Ancestry.com has recently released two notable collections of New York State Episcopal Church records. An archive covering the Diocese of Central New York came online in late March 2020, joining the Diocese of Rochester, which came online in late 2019.
These two new collections cover 22 New York counties, and dates range from 1800 to 1970. There are now three New York Episcopal record collections on Ancestry.com—the Diocese of New York is also available on the site.
These additions are particularly exciting for New York researchers because they cover a time period when civil birth, marriage, and death records are unavailable. The baptism, marriage, and burial records can serve as excellent substitutes.
Find an Episcopal church: The Find a Church tool on the official website of the Episcopal Church can be used to find Episcopal churches near any given zip code in the United States.
Read on for links to each collection and an overview of the counties they cover.
Episcopal Diocese of Central New York
Years of coverage: 1800 to 1970
in Cayuga County, New York. Via Ancestry.com
These records came online on March 23, 2020. This collection contains baptism, marriage, confirmation, and death records from parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, which covers the following New York counties:
- Broome
- Cayuga
- Chemung
- Chenango
- Cortland
- Jefferson
- Lewis
- Madison
- Oneida
- Onondaga
- Oswego
- Seneca
- Tioga
- Tompkins
Researchers can use the browse tool to discover the specific churches and municipalities available. Most of the information has been indexed, but the original images may contain additional information such as witness names.
View the collection on Ancestry.com.
Episcopal Diocese of Rochester
Years of coverage: 1800 to 1970
but there is always more on the original image.
These records came online in late 2019. This collection contains baptism, marriage, confirmation, and death records from parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, which covers the following New York counties:
- Allegany
- Livingston
- Monroe
- Ontario
- Schuyler
- Steuben
- Wayne
- Yates
Researchers can use the browse tool to discover the specific churches and municipalities available. Most of the information has been indexed, but the original images may contain additional information such as witness names.
View the collection on Ancestry.com.
Episcopal Diocese of New York
Years of coverage: 1767 to 1970
This collection is not new but is worth mentioning alongside the other newer Episcopal collections on Ancestry.com. The Episcopal Diocese of New York is the oldest in the state and includes the following New York counties:
- Bronx
- New York (Manhattan)
- Richmond (Staten Island)
- Dutchess
- Orange
- Putnam
- Rockland
- Sullivan
- Ulster
- Westchester
From 1785 to 1838 the Diocese of New York covered all of the territory that encompasses the current state of New York. However, researchers should note that this collection appears to contain only records from congregations in the above counties.
View the collection on Ancestry.com.
More Online Resources
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NYG&B Online Collections (beta)
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New York Genealogy Essentials: Free Articles and Subject Guides
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NYG&B Webinar Library: Recorded Webinars for NYG&B Members
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Index From Home: The New York Land Records Project
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