Yates 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

Yates County History and Information

Yates County Facts

Yates County was created in 1823 and formed from Ontario County. Yates County was named for Joseph Christopher Yates, the eighth governor of New York and the County Seat is Penn Yan. See also Extended History for more historical details.

The Yates County Courthouse is located at County Bldg., Penn Yan , NY 14527; 315-536-5150 and the Official County Website is located at http://www.yatescounty.org/.

Yates County Borders Ontario County (North), Seneca County (East), Schuyler County (Southeast), Steuben County (Southwest) .

Yates County Municipalities: Barrington (town), Benton (town), Dresden (village), Dundee (village), Italy (town), Jerusalem (town), Middlesex (town), Milo (town), Penn Yan (village), Potter (town), Rushville (village), Starkey (town), Torrey (town) . 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.

Yates 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.

Yates 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.

Yates County Clerk has Land & Court Records from 1823 and is located at 110 Court St., Penn Yan, NY 14527; Phone: (315) 536-5120, Fax: (315) 536-5545 .
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.

Yates County Surrogate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1823 and is located at 415 Liberty St., Penn Yan, NY 14527; phone:(315) 536-5130; fax: (315) 536-5190 .
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.

Yates County Historian is located at 110 Court Street, Penn Yan, NY 14527.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 Yates County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Yates 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
Yates 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.

Yates 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 Yates County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Yates County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Yates County, New York Tax Books at Amazon.com

Yates 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 Yates County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Yates County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Yates County Genealogical & Historical Society, 200 Main Street, Penn Yan, NY 14527
Phone: (315) 536-7318, Fax: (315) 536-0976, e-mail: ycghs@linkny.com
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

Yates 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 Yates County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Yates 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 Yates County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Yates 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 Yates County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Yates 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: [ Yates 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
Yates County, New York Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

There is one name so closely allied to the early history of Yates County that no record of the affairs of the County would be in any way complete without it. This is Jemima Wilkinson, the "Universal Friend," who was responsible for the first colonizing of the area now within Yates. A native of Rhode Island, born in 1758, when she was sixteen she had a dream which inspired her to devote her life to Christianity. She felt that she had passed to the spirit world and while there received "authority to preach the Divine Word." After some years' preaching and founding societies, she wanted to plant a colony of her more devoted followers in some remote place. In pursuance of this idea, she sent Ezekiel Sherman, in 1786, to the lake country of New York, in search of the proper place. He visited the present Yates County region, but returned with an unfavorable report. Unsatisfied, she chose and sent a committee for further investigation, with the result that, in 1788, Isaac Nichols, Abel Botsiord, Peleg and John Briggs, George Sisson, James Parker and others came to the west shore of Seneca Lake and carved out of the wilderness the first settlement in Yates. In 1790 came the "Friend," who seemed much pleased with the location, although four years later she moved to the present town of Jerusalem and built her home in the Keuka Inlet Valley five miles from Branchport. She died in I8I9, and with her departure began the downfall of the society she had formed.

Several of the "first things" of the County are connected with this Friends settlement. The first house of worship was the Friends Log Meeting House erected 1790 in the town of Torrey. The first teacher was Sarah Richards, and the first regular school was taught by Benjamin Andrews, in 1793. The first justice of the peace was James Harper, and this same gentleman, with others, built the first grist mill in the part of New York west of Seneca Lake (1790). This also was in Torrey. A Doctor Benton put up a saw mill, and the first regular road in the County was between these two mills. The first of the land grants was the Phelps and Gorham purchase, secured from Massachusetts under the preemption act of 1786. Their tract included practically the whole of West New York, and in connection with the sale of their lands the first land office in the State was opened in 1789 at Canandaigua. The Friends grant of 14,000 acres is dated October 10, 1792.

Ontario County was erected about this time (1789), which included the present area called Yates. Townships have been laid out and given numbers, which were changed to names as soon as there were people enough on them to warrant names. The Yates district was so thinly populated that a number of these townships were grouped together and called Jerusalem. In 1803 this district was divided and one part became Vernon, later called Benton. Milo separated from Benton in 1818; Middletown, erected 1789, lost Italy, 1815; Middlesex, Iying next to Italy, was named Augusta, but changed to the present title in 1808. Potter was organized 1832; Starkey, 1796; Barrington, 1822; Torrey, from Benton and Milo, 1851. Barrington and Starkey were parts of Steuben County until a year after the formation of Yates.

From the foregoing it will be seen that much of the early history of Yates took place before it was set aside as a separate section, and most of the towns organized before becoming a part of a County. The region was becoming well settled, roads had been built and had brought the various parts of the district in touch with each other. Not only were there primitive saw and grist mills, but woolen mills and tanneries had been opened up. The isolated location of the region retarded the growth of a cash business for its products. For that matter, in spite of the lake route and the Erie Canal, Yates did not reach any great importance agriculturally until after a railroad opened up the possibility of quick transportation for perishable crops and fruits.

The growing community became dissatisfied, eventually, with going to Canandaigua to transact all its legal business, so in answer to petition a legislative act was passed forming the new County, which took the name of the Governor of the State, Yates, February 5, 1823. Several villages staged the usual fight for the honor of being the shiretown, but Penn Yan won and a courthouse was built. In 1834 this was destroyed by fire, requiring the erection of another the next year.

Yates County lies between the Mohawk Valley and the Genesee Country, and partakes of the beauties and fertility of both. It is fairly elevated, five ridges running north and south, giving it drainage and variety. Seneca Lake is the eastern boundary, Keuka lies on the south and Lake Canandaigua touches the west. The higher lands are those of Italy, Middlesex, Potter and Jerusalem, while the more level lands are to be found in Benton, Milo, Torrey, Starkey and Barrington. There is little waste land in Yates, for where the terrain is too steep for the cultivated crops, grapes are planted, and are, no doubt, the characteristic and most profitable crop of the County. It was the completion of the Northern Central Railroad, or rather a branch of it, that brought the grape and fruit industry forward, and since then the tendency in agriculture has been away from grain crops for shipment, to fruits, particularly grapes, perishables, and dairy products.

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