Columbia County, New York Genealogy

United States

New York

Columbia County

Guide to Columbia County, New York ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

This page describes sources of genealogical data about Columbia County, New York Genealogy families, including links to smaller localities at the bottom of this page. New York, United States Genealogy-related pages show useful statewide sources. United States Genealogy pages explain the terminology and contents of genealogical records.

New York Online Genealogy Records

Columbia County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York, United States Genealogy
Location of New York in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	1786
County Seat	Hudson
Courthouse
Photo courtesy joseph a's photostream
Address	401 State St. Hudson, NY 12534 Columbia County Website
Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: GoAncestry who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

Columbia County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for Christopher Columbus. The County is located in the east area of the state.

Columbia County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1908	1880	1825	1790	1787	1663
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent County

Created 4 April 1786 from Albany County.

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating New York County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation New York County Boundary Maps" (1683-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

No changes

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Hudson (county seat)
Towns
Ancram Austerlitz Canaan Chatham Claverack Clermont	Copake Gallatin Germantown Ghent Greenport Hillsdale	Kinderhook Livingston New Lebanon Stockport Stuyvesant Taghkanic
Villages
Chatham Kinderhook	Philmont	Valatie
Hamlets
Boston Corner Columbiaville Copake Falls Copake Hamlet Craryville	East Chatham Elizaville Humphreysville Niverville Old Chatham	Red Rock Spencertown Stottville Stuyvesant Falls
Census-designated places
Claverack-Red Mills Copake Falls Copake Hamlet Copake Lake	Germantown Ghent Lorenz Park Niverville	Stottville Taconic Shores

Columbia County New York Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

• 1581–1917 New York, Family Bible Records at Ancestry– ($); Index. Database is a collection of genealogically important records taken from the Bibles of colony and state residents. Reveals the Bible's original owner, brief record of descendants,and a particular event such as birth or marriage as recorded in Bible.
  

Biography

• Reynolds, Cuyler. Hudson–Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1911. Free online index. Various LibrariesFHL Film 1000229; Book 974.74 D3r 4 vols. Master index FHL Book 974.74 D3r index

Cemeteries

Online Grave Transcripts	Published Grave Transcripts	County Cemetery Directories
Findagrave.com*	Family History Library*	Findagrave.com*
Interment.net*	WorldCat*	Tombstone Project*
Cemetery Site*		Names in Stone*
New York Gravestones*		Billion Graves*
NYGenWeb*		FamilySearch Places
Billion Graves*
Names in Stone*
Linkpendium*
Ancestry*
*See the New York Cemeteries page for details about each site.

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

• 1800-1965 - New York, Cemetery Abstracts, 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index
• Cedar Park Cemetery, Hudson BillionGraves
• Chatham Rural Cemetery, Chatham BillionGraves

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	27,496	—
1800	35,322	28.5%
1810	32,390	−8.3%
1820	38,330	18.3%
1830	39,907	4.1%
1840	43,252	8.4%
1850	43,073	−0.4%
1860	47,172	9.5%
1870	47,044	−0.3%
1880	47,928	1.9%
1890	46,172	−3.7%
1900	43,211	−6.4%
1910	43,658	1.0%
1920	38,930	−10.8%
1930	41,617	6.9%
1940	41,464	−0.4%
1950	43,182	4.1%
1960	47,322	9.6%
1970	51,519	8.9%
1980	59,487	15.5%
1990	62,982	5.9%
2000	63,094	0.2%
2010	63,096	0.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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.
• 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.

• The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see directories.
  

State

Source	1825	1835	1845	1855	1865	1875	1892	1905	1915	1925
Ancestry.com	-	-	-	Yes	-	Yes	-	-	Yes	Yes
Family History Library	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
FamilySearch images	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes
New York State Library	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes

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.

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.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

Dutch Reformed

The Dutch Reformed Church at Claverack has records dating from the 1720s.

Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

• 1930-1941 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hudson District. FHL film 1962 Items 1-2 Records of members could include vital information, baptisms, and other church-related data.

Catholic

Ann Mensch's Local Catholic Church and Family History & Genealogical Research Guide is a free online resource that identifies the parishes of Columbia County, years parishes were created, contact information, as well as links to online records and research tips. Columbia County parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Albany.

Additional Church Records

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

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places 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.

Emigration and Immigration

• 1906-1942 - New York Book Indexes to Passenger Lists, 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Hudson-Athens lighthouse.jpg

 

Genealogy

• Rootsweb message board for Columbia County, New York Genealogy 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

Additional Resources:

USGenNet - Columbia County

Schenectady Digital History Archive includes "Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Index to Families" includes people from Columbia County.

Genealogical Resources: Click on the town pages. Brief histories for some of the towns are given. This is based on a 1878 history by Captain Franklin Ellis.

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 Columbia County, New York Genealogy began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online

Microforms

• 1786-1925 Deed Records 1786-1870 FHL film 431463 (first of 106 films) - Index included: 1786-1935
  

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Columbia County, New York Genealogy deeds. (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
• FamilySearch Catalog using the search phrase: 1, New York - Land and Property. (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search.)

Additional resources

Additional resources for Columbia County, New York Genealogy land records may be found in the Columbia County, New York Genealogy – Land Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche may be available for viewing at various Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.

Maps

• Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration

Migration routes for early European settlers to and from Columbia County, New York Genealogy included:

• Hudson River a navigable river stretching from north of Albany then flowing south to empty into the Atlantic Ocean at New York City
• Albany Post Road from New York City to Albany, Albany County, New York Genealogy 1669
• Alford and Egremont (MA) Turnpike 1812
• Ancram (NY) Turnpike 1805, also sometimes called the Catskill Road, from Salisbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut Genealogy to Catskill, Greene County, New York Genealogy
• Catskill Road 1750s from Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Catskill, Greene County, New York Genealogy
• Catskill Turnpike  (aka Susquehannah Turnpike ) from Catskill, NY to Unadilla, NY; route travelled by Europeans by 1792; toll booths opened by 1804.
• Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
• Great Barrington and Aford (MA) Turnpike 1812
• Greenwood Road 1799 from Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut Genealogy to Albany, Albany County, New York Genealogy
• Hampden and Berkshire (MA) Turnpike 1826
• Hillsdale and Chatham Turnpike 1805 from Alford, Berkshire County, Massachusetts Genealogy to Albany, Albany County, New York Genealogy
• Housatonic River (MA) Turnpike 1809
• Massachusetts 10th Turnpike 1800
• Massachusetts 12th Turnpike 1812
• Minsi Path 1766 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kingston, Ulster County, New York Genealogy
• Rensselaer and Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
• Salisbury and Canaan (CT) Turnpike 1801-1829
• Ulster and Delaware Turnpike 1802 from Salisbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut Genealogy to Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York Genealogy

Military

Civil War

• 1861-1865 - New York, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

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). They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($).

Available towns. Registers are available for: Ancram · Austerlitz · Canaan · Chatham · Claverack · Clermont · Copake · Germantown · Ghent · Greenport · Hillsdale · Kinderhook · Livingston · New Lebanon · Stockport · STuyvesant · Taghkanic.

Regiments. Service men in Columbia County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.

- 6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery, Company M.

- 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company M.

- 12th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies B, C and G.

- 14th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies I and K.

- 20th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

- 62nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 65th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

- 91st Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies E, H and I.

- 128th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D, E, F, G and K.

- 156th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies H, I and K.

- 159th Regiment, New York Infantry, 2nd Company G.

- 159th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C, D, E, G and I.

New York in the Civil War

USGenNet - Columbia County

Genealogical Resources: Click on the town pages and then the Civil War Section. Lists men from that community that served in the Civil War. This is based on a 1878 history by Captain Franklin Ellis.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1791-1980 New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images

• 1824–1941 New York, Southern District Index to Petitions for Naturalization, 1828-1941 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

• 1917-1950 New York, Southern District Naturalization Index, 1917-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

Newspapers

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 Columbia County, New York Genealogy newspaper images:

• Chatham NY Courier 1867-1967
• Chatham NY Republican 1886-1898
• Hudson NY Evening Register 1867-1944

Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers for Pittsfield, Massachusetts newspapers (1858-1977) and North Adams, Massachusetts newspapers (1895-1977) covering local news that included Columbia County residents.

Probate Records

Probate records including original estates and wills for New York are held in the office of the 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. Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 479. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004. Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 57.

These petitions are often found in the estate files and can be obtained from the county Surrogate Court.

The petitions for Columbia County, New York Genealogy are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and its centers:

• 1830–1880 Listed as "will papers" and "administration papers" FHL Film 587933 (77 films)Will papers and FHL Film 479417 (37 films)Administration papers. How to use FamilySearch Catalog
  

Online Probate Indexes

• 1629-1971 - New York Probate Records 1629-1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
• 1659-1999 - New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1786-1904 - SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
  
• 1786-1851 - Barber, Gertrude A. Calendar of Wills of Columbia County, New York. 8 vols. New York, 1935. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• 1787-1835 - Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors ($); includes Columbia County, New York Genealogy.
• 1866-1923 - New York Kings County Estate Files 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images

Probate Records on Microfilm

• 1786-1920 Will books and index, 1786-1904; decrees on settlements of accounts, 1880-1901; letters testamentary and administrations, 1830-1904; letters of administration, 1787-1903; records of bonds, guardians, trustees, administrators, and executors, 1890-1903; minutes of proceedings, 1831-1920 FHL Film 479108 (125 films).
• 1830-1880 Administration papers FHL Film 479417 (37 films).
• early-1880 Guardian papers FHL Film 479386 (29 films).

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

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

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Columbia County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1987). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.739 A3. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Columbia County Historian
Mary J. Howell
490 County Route 10
Germantown, New York 12526
518-828-3442; 518-828-2969(fax)

Archives, Libraries and Museums

ARCHIVES

Columbia County, NY On-Line History
On-Line Historical Archives
This is a growing collection of transcripts, indexes, and photographs related to the history of Columbia County, NY. It includes oral histories and folklore, several gazetteers, federal and state censuses, early probates, deeds, private papers, and more.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

There are twelve public libraries in Columbia County New York, one of which is a Branch Library. They belong to the Mid-Hudson Library System that serves the communities of Columbia, Duchess, Greene, Putnam, and Ulster Counties. They share a catalog that includes a sizable collection of Genealogical materials. The shared catalog is found on the library systems main page. For information on the individual libraries in Columbia County, click here.

County Historian's Office

Mary Howell, Historian
490 County Route 10
Germantown, NY 12526
Also:
610 State Street
Hudson, NY 12534
Phone: (518) 828-3442
Fax: (518) 828-2969
E-mail: mhowell@govt.co.columbia.ny.us

The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.

First Columbia County courthouse, Claverack, NY.jpg

Courthouses

The Columbia County Clerk's office has marriage, court, land and naturalization records. The Surrogate court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Columbia County are held, see the Columbia County Courthouse page.

Family History Center

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

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 Columbia County, New York Genealogy is the Kingston New York Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Societies

Columbia County Historical Society - digital collections
5 Albany Ave.
PO Box 311
Kinderhook, NY 12106.
Telephone(518) 758-9265
Hours: Monday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm, Sundays by appointment

The Columbia County Historical Society is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the history of Columbia County, NY. The Society owns and operates three historic properties and a museum, open year-round. They include the Columbia County Museum, the James Vanderpoel House, and the Luykas Van Alen House.

• Columbia County Museum
  5 Albany Avenue
  Kinderhook, NY 12106
  The Columbia County Museum houses the Columbia County Historical Society offices, research library, collections storage and exhibit space. It appears to be the only museum belonging to the historical society with collections for genealogical research.
  

Capital District Genealogical Society
Empire State Plaza Station
PO Box 2175
Albany, NY 12220-0175

Counties served: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Washington.

$3 for non-member queries in their newsletter. Monthly meetings. They staff a genealogy support desk at the Town of Colonie Library.

Central New York Genealogical Society
Box 104, Calvin Station
Syracuse, New York 13205
E-mail: CNYSG@yahoo.com

Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: 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.

Social Groups Online

• Columbia County Historical Society - Facebook.
  

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)
• Columbia County New York Genealogy Facebook Group

Town Records

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. Vital records from 1880/1882 are kept by town and village clerks, although some (Kent’s and Putnam Valley’s) are available in the County Historian’s Office. 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.
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1904 (New York: Martin B. Brown, 1905)
  
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1922 (Poughkeepsie: Lansing Broas, 1923)
• List of Town Clerks, Record Managers and Historical Societies
  

The County Archives has the following records:

• 031 Petitions, Licenses, and recognizance to sell liquor (Tavern licenses) 1813-1878
• 139 Monthly Reports of Hunting and fishing licenses, 1908-1938
• 165 Certificates of Qualifications as Examiner in Lunacy, 1883-1947
  

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 also How to order New York Vital Records or order electronically online.

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.

• Index Vital Records Columbia County, New York at NYGenWeb - free.
  

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.
  

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

Marriage

Early marriages were sometimes recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. 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. The marriages in this county were recorded by the county clerk from 1908 until 1934.

• 1639-1962 - New York, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $

• 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.
  

• 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1908–1917 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Marriage records FHL film 1029775 Item 2(first of 13 films)
  

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.
  

• 1777–1834 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bfq. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 1800–1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry– ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.
  

• 1801–1880 Barber Collection- Newspaper Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

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

• 1823-1828 Marriages and Deaths from the Northern Whig at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).
  

• 1824-1851 Harriett M. Wiles, Marriages Copied From the Rural Repository, Published in Hudson, N.Y. 4 vols. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  

• 1847 Marriage Records from the Rural Repository, published at Hudson, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - 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 mid-westerners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also brouseable.
  

• 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 Marriages from the 1865 State Census, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - free.
  

• 1874-5 Marriages from the 1875 State Census, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - free.
  

Divorce

Pre–1787	All divorces were granted by the governor or legislature and were very rare.
1787–1847	All divorces were granted by the court of chancery. These records are found in the New York State Archives or for the New York City area at the New York County Clerk's office.These divorces were granted only on the grounds of adultery.
1847–present	All divorces are handled by the county Supreme Court where the divorce was granted. Divorce files in New York are sealed for 100 years. Contact the County Clerk for information about divorce records.

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 Indexes

• 1824-1962 - New York, Church and Civil Deaths, 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
• 1880-1956 - New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1880-1956 - New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry — ($), index only
  
• 1957-1963 - New York State Health Department, Genealogical Research Death Index, 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — Index only
  

Death Substitutes

• 1777–1834 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bfq. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 1795–1952 New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. The entries are primarily from the IGI along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as Family Records, Church Records, and Civil Registration. There may be entries that cite a specific source.
  

• 1801–1890 Barber Collection- Newspaper Deaths at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

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

• 1823-1828 Wiles, Harriett M. Marriages and Deaths from the Northern Whig. Published in Hudson, N.Y., 1823-1828. 1952. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

• 1824-1825, 1828-1851 Wiles, Harriett M. Deaths Copied from the Rural Respository. Published in Hudson, N.Y. 3 vols. 1988. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• 1847 Death Records from the Rural Repository, published at Hudson, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - 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 browsable.
  

• 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 Deaths from the 1865 State Census, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - free.
  

• 1874-5 Deaths from the 1875 State Census, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - free.
  

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Columbia County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Columbia– Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.

Columbia County New York Genealogy Websites

• Columbia County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• The Columbia County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Columbia County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Columbia County. (Mirror site)
• Columbia County Genealogy

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free