mostly cemtery links)
• Ontario County NY Genealogy

Ontario County New York Genealogy References

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Family History Library

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free