Tioga County, PennsylvaniaEdit This Page

Tioga County Pennsylvania Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

Cemeteries

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

Census

For tips on accessing Tioga County, Pennsylvania Federal (or United States) census records online, see: Pennsylvania Census.

There are no county or state census records available for Pennsylvania. County and city tax records can be used as a substitute when census records are not available.

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. In Pennsylvania, church records are often used as a substitute for birth, marriage, and death information. For general information about Pennsylvania denominations, view the Pennsylvania Church Records wiki page.

Additional church records can be located at Linkpendium and by searching the Family History Library Catalog. The FHLC has a plethora ofchurch recordsfor Tioga County, many are limited in the time frame they cover. When searching the FHL catalog, be sure to also search at the town and township level.

Finding Church Records at Other Repositories

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tioga County, Pennsylvania Church Records  in online catalogs like:

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

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational

• 1708-1985 - Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry.com – $; 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties.

Contains records of:

• Arnot: Arnot Presbyterian Church
• Ash Brook: Ash Brook/Pine Creek Baptist Missionary Society
• Mansfield: First Baptist Church; First United Methodist Church; St. James Episcopal Church
• Millerton: United Methodist Church
• Wellsboro: First Presbyterian Church; United Methodist Church
• Whitneyville: United Methodist Church

Lutheran

Salem Lutheran Church, Hartsfield

• 1831-1858 - Salem Lutheran Church, Hartsfield, Baptism Index 1831-1858 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C507021.^[3]
• 1840-1850 - Salem Lutheran Church, Hartsfield, Baptism Index 1840-1850 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M507021.^[3]

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sebring

• 1837-1871 - Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sebring, Baptism Index 1837-1871 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C507031.^[3]
• 1838-1846, 1871 - Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sebring, Marriage Index 1838-1846, 1871 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M507031.^[3]

Presbyterian

First Presbyterian Church, Elkland

• 1834-1842, 1852-1870 - First Presbyterian Church, Elkland, Baptism Index 1834-1842 and 1852-1870 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C538681.^[3]

First Presbyterian Church, Fallbrook

• 1861-1875 - First Presbyterian Church, Fallbrook, Baptism Index 1861-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C524371.^[3]
• 1861-1874 - First Presbyterian Church, Fallbrook, Marriage Index 1861-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M524371.^[3]

Presbyterian Church of Farmington

• 1847-1885 - Presbyterian Church of Farmington, Baptism Index 1847-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C530841.^[3]

Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceville

• 1885 - Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceville, Baptism Index 1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C538711.^[3]

Court Records

Tioga County, Pennsylvania court records are housed at the Tioga County, Pennsylvania Courthouse. For many counties copies of court records may be found at the Pennsylvania State Archives and in the FamilySearch collection. Note that within these collections some films may contain the same records, but have different titles. Other titles are not duplicates. See Finding Court Records at other repositories within this section for links to the online catalogs for these two collections. Films at the Pennsylvania State Archives are not available for inter-library loan. If court records are available FamilySearch films may be ordered at a local Family History Center.

Court of Common Pleas

The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters.

The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. Tioga County, Pennsylvania has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.^[4]

Clerk of the Courts

The Clerk of Courts prepares and maintains the records for the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk signs and affixes the Seal of the Courts to all writs and processes, administers oaths and affirmations, and assumes custody of the seal and records of the Courts. The Clerk certifies and distributes orders of the Court. The Clerk also certifies and prepares bills of costs for the defendants and utilizes the computerized financial management system to disburse fines, costs and restitution.^[5] For the Tioga County, Pennsylvania Clerk of Courts address see the Courthouse section on this page.

Prothonotary

The office of the Prothontary is the custodian of all civil matters in the county. This includes naturalization, immigration, equity actions, judgements, federal and local tax leins, city liens, family court, arbitrations, license suspension appeals, appeals to higher court, commercial code filings, applications for passports and divorce proceedings. See the Courthouse section on this page for the Tioga County, Pennsylvania Prothonotary office information.

Orphan's Court

See Vital Records
The Orphans' Court is responsible for a wide range of matters. The name of the Court is derived from the more general definition of "orphan," that being a person or thing that is without protective affiliation or sponsorship. This would include those not capable of handling their own affairs, minors, incapacitated persons, decedents estates, nonprofit corporations and trusts. It is the role of the Court to ensure that the best interests of the person or entity are not compromised.

It is believed the name of this court was borrowed from the Court of Orphans of the city of London, England which had the care and guardianship of children of deceased citizens, in their minority.^[6]

For Tioga County, Pennsylvania Orphans' Court contact information see the Courthouse section on this page.

All the records for the Orphan's court are handled by the Prothonotary, who is also the clerk of the courts. All the Orphan's Court records are open except adoptions.^[7]

Finding Court Records at Other Repositories

Additional court records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tioga County, Pennsylvania Court Records in online catalogs like:

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

Emigration and Immigration

For information about emigration into Pennsylvania, see the Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration page.

Ethnic Groups

Germans

Gazetteers

Genealogy

History

Published Histories

Land and Property

Land records in Tioga County began in 1806. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

The following are examples of available resources:

Online Land Records

• 1806 - present  Images are available on-line from 1806 to the present using the Landex system. There is a fee to view the images.

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below also includes maps related to land ownership.

See Pennsylvania Land and Property for more information about using land records, especially about original land warrants, surveys, and patents filed at the state land office.

Additional resources can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tioga County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:

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

Maps

Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the County Atlas of Tioga, Pennsylvania from Recent and Actual Surveys and Records under the Superintendence of G.H. Walker and C.F. Jewett (published by F.W. Beers and Company, 1875).  This atlas found in the files of the Library of Congress shows major landowners and geographic sites at the date of publishing.  While the physical maps are in the public domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commercially. We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.

Migration

Military

Naturalization and Citizenship

Naturalization records can contain information about immigration and nativity. Prior to 1906, it is rare to find the town of origin in naturalization records. See Pennsylvania Naturalization for more information about the types of records and availability.

Naturalizations granted at the county level were kept by the office of the Prothonotary. Naturalizations could also be granted on the Federal Court level.

Naturalization records available for Tioga County, Pennsylvania include the following:

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1901-1930 – Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1906-1930; and 1901-1906 on Fold3.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records
  

• 1901-1930 - Middle District, US Circuit and District Courts: Naturalization petitions, 1906-1930 located in U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) database on Ancestry.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records.
  

• 1795-1990 – Tioga County: Abstracts of Naturalization Records on Tri-Counties genealogy & History website - free, index and abstracts.

Finding Naturalization Indexes at Other Repositories

Additional naturalization indexes can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tioga County, Pennsylvania naturalization  in online catalogs like:

• Historical Society of Pennsylvania
• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Do a Tioga County, Pennsylvania Place-name search for these and other records in the Family History Library Catalog (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search).

Newspapers

Tioga County, Pennsylvania newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.

To access newspapers, contact public libraries, historical/genealogical societies, college or university libraries, or state archives in the area where the newspaper was published.

For information on state-wide newspapers see Pennsylvania Newspapers

Newspapers of Tioga County

• Pennsylvania Newspapers
• Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory
• Newspapers of the Area

Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers online for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see news.google.com/newspapers and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.

• Mansfield Advertiser (Mansfield, PA) at the State Library of Pennsylvania: Historic Newspapers Collection.
• Newspaper Archives of the Green Free Library containing a number of newspapers covering Tioga, Bradford and Wellsboro.

Online Newspaper Abstracts

• Tioga county Newspaper Abstracts A very large collection of abstracts from newspapers of the early, mid and late nineteenth century.
• PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

Newspaper and Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts

• Collected and compiled by Rhoda E. Ladd, Tioga County Pennsylvania Records, Newspaper File (Wellsboro, Pennsylvania:R.E. Ladd, 1981) FHL book 974.856 V2L4 volumes 1 - 9

Obituaries

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Sometimes the fastest way of finding obituaries is to call or email the local public library in the area where the person died. If the library does not have newspapers, a librarian often will know where they are kept. If a death date is known, and the newspapers are at the library, someone on staff will usually make a search for a small fee, or will indicate someone who will do the search.

Online Obituary Abstracts

• Tioga County Obituary Abstracts including many thousands of transcribed newspaper clippings.
• PA-roots Obituaries for Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

Occupations

Indentured Servants

Periodicals

Poorhouse, Almshouse

Probate Records

Probate matters in Tioga County, Pennsylvania are handled by the Orphans' Court and start when the county was created. To obtain original probate records, contact the Orphan's Court in the County Courthouse.

In addition to wills and administrations, the Orphans' Court also handles: audits of accounts of executors, administrators, trustees, and guardians; distribution of estates of decedents, incompetents, and minors; appointment and control of guardians; adoptions; appeals from the Register of Wills involving probate matters; inheritance tax appeals and various petitions and motions.

Online Probate Records
Original probate records for some Pennsylvania counties are available free online as digital images at FamilySearch.org. The dates vary significantly for each county and not all counties are listed. Some counties may only have probate indexes. This Pennsylvania collection of images may be browsed through the links listed below:
Complete Collection:

• 1683-1994 – Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994 at FamilySearch.org
  

Tiogo County Only:

• 1832–1886 – Tioga County Probate Records
  

Original Probate Records on Microfilm

• 1832–1886 - Probate Docket with Index (1806–1934) FHL film 1287351–1287352

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tioga County, Pennsylvania probate wills in online catalogs like:

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

Repositories

Archives

• The Pennsylvania Archives collection contains county archive records that can be searched onsite. Currently the Archives' staff cannot provide research or make copies of these records. Their collections include Almshouse Registers; Tax records; Birth, Death and Marriage Indexes and Records; Midwife records; African American records; Wills; Deeds; Naturalizations; Coroner's inquests; and Orphan's Court dockets. A list of the Archive's county holdings are on Microfilm or Manuscript form.

Courthouse

Tioga County Courthouse
Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts
Clerk of Orphans Court
116 Main Street
Wellsboro, PA 16901
Phone: 570-724-9281
Fax: 570-724-2986
Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00am – 4:30pm

This office handles all of the court records. The Prothonotary is the Clerk for all the courts.

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 Tioga County, Pennsylvania is the Williamsport Pennsylvania Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Libraries

The Green Free Library
134 Main St.
Wellsboro, PA 16901
Phone: 570-724-4876
Fax: 570-724-7605
E-mail: greenlib@epix.net

Hours: Monday through Thursday: 10:00 AM–8:00 PM

Friday & Saturday: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM

The Pennsylvania Room contains genealogical research material. Some of the research material are history books, cemetery inscriptions, vital record abstracts, and historical newspapers.

With your library card or in person you will have access to Heritage Quest. Also, through their website you have access to Newspaper Archives of local newspapers.

Knoxville Public Library
112 E. Main St.
PO Box 277
Knoxville, PA 16928
Phone: 814-326-4448
Email: kplibrary@verizon.netMonday

Hours: Monday: 9:00 AM–8:30 PM

Wednesday: 9:00 AM-6:30 PM

Friday & Saturday: 9:00 AM–4:00 PM

They maintain an extensive genealogical section.

Societies

Tioga County Historical Society
120 Main St
Box 724
Wellsboro, PA 16901
Phone: 570-724-6116
E-mail: tiogachs@gmail.com
Hours: Monday through Friday: 12:00 PM–4:00 PM^[8]

The society runs the Rhoda Ladd Genealogical Library. There are several books of newspaper clippings, cemetery burials, bibles records, census data, and more.

Taxation

Vital Records

Vital records are handled by the County Orphans' Court. Between the years 1852-1855 Pennsylvania made a failed attempt to record birth, marriage and death events at the county level. While the records for that time period are available, there were few events recorded. County marriage records were kept in earnest in 1885. Births and deaths, at the county level, were begun in 1893 and kept through 1905. Abstracts and copies of vital records are available for some counties, but most are incomplete. For the most complete set of records, always contact the County Orphans' Court.

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

Birth

• 1726-1930 - Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic index for the years 1726 to 1930. It is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
• 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of of Health for 1906 and 1907. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified Birth certificate can be obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103

Marriage

Pennsylvania marriages are located at the county level. Contact the Tioga County, Pennsylvania clerk's office for these records.

• 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
• 1725-1976 - Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.
• Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
• 1838-1976 - Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 - free index. Not complete for all years.
• 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
• 1885-1926 - Wellsboro, Tioga County, Marriage Index 1885-1926 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[3]
• 1885-1950 - Pennsylvania County Marriage, 1885-1950 Extracted marriage records – free. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.

Divorce

Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building.

Death

• 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.
• 1890-1906 - Tioga County Death Index 1890-1906 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[3]

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania death records are available through the Department of Health for 1906 through 1962. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified death certificate can be obtained obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103

Tioga County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• Sullivan- Rutland Genealogy Project. This database focuses on the ancestors and descendants of the early nineteenth century pioneers who migrated to Tioga and Bradford County, Pennsylvania, primarily from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. It also includes Chemung County. New York.
• Family History Library Catalog

Tioga County Pennsylvania Places

Populated Places

Tioga County Pennsylvania Genealogy References

1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Pennsylvania" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Pennsylvania (accessed 17 July 2012).
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10} Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/2/20/Igipennsylvaniat.pdf.
4. ↑ The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ accessed 10 July 2012.
5. ↑ Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, Clerk of Courts in http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ClerksOfCourts.htm (accessed 25 Aug 2012)
6. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at http://www.courts.phila.gov/common-pleas/orphans/ accessed 10 July 2012
7. ↑ Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, Clerk of Orphans' Court
8. ↑ The Tri-Counties Genealogy and History internet page providing information for the Tioga County Historical Society is provided by an individual and is not an official site.

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