Navigating New York land records can be a complex process, with records created on the county and state levels as well as by private companies. Furthermore, not everyone owned land, so exploring records of lessees and tenant farmers may be the best way to trace an ancestor. Learn the foundations for exploring various types of land records and discover how they can provide evidence to unlock your family’s history.
This New York Family History School course will provide registrants with the foundational resources and methods to trace ancestors who put down roots on New York State land. Individual sessions introduce details about county deeds, state title transfers, private land company records, and records for those leasing land.
Please Note: This Family History School course is available for on-demand viewing throughout 2025. Registrants have 60 days from the date of purchase to complete this course in its entirety. For example, if you purchase this course on December 15, 2025, you have until February 15, 2026, to complete it.
Registrants will:
- Understand the history of land records and why they are important for New York research
- Learn about the types of land records created, who recorded them, and where they are held
- Understand techniques for finding records online and in repositories
Online Sessions (on demand)
- Land Records in New York: History and Context (D. Joshua Taylor)
- County Land Transactions (Jeanette Sheliga)
- Leases and Tenants (Jane E. Wilcox)
- State Title Transfers (Susan R. Miller)
- Land Companies: A Brief Overview (Skip Duett)
Course Fee
- NYG&B Members: $89
- General Registration: $99
About the NYG&B's New York Family History School
The New York Family History School lets participants learn at their own pace through guided, on-demand sessions focusing on a specific family history topic. Registration includes access to multiple sessions for 60 days, syllabus materials, and a certificate of completion.
See all New York Family History School Courses in 2025.
About the Presenters
Skip Duett is a professional genealogist, speaker, and author specializing in New York land records. An instructor at Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), he has been published in the National Genealogical Quarterly and the New York Researcher. He serves on the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B) Family History Advisory Committee. He is actively researching and writing about the full spectrum of land records in Upstate New York.
An NYG&B member since 1993, Susan R. Miller oversees the NYG&B’s print and digital publications. She is the editor of the New York Researcher magazine, New York State Archives Guide: For Family Historians, Biographers, and Historical Researchers, and New York City Municipal Archives Guide and a managing editor of the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer. A graduate of Brown University, Susan is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and several other genealogical and historical societies.
Jeanette Sheliga of Jeanette's Genealogy lives in Lockport, New York, and has been lecturing about genealogy since 2011. Jeanette is the President of the Virtual Genealogical Association (VGA), and she holds positions in local, state, and national societies. Jeannette has completed the study groups of ProGen 49 and ProGen Practicum 02 and has attended many genealogy institutes.
D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, FUGA, is the President and CEO of the NYG&B and a nationally known and recognized genealogist. Previously, Joshua held senior leadership positions with Findmypast and the New England Historic Genealogical Society and has volunteered in leadership positions for the Federation of Genealogical Societies and other organizations. A prolific author and popular speaker, Joshua has been a coordinator for courses at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) and is the recipient of RootsTech’s Distinguished Presenter Award. He has been a featured genealogist on Who Do You Think You Are? and was a host on the PBS series Genealogy Roadshow. Joshua holds a Master of Library Science degree in Archival Management and a Master of Arts degree in History from Simmons College.
Jane E. Wilcox, FGBS, serves on the New York State Archives and the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society’s (NYG&B) Family History Advisory Committees. She authored New York State Archives Guide: For Family Historians, Biographers, and Historical Researchers.
