Oneida County, New YorkEdit This Page

Neighboring Counties

Herkimer | Lewis | Madison | Onondaga | Oswego | Otsego^[2]

Boundary Changes

• 1801: Part taken to add to Clinton County.
• 1804: Part taken to add to Chenango County
• 28 March 1805: Jefferson and Lewis counties set off.
• 1 March 1816: Oswego County set off
• 1836: A part taken from Madison County to add to the county.

Record Loss

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 (Rural)

For cemeteries within or nearest to these populated places, please refer to them.

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

• P-Index is only partial index

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.

The NYGenWeb references mentioned below are found on their website categorized as either Birth, Marriage, Death, Miscellaneous, or Town records.

• 1843-1880 - West Leyden Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed Parish Marriages, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
• 1843-1883 - West Leyden Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed Parish Baptisms, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
• 1844-1868 - West Leyden Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed Parish Confirmations, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
• 1854-1896 - Rev. Edward Davies Record Book With a List of Marriages 1854-1896, courtesy: Upstate New York Welsh Heritage.
• West Leyden Evangelical Lutheran and German Reformed Parish Families, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
• 1816-1877 Methodist Episcopal Church. Sauquoit Station FHL film 1378829 Item 17 Contains names of preachers 1815-1877, records of members including deaths 1839-1843, class record 1846-1848, class record including baptisms and deaths 1847-1852, records of members including deaths 1843-1857.
• 1839-1881 Methodist Episcopal Church. Vernon Village Station FHL film 1378829 Item 14 Contains list of preachers 1839-1881, alphabetical list of members including baptisms and deaths, 1846-1860, alphabetical list of members and probationers including baptisms and deaths 1851-1866, record of deaths for 1871, marriages 1861-1865, baptisms 1846-1857. All lists that include baptisms should be searched because no single list with baptisms is a complete list of baptisms.

Additional Church Records

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

• 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 Oneida 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 Oneida 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: Oneida 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.)

Original deeds in Oneida County, New York county began in 1791. Deeds 1791–1885 are housed at the B–1 Records Center in Utica.  Deed records 1886–present are housed at the County Clerk's Office.

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.

Online Land Databases

• George Washington: His Land Purchases Made the Empire State. Utica, N.Y.: n.p., 1931?. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  

Original Land Records on Microfilm

• 1791-1901 – Deeds FHL film 364841 (first of 305 films) – Includes index
  

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Oneida County, New York deeds. (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
• Family History Library Catalog using the search phrase: Oneida, New York - Land and Property. (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search.)

Maps

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Oneida County for European settlers included:^[4]

• Mohawk River pre-historic
• Mohawk or Iroquois Trail about 1722
• Great Genesee Road 1794^[5]
• Erie Canal 1825

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: Annsville · Augusta · Bridgewater · Florence · Floyd · Marcy · Marshall · Remsen · Rome · Sangerfield · Steuben · Trenton · Vernon · Verona · Vienna · Westmoreland · Whitestown.

Regiments Service men in Oneida 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 Oneida County:^[6]

- 117th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 141st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 146th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 161st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 164th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 189th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 192nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- Oneida Independent Company, New York Cavalry

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Grimes, Marilla R. Some Newspaper References to Irish Immigrants in Oneida Co. New York. Death notices of Irish Immigrants in various newspapers within Oneida Co. New York State. covering years 1825-1865 The Irish Ancestor, vol.VI. no.2. 1974, pages 97-98. Family History Library Ref. 941.5 B2i v5-6

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 Oneida County, New York newspaper images:

• Boonville NY Black River Herald 1860-1866
• Boonville NY Herald & Tourist 1872-2004
• Boonville NY Ledger 1853-1855
• Clinton NY Advertiser 1906-1913
• Clinton NY Signal
• Rome NY Citizen 1840-1903
• Rome NY Telegraph 1834-1837
• Utica NY Daily Gazette 1846-1847
• Utica NY Daily Observer 1848-1989
• Utica NY Daily Press 1882-1987
• Utica NY Daily Union 1895-1896
• Utica NY Friend of Man 1836-1842
• Utica NY Herald Dispatch 1899-1927
• Utica NY Liberty Press 1848
• Utica NY Mechanics Press 1829-1830
• Utica NY Morning Herald 1859-1900
• Utica NY Observer 1916
• Utica NY Oneida Morning Herald 1848-1851
• Utica NY Oneida Weekly Herald 1851-1855
• Utica NY Oneida Whig 1834-1841
• Utica NY Saturday Globe 1899-1927
• Utica NY Sentinel Gazette 1825-1830
• Utica NY Sunday Journal 1894-1906
• Utica NY Sunday Tribune 1877-1921
• Utica NY Telegram 1919-1922
• Utica NY Weekly Herald 1860-1897
• Waterville NY Times 1855-2007
  

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 Oneida 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. ^{[7] [8]}

These petitions are often found in the estate files and can be obtained from the Oneida County Surrogate Court.
The petitions for Oneida County, New York are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and its centers:

• 1867–1965 Listed as "Probate Proceedings" FHL Film 398052 (92 films).

Online Abstracts and Indexes

• 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes Oneida County, New York.^[9]
  
• 1798-1848 - Barber, Gertrude A. Abstracts of Wills of Oneida County, N.Y.: Copied from the Original Records at the Surrogate's Office, Utica, N.Y. 6 vols. 1939. Digital version at Ancestry ($); NYGenWeb (free).
  
• 1798-1900 - 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 - Oneida County: Administration accounts, Executor accounts, 1830-1900; Administration bonds, 1893-1900; Administration bonds, Inventories, Petitions, 1870-1875; Appraisal appointments, 1844-1856; Appraisal records, 1856-1891; Case file index, 1867-1965; Guardianship accounts and bonds, 1884-1901; Guardianship records, 1830-1898; Guardianship records, Real estate records, 1853-1884; Letters of guardianship, 1844-1889; Will index, 1798-1909; Wills, 1798-1900

Probate Records on Microfilm

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

• 1798–1909Will Book Index FHL Film 381368
• 1798–1900 Will Books FHL Film 381369 (29 films)
• 1867–1965 Probate Proceedings (Petitions, first film is index to this record) FHL Film 398052 (92 films)
• 1830–1900 Executors and Administrators Accounts FHL Film 384925 (16 films)
• 1870–1933 Guardianship Records and Index FHL Film 381734 (4 films)
• 1844–1901 Guardianship Accounts and Bonds FHL Film 384958 (19 films)
• Guardianship Records, Alphabetically Arranged FHL Film 385015 (10 films)
• Guardianship, Heirs and Notices to Dead Soldiers, from 1800 FHL film 384977 (13 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Oneida 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).

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Oneida County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1983). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.762 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

County Historian's Office

Courthouses

The Oneida County Clerk's office has divorce, court, and land records. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Oneida County are held, see the Oneida County Courthouse 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 Oneida County, New York is the Utica New York Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Societies

Central New York Genealogical Society^[10]
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.

Oneida County Historical Society
1608 Genesee Street
Utica, NY 13502
Phone: 315-735-3642
Summer Hours of Operation: Monday - 1pm - 8pm, and Tuesday –Friday 10am – 4pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday

Rome Historical Society
200 Church St
Rome, NY 13440
Phone: 315-336-5870
Hours: Tuesday–Thursday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Firday 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Closed Saturday–Monday.

William E. Scripture Memorial Library of the Rome Historical Society

The library offers a wealth of historical and genealogical information with extensive information about local people and businesses. Hard-to-find and out-of-print books line the shelves and focus on the early history of the region as well as more recent accounts of life in and around Rome.

Social Groups Online

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Taxation

• 1792 - Grimes, Marilla Racha. "Oneida County, N.Y., 1792 Tax List," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 67, No. 3 (Sep. 1979):175-176. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($); FHL Book 973 B2ng v. 67 (1979).

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.

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.
  

• 1808–1850 Fred Q.Bowman, 7000 Hudson-Mohawk Valley, (NY), Vital Records, 1808-1850 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1997). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bo. Abstracts from newspapers filed at the New York State Library in Albany.
  
• 1800s Oneida County Births at NYGenWeb - free.
• 1830s Births in the Oneida County Poor House in the 1830's at NYGenWeb - free.

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.
  
• 1847-1850 Oneida County Births at NYGenWeb - free.

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 Oneida 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 Licenses FHL film 381743. Also includes one license in 1870, 1878, and 1887.

• 1908–1930 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; FHL film 381738(first of 41 films). Index goes to 1935.
  

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."
  

• 1805-1826 Danz, Elizabeth Nesbit. "Marriages Performed by the Honorable Prosper Rudd, 1805-1826," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 85, No. 3 (Jul. 1954):181-183. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FHL Book 974.7 B2n v. 85.
  Rudd served as Justice of the Peace for Western, New York.
  

• 1808–1850 Fred Q.Bowman, 7000 Hudson-Mohawk Valley, (NY), Vital Records, 1808-1850 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1997). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bo. Abstracts from newspapers filed at the New York State Library in Albany.
  

• 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.
  

• 1847-1851 Oneida County Marriages 1847-1851 at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browseable.
  

• 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 1000 Vital Records from 1865 Oneida Co., NY Census at RootsWeb.
  

• 1864-5 1865 Oneida County, NY Marriages at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1874-5 Vital Records from 1875 Oneida Co., NY Census at RootsWeb.
  

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.

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."
  

• 1808–1850 Fred Q.Bowman, 7000 Hudson-Mohawk Valley, (NY), Vital Records, 1808-1850 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1997). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bo. Abstracts from newspapers filed at the New York State Library in Albany.
  

• 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.
  
• 1830s Oneida County Poor House Deaths 1830's at NYGenWeb - free.
• 1847-1851 Oneida County Deaths at NYGenWeb - free.

• 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 browseable.
  

• 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 1865 Census Oneida County Deaths and Veteran Deaths at NYGenWeb - free.

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

• 1874-5 Vital Records from 1875 Oneida Co., NY Census at RootsWeb - free.
  

• 2002-4 Miscellaneous Death Notices 2002, 2003, 2003/2004 at Genealogy Buff - free.
  

Additional Resources

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

Places

Web Sites

• The Oneida County NYGenWeb Project, a member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Oneida County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Oneida County. (Backup site)
• Oneida County Genealogy - New York Genealogy

References

• Privacy policy
• About FamilySearch Wiki
• Disclaimers