Genesee County, New York Genealogical Records Information

Start your family tree. We'll start searching. It's FREE. - Enter a few simple facts about recent generations of your family. We'll use what you enter to try and find more about your family in the world's largest online collection of historical records and family trees.

SEARCH THIS SITE

SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS IN THESE NEW YORK GENEALOGICAL DATABASES:

NY Court, Land & Wills

NY Public Records

NY Birth, Marriage & Death

Genesee County History and Information

Genesee County Facts

Genesee County was created in 1802 and formed from Ontario County. Genesee County was named for a Seneca phrase meaning "good valley and the County Seat is Batavia. See also Extended History for more historical details.

The Genesee County Courthouse is located at Old Courthouse, 7 Main Street, Batavia , NY 14020; 585-344-2550 and the Official County Website is located at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/.

Genesee County Borders Orleans County (North), Monroe County (East), Livingston County (Southeast), Wyoming County (South), Erie County (West), Niagara County (Northwest) .

Genesee County Municipalities: Cities include Batavia. Towns include Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Darien, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield, Pavilion, Pembroke, Stafford. Villages include Alexander, Attica, Bergen, Corfu, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield . Town Clerks are responsible for vast amounts of local information from deeds, property transfers, and genealogical materials. Research on place and road names, the history of property transfers and much more are available through your Town Clerk. They are a tremendous resources.

Genesee County, New York History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Genesee County Court Records

See Also New York Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Genesee County Clerk has Land & Court Records from 1803 and is located at 15 Main Street, Batavia, New York 14020; (585) 344-2550 ext 2242, Fax: (585) 344-8521, [EMAIL] .
The county clerk is the keeper of most civil and criminal trial court records for Supreme Court and County Court, naturalizations, marriages (1908–35), censuses (Some county clerks' offices hold duplicate copies of some of the State censuses taken periodically between 1825 and 1925 and copies of the federal census), as well as deeds and mortgages.

Land conveyances (deeds and mortgages) are recorded in the county clerks' offices or in the New York City Register's Office. Recording of deeds became mandatory statewide in 1840. Before that many deeds were not recorded.
Marriages Prior to 1784 couples intending to marry were required to obtain licenses from and file bonds with the provincial secretary, if the impending marriage was not announced in a church. These Marriage Bonds were mostly destroyed in the 1911 Capitol fire. Published abstracts are available in Names of persons for whom marriage licenses were issued by the secretary of the province of New York, previous to 1784. (Albany: 1860; repr. with supplements 1984); and in New York Marriage Bonds, 1753-1783, comp. Kenneth Scott (New York: 1972).
Naturalization records are created by the Federal and State courts. State court naturalization records generally remain in custody of the county clerks. Older Federal court naturalization records have been transferred to the National Archives. Photocopies of naturalization documents and indexes for New York City for the period 1792-1906 (both Federal and State courts) are held by the National Archives--Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.

Genesee County Surrogate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1805 and is located at Courts Facility Building, 1 West Main St., Batavia, NY 14020; phone:(585) 344-2550, fax: (585) 344-8517 .
The Surrogate's Court in each county generally has records dating back to the establishment of the county or 1787, whichever was later. Record keeping was systematized by an 1830 statute. Surrogate's Courts maintain records of wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, orders and decrees, and appointments of guardians; and filed papers, including original wills, petitions for probate (gives date of death and lists next of kin), performance bonds, property inventories (seldom found after ca. 1900), administrator's or executor's accountings, etc. Surrogate's Courts create comprehensive indexes to records and files.

In recent decades many courts have ceased recording documents in books and substituted microfilm recording. Some courts have disposed of old property inventories, which have no continuing legal value. Most Surrogate's Court records are retained permanently because they may document title to real property or the legal status of individuals. Surrogate's Court records statewide occupy over 200,000 cubic feet, with over half a million record retrievals yearly. The court is authorized to charge substantial fees for records searches conducted by court staff. Prior to that time most estates were handled in New York City, the capital until 1797. Before 1787, some wills were recorded in the counties and occasionally in town records.

Click Here to Search New York Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Genesee County Historian is located at 3 W. Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020 .In New York State, every municipality (town, city, village, county) must have an appointed historian. Most of the towns have their own historians as well and each can be contacted. A county historian may be appointed for each county, check for availability.

Below is a list of online resources for Genesee County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Genesee County Court Records by clicking the link below:

New York Wills, 1626-1836: This database is a collection of New York citizens' wills from 1626 to 1836 that were recorded in the office of the clerk of the court of appeals, of the county clerk of Albany and of the secretary of state.
Soundex Index to Petitions for Naturalizations Filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts in New York City, 1792-1906: NARA M1674. The Soundex index to naturalization petitions filed in federal, state, and local courts in New York City, including New York, Kings, Queens and Richmond counties, 1792-1906.
Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Jul 1865-Sep 1906: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from July 1865 through September 1906
Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1906-Nov 1925: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from October 1907 through November 1925.
Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1865-1957: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from November 1925 through December 1957.
Alphabetical Index to Declarations of Intention of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1917-1950: NARA M1675. Alphabetical Index to Declarations of Intention of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1917-1950
Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalization of the US District Court [and Circuit Court] for the Southern District of New York, 1824-1941: NARA M1676. Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalization of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1824-1941.
Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalizations of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, 1907-1966: NARA M1677. Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalizations of the US District Court for the Western District of New York, 1907-1966
Genesee County, New York Court Books at Amazon.com
New York Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Genesee County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Scattered town and precinct tax records for a few years in the 1770s and 1780s and nearly complete lists for the whole state, 1799-1804, are at the New York State Archives, although for the latter period the surviving 1804 rolls cover only delinquent taxes of nonresidents. New York City tax records are at the Municipal Archives. Some early assessment rolls have been published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, such as those for New York City, 1730, in volume 95; New Rochelle, 1767, in volume 107; and Ulster County, 1709-21, in volume 62. See also volumes 43-44 of the New-York Historical Society's Collections for New York City assessments 1695-99. A few counties such as Ontario have retained their early tax records, but most do not have them until about 1850 or even later. Many old tax lists are to be found in manuscript collections. Dutchess County is fortunate to have a long series of eighteenth century tax records. Some of the 1798 U.S. Direct Tax records survive for New York.

Below is a list of online resources for Genesee County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Genesee County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Genesee County, New York Tax Books at Amazon.com

Genesee County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other New York Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Genesee County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Genesee County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Genesee Area Genealogists, 115 State Street, Batavia 14020
Genesee Co History Department Research Library & Records Management, 3 West Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020; (585)344-2550 ext 2613, Email: history@co.genesee.ny.us
Local New York Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
New York State Archives and Records Administration, The State Education Department, Cultural Education Center, 11th Floor; Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230; (518) 474-8955, [EMAIL]
Referred to here as the New York State Archives for brevity, it was the last such archives to be established in the United States. It houses land and court records, military and tax records, New York state vital records indexes, pre-settlement survey maps, and legislative records.
New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, 7th Floor, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230; The state library has a large collection of published and manuscript material on New York, including genealogies and local histories, federal and state censuses, city directories, and periodicals. It is also one of the two depositories for the State of New York DAR collection.
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 122 East 58^th Street, New York, New York 10022-1939; 212-755-8532, Fax: 212-754-4218; A private society, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society publishes the NYG&B Newsletter and a quarterly, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Its library holds much New York State and related material, both for New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. For New York there are censuses, federal and state; a large manuscript collection of church, cemetery, Bible, and other records; and an extensive amount of published family and local histories. Nonmembers can use the library for a small fee, but only members have access to the stacks, manuscripts, and microforms. The library provides a list of area researchers.
New York State Historical Association, West Lake Road, P.O. Box 800, Cooperstown, New York, 13326-0800
National Archives--Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.
New York Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
New York Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Genesee County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search New York Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Genesee County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Genesee County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Many church records, mostly early and particularly for Long Island, New York City, and the Hudson River Valley, have been published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record with a large collection of unpublished records maintained by the New York. Particularly useful as vital records substitutes among the surviving New York church records are those of the Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, Anglican, and Quaker groups.

The largest number of New York cemetery records (the bulk of which are actually transcriptions of cemetery marker inscriptions) is found in the multivolume collection of the Daughters of the American Revolution in the State of New York, Church, and Town Records, located at the New York State Library, the New York Public Library, and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. Scattered volumes are found in other libraries including many local libraries in the area in which a particular cemetery is located.

Below is a list of online resources for Genesee County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Genesee County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search New York Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Genesee County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Genesee County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
Sites on USGenweb: [ Genesee County ] [ New York ] [ Main Page ]
[GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, New York, and Virgina.
Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
New York Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Genesee County, New York Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Between Lake Seneca and Lake Erie, the most important natural feature is the Genesee River. The eastern bank was the west boundary of the Iroquois, and the valley along the stream was the beloved Zon-esche-o in their tongue, or "beautiful valley." As pronounced by certain tribes, "Gen-nes-see" became the name of a district famed for its beauty and fertility. When, on March 30, 1802, a new County was formed from part of Ontario, this title was the appropriate one chosen for this new division. Originally it comprised all of that part of the State west of the Genesee River, and a line extending due south from the point of the junction of the Genesee and Canaseraga Creek to the south line of the State. Eight counties have been organized from this great territory, but the Genesee County of today is no small section, having, as it does, an area of 507 square miles. It also retained through all the separations, the original shiretown, Batavia.

Along the south border of the County is a range of hills. Sloping gently from these heights, the land extends in a series of low waves to the northern line. In the beginning, covered with a dense forest growth of great variety, timbering operations uncovered a soil which in fertility is not excelled in the State, and the salubrity of the climate and ease of access have made it one of the leaders in State agriculture. Grain was, and is to a smaller extent, the great product of the land. "Genesee flour" had an enviable reputation. Wheat is less grown in the present century; its place being taken by the coarser grains, and a more general type of farming. Fruits are much planted, and make a name for themselves as distinctive as the flour of the former days. There are not many things that will grow in a temperate climate that somewhere in the County it may not be found doing well.

There were but few settlers in the County until after the Revolution. Many desired to come, but fear of the Indians held them back. Charles Wilbur located at Le Roy as early as 1792, and the Gansons settled in 1798, but there were but few in all this country until the opening of the nineteenth century. The original survey was made in 1798-99 by Joseph and Benjamin Ellicott, and endeavors were made by the Holland Company to secure settlers. To this end land was sold at reduced prices to those who would locate and build; one of the requirements was the erection of a "habitation fit for man" not less than I8 feet square. Three lots were sold to Asa Ransom, Garrett Davis and Frederick Walther in 1799 with the proviso that they should have these "habitations" completed by January Ist of the next year.

The Holland Company mentioned was a group of Dutch capitalists who had purchased most of the land now in the County from Robert Morris, July 20, 1793. The greater part of the western part of New York State belonged to Phelps and Gorham, but on their failure to meet their obligations, a large share of their tract reverted to the State and was bought by Samuel Ogden for Robert Morris, May 12, 1791. Morris sold the west part of his purchase to the American agent of the Holland Company, reserving a strip 12 miles wide on the east side. The Indian powwow, held to clear the title on the property, was convened at "Big Tree," now Geneseo, September, 1797, at which the Indians ceded their lands to the whites.

In October of 1800 the company opened a land office, which was removed to Batavia two years later, when the County was founded, and here it remained until the close of the affairs of the Holland Company in 1835, when they sold all their remaining interests to a set of Batavians. For a century the old stone land office stood in Batavia as a reminder of the days when all the region was a wilderness until it was settled under the policy of an intelligent and liberal minded set of men; and perhaps, there would be no Batavia had not this company chosen this as the center of their work. Batavia was made by the choice a business place of consequence, and probably for the same reason, the County seat. Other land offices were established in this area, but all of them were of minor character.

The law which made Batavia the shiretown called on the Holland Company to donate one acre and to built thereon proper buildings for the County courts. This was done in 1802, and in these buildings were the affairs of the County handled until a new courthouse was erected in 1841-1842. The town Batavia covered most of the area of the present County as set off originally, although the larger Genesee consisted of three others, Northampton, Leicester, and Southampton.

Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames.