St. Lawrence County, New YorkEdit This Page

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St. Lawrence 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

Business Records and Commerce

Cemeteries

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

Census

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.^[3]
• 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 which can be ordered through any Family History Center.

State

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. These can be ordered through any Family History Center.

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.

• Ogdensburg Diocese Archives
  622 Washington Street
  P.O. Box 369
  Ogdensburg, New York 13669
  Phone: 315-393-2920
  Email: jvotraw@dioogdensburg.org
  Hours: Monday - Friday 9 am - 4 pm
  Holds archival material of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg and of its churches and institutions.

A variety of local church records from the Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, Methodist, and Presbyterian faiths is available at Church Records of St. Lawrence County, NY.^[4]

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

• 1840s-1890s "Record of Marriages by Rev. Gorham Cross," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, (Jan. 1919):55-58. Free online index at NYGenWeb; digital versions of Record at Google Books (free) and NYGBS ($).
  

Additional Church Records

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

• Lawrence+county+new+york+church+records&qt=results_page WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Family History Library Catalog (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name 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.

Crime and Criminals

Directories

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

Gazetteers

Genealogy

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

History

Land and Property

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

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

Original land records in St. Lawrence County, New York 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: St. Lawrence County, New York deeds. (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
• Family History Library Catalog using the search phrase: 1, New York - Land and Property. (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search.)

Additional resources

Additional resources for St. Lawrence County, New York land records may be found in the St. Lawrence County, New York – Land Records topic page of the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC). Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Maps

Migration

Military

Civil War

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) and can be ordered for viewing at your local Family History Center. They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($).

Available towns. Registers are available for: Brasher · Canton · Colton · De Kalb · De Peyster · Edwards · Fine · Fowler · Gouverneur · Hammond · Hopkinton · Lawrence · Lisbon · Louisville · Macomb · Morristown · Norfolk · Oswegatchie · Parishville · Pierrepont · Pitcairn · Potsdam · Stockholm · Waddington.

Regiments. Service men in St. Lawrence County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in St. Lawrence County:^[5]

- 16th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 18th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 24th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 60th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 92nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 100th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 102nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 106th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 142nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 164th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 169th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 193rd Regiment, New York Infantry

Naturalization

Newspapers

Online Digital Newspapers

• Northern New York Historical Newspapers; Search historical newspapers for St. Lawrence Co. in years ranging from 1861 - 2007.

• North Country Catholic, 1946-2006 at Northern New York Historical Newspapers - Free.

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 St. Lawrence County, New York 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. ^{[6] [7]}

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 491. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
2. ↑ Handybook, 478.
3. ↑ Arlene Eakle, and Johni Cerni, The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1984), 103. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27ts.
4. ↑ A special thanks to The NYGenWeb Project for pointing out this website.
5. ↑ Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. (Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912). Internet Archive digital copy; At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Film 1486494-96; Fiche 6083559-64; Book 974.7 M2p.
6. ↑ 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.
7. ↑ 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 St. Lawrence County Surrogate Court.

Online Abstracts and Indexes

• 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes St. Lawrence County, New York.^[1]
  
• 1830-1916 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index 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.

• Historical Records - St. Lawrence County: Administration index 1800-1955; Bonds 1890-1915; Dower records 1830-1871; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1831-1917; Letters of guardianship 1830-1927; Minutes, Orders 1830-1919; Sales 1842-1904; Will index 1800-1955; Wills 1830-1916

Probate Records on Microfilm
Probate records described in Online Probate Records above are also found on microfilm as follows:

• 1830–1955 Index of Wills and Proceedings FHL Film 890040 (4 films)
• 1830–1919 Probate Records: Wills, 1830–1916; Letters of testamentary and administration, 1831–1917; Guardianship 1830–1927; Minutes and orders 1830–1919FHL Film 890040 (79 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

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

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Family History Library Catalog (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search).

• 1830–1916 Samuelson, W. David. St. Lawrence County, New York, Will Testators Index, 1830–1916. Salt Lake City, Utah: Sampubco, 1995. FHL Film 2055179 Item 9, Fiche 6002833WorldCat, at various libraries

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in St. Lawrence County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1987). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.756 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Libraries

• Massena Public Library
  41 Glenn St.
  Massena, New York 13662
  Phone: 315-769-9914

• Ogdensburg Public Library
  312 Washington Street
  Ogdensburg, New York 13669
  Phone: 315-393-4325

• St. Lawrence University Library
  Owen D. Young Library - University Archives and Special Collections
  23 Romoda Drive
  Canton, New York 13617
  Phone 315-229-5476
  Email: mcm@stlawu.edu
  Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
  Collection includes manuscripts, documents and other materials regarding the history the Northern New York area.

• Southworth Library at the State University of New York at Canton
  Cornell Drive
  Canton, New York 13617
  Phone: 315-386-7058
  Email: bucher@canton.edu
  Library has material relative to the history and conditions of the college.

• College Libraries at the State University of New York at Potsdam
  44 Pierrepont Avenue
  SUNY Potsdam, Potsdam, New York 13676
  Phone: 315-267-3326
  Email: subramjm@potsdam.edu
  Collection includes papers, photos and memorabilia relative to the history of Potsdam College (including the Potsdam Normal School) since 1869 and some material related to the earlier St. Lawrence Academy.

• Clarkson University, Educational Resources Center, Library - Archives
  Box 5590
  Potsdam, New York 13699-5590
  Phone: 315-268-4268
  Email: myoung@clarkson.edu
  Library has historical documents and materials of the University, history and genealogical records of the Clarkson family.

Museums

• Potsdam Public Museum
  Civic Center Park Street
  Potsdam, New York 13676
  Hours: Tuesday - Saturday from 2 -5 pm
  Contains material gathered by the St. Lawrence Valley Genealogical Society

County Historian's Office

Courthouses

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

Family History Centers

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 St. Lawrence County, New York is the Potsdam New York Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Societies

• Central New York Genealogical Society^[2]
  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.

• St. Lawrence County Historical Association
  3 East Main Street
  P.O. Box 8
  Canton, New York 13617-0008
  Phone: 315-386-8133
  Email: slcha@northnet.org
  Publications: The Quarterly Journal and The Wright House newsletter.

• The St. Lawrence Valley Genealogical Society
  P.O. Box 205
  Canton, New York 13617-0205
  Publication: The SLVGS News - published four times a year.

• Swe-kat-si Chapter, NSDAR Ogdensburg, New York
  Daughters of the American Revolution
  Email: kyle57@twcny.rr.com

Social Groups Online

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Taxation

Town Records

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. 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.

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 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.

• Card file of vital records, St. Lawrence County, New York FHL Film 1276158 Item 9 (first of 9 films).

• 1844-2009 Northern NY Library Network Newspaper Search. Includes Canton Commercial Advertiser (1900-1952), Clarkson Integrator (1920-2007), Gouverneur Tribune-Press and others (1864-2004), Hammond Advertiser (1886-1949), Heuvelton Bee (1912-1923), Hill News of St. Lawrence University (1911-2008), Madrid Herald (1904-1918), Massena Observer (1891-1989), North Country Catholic (1946-2006), Norwood News (1879-1941), Ogdensburg Advance & Ogdensburg Advance-News (1861-1962), Ogdensburg Journal (1857-1989), Ogdensburg Sentinel (1844-1858), Potsdam Courier-Freeman (1861-1989), Potsdam Herald-Recorder (1906-1951), Potsdam St. Lawrence Herald (1879-1904), Racquette of SUNY Potsdam (1927-2009), and Waddington Recorder (1894-1896).

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.

• 1847–1849 Births, marriages, and deaths FHL Film 556598 Item 2.
  

Birth Substitutes

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

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

Marriage

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

• 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.
  

• 1847–1849 Births, marriages, and deaths FHL Film 556598 Item 2.
  

• 1908–1935 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; FHL Film 885348(first of 37 films).
  

• Marriage Book, Volume 1 at USGenWeb Archives - free.
  

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."
  

• 1804–1850 Fred Q. Bowman, 8000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, 1991). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bfqa. Abstracts of newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 1841–1891 William Whitfield, Record of Marriages, 1841–1891 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1981). FHL Film 1304688 Item 1.

• Pre-1850 John M. Austin, Some Marriage and Death Notices Found in Pre-1850 Periodicals of St. Lawrence County, New York ([S.l. : J.M. Austin], 2003). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.756 V2a.
  

• 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 browseable.
  

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

Divorce

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.

• 1847–1849 Births, marriages, and deaths FHL Film 556598 Item 2.
  

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."
  

• 1804–1850 Fred Q. Bowman, 8000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, 1991). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bfqa. Abstracts of 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.
  

• Pre-1850 John M. Austin, Some Marriage and Death Notices Found in Pre-1850 Periodicals of St. Lawrence County, New York ([S.l. : J.M. Austin], 2003). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.756 V2a.
  

• 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 browseable.
  

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

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

Additional Resources

Additional resources for St. Lawrence County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, St. Lawrence– Vital Records topic page of the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC). Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Voting Registers

St. Lawrence County New York Genealogy Websites

St. Lawrence County New York Places

St. Lawrence County New York Genealogy References

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