New York City Vital Records | New York Genealogical & Biographical Society

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New York is the only state with two sets of vital records, one for the 57 counties outside of New York City and the other for the five counties/boroughs of the city. This article focuses on the vital records for the areas now included in the city. See Before the Five Borough City for an explanation of how these areas came to be incorporated into the city of today.

Vital Records from New Netherland and Colonial New York

In the Dutch period, in the city of New Amsterdam and surrounding villages, keeping of vital records was considered to be the responsibility of the churches, not the government. Ministers recorded baptisms and marriages, but rarely kept records of deaths or burials. There are also a few surviving records of civil marriages (for some examples see New York Marriages Previous to 1784, edited by Kenneth Scott [Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1968], pp. 576-77).

When the English took over the colony in 1664 and renamed it and the city New York, they attempted to institute a system of local registration of births, marriages, and deaths, based on the parish registers of the old country and similar to the town vital records found in New England. In New York, however, this attempt failed (see “New York’s Vital Records Law of 1665,” Record 132 [2001]:170). A few vital records were entered in the books of English-settled towns including Gravesend and Newtown which are now part of the city, but even there the practice quickly died out. Thus, as in the Dutch period, aside from those records kept by families or dates inscribed on the few gravestones that survive, it was the religious institutions that kept vital records.

Marriage Licenses and Bonds

There was one exception to this lack of civil records. The English introduced the practice from the old country of issuing marriage licenses to couples who wished to marry without waiting for three public readings of the banns. The licenses authorized “any Protestant Minister of the Gospel” to perform the marriage immediately (see a sample license text in Record 119 [1988]:227), and records of marriages by license are found in many Protestant church records until the end of the Revolution. All known licenses are listed in New York Marriages Previous to 1784 (see above), but when using that source keep in mind that the dates are those when the license was issued, not when the marriage ceremony was performed. The licenses were given to the parties who in turn gave them to the minister, and very few survive; most of the names listed in New York Marriages are taken from the bonds which had to be posted in order to obtain a license, and which were retained by the colonial government. Those bonds that survived the 1911 State Library fire are abstracted by Kenneth Scott in New York Marriage Bonds 1753-1783 (New York: Saint Nicholas Society, 1972).

Coroners’ Records

The few surviving records of colonial New York City’s coroners provide data on some deaths. See Francis J. Sypher, Jr., “New York City Coroner’s Reports, 1680-1684,” Record 136 (2005):261-71, and the same author’s Minutes of Coroners Proceedings City and County of New York, John Burnet, Coroner 1748-1758 (New York: NYG&B Society, 2004).

Vital Records 1783-1898

(From the end of the Revolution to the creation of the five boroughs)

After the Revolution, religious records continue to be the principal source for evidence of births, marriages, and deaths, again supplemented by family records and gravestone inscriptions, plus newspaper notices which had been rare in colonial times. The registration of vital records by government began gradually.

Fever Deaths

In the City of New York (then just the present borough of Manhattan) the Board of Health recorded deaths from a series of epidemics of “malignant fever,” the first in 1795. Lists of those who died in some of these epidemics have been published as follows: 1795 – Record 81 (1950):146-55, 203-06; 1799 – Record 131 (2000):117-24; 1803 – Record 129 (1998):13-20 (for references to additional lists see Record 131 [2000]:13 note 2, and Minutes of the Committee on Health 1798).

Regular Registration Begins in the City

In 1801 the Board began to keep ledgers recording all burials in the city (as reported by cemetery sextons), but there are gaps until 1812, after which the records appear to be complete. In 1843 registration was expanded to include all deaths, but prior to that date if someone died in the city but was buried elsewhere their death was not recorded. There are scattered City birth and marriage records as early as 1829, but a more concerted effort to register births and marriages began in mid-century and registration of those events did not become complete until the 20th century. Births were less likely to be recorded if there was no doctor in attendance, which was the case more often than not. Marriages had to be reported by the person performing the ceremony, and many did not bother to do so. By contrast, deaths were almost always reported.

The Other Future Boroughs

Up to 1874 what is now the Bronx was part of Westchester County. The western half of that future borough was absorbed by New York City in 1874 as the "Annexed District," and from that date the city’s vital records include that area. Beginning in 1895 they also include the eastern half of the future Bronx. Separate Bronx records begin in 1898. The earliest vital records for the City of Brooklyn are deaths from 1848, while births and marriages begin in 1866. In Queens, Long Island City was incorporated in 1870 and its own vital records begin at that time. Towns and villages in the rest of Kings and Queens counties, as well as in Richmond and Westchester, started keeping vital records in 1847, under a state law which soon lapsed. They resumed registration when New York State started its modern system in 1880-81, and they continued to participate in the state system until they merged with either Brooklyn or New York City.

Where Records Are Now

The Municipal Archives of the City of New York holds the original pre-1898 records mentioned above, except for the post-1880 town and village certificates which are at Albany. Instructions for using the Municipal Archives and obtaining copies from their holdings will be found at the Municipal Archives website. The most detailed inventory of the records and indexes at the Archives will be found in Genealogical Resources in New York, edited by Estelle M. Guzik (New York: Jewish Genealogical Society, 2003), pages 113-16 and 120-21. Most of these records are available on Family History Library (FHL) microfilm, as described in more detail below. Copies of the indexes and of some of the records are also available at the New York Public Library, many of them donated by the NYG&B. The holdings of the New York Public Library are described in more detail below, and the Library also has a three-page handout detailing their holdings through 1982..

At the website of the Italian Genealogical Group, an army of hard-working volunteers has created indexes to many pre-1898 records. See details below as of December 2012 (consult the website for any indexes added since then).

Record Formats

Prior to 1866, vital records were kept in registers, or ledgers, where each event was entered on one line, with columns for the different parts of the registration. For example, the earliest death registers of the City of New York have columns for date, name, address, age, birthplace, disease/cause of death, cemetery, and sexton. Each register was divided into sections for the letters of the alphabet, and events were recorded under the first letter of the last name, in chronological order. Thus, while many of these registers are unindexed, the researcher can locate the part of the register where the event should be recorded, as long as an approximate date is known.

In 1866 New York City and Brooklyn began to issue certificates, as is done today, but they also continued to maintain ledgers for many years (they survive to 1879 for Brooklyn, 1887 for New York). The Municipal Archives has both certificates and ledgers for these years, and researchers who cannot find or cannot read a certificate should be aware of the ledgers' existence. Name indexes exist for the certificates and some ledgers. The Municipal Archives also has indexes for New York City births by address and hospital, beginning in 1880.

In the towns and villages, registers or ledgers were kept beginning in 1847 and again in 1880-81. Starting in the latter years these jurisdictions forwarded certificates to the State Department of Health, but retained the ledgers. While the ledgers passed into New York City's possession and are now at the Municipal Archives, the certificates are in Albany. To obtain copies, see the State Department of Health website for instructions. The Department has also opened to the public copies of the state indexes beginning in 1880-81, for births after 75 years and marriages and deaths after 50 years; the indexes are to be found at several major libraries and archives around the state (see list of locations).

Parents’ Names on Death Certificates

The State death certificates introduced in 1880-81 included for the first time spaces for parents’ names, and New York City added this feature to its certificates at that time as well (some doctors had a supply of the old forms and continued to use them for a while). However, the City of Brooklyn did not add parents’ names to its forms, and, sadly for genealogists, Brooklyn death certificates would not include this important information until 1898.

Vital Records from 1898 to Today

In 1898 the present five-borough city was formed by merging New York County and City (Manhattan and The Bronx) with Kings County (the City of Brooklyn), the western towns of Queens County, and all of Richmond County (Staten Island).

Availability of Records

For the five boroughs created in 1898, the Municipal Archives at present has the following Department of Health records: birth certificates through 1909, marriage certificates through 1937, and death certificates through 1948. These records are also available on Family History Library film. The City Health Department holds the birth and death certificates since the above cutoff dates, but it stopped registering marriage certificates after 1937. Copies of birth and death certificates can be obtained, subject to restrictions as explained at the City Health Department website.

A second set of marriage records begins in 1908, when the City Clerk’s office started issuing marriage licenses (and performing some of the marriages), as it still does today. The marriage license files for 1908-1929 and indexes for 1908-1951 are at the Municipal Archives, but are not at the Family History Library or New York Public Library (for more details see City Clerk’s Marriage Licenses, New York City). In the rest of the State, marriage licenses were issued by county clerks beginning in 1908, and the Queens County Clerk has such records for 1908-1920 (with gaps), see Genealogical Resources in New York, p. 256.

Indexes to Certificates

In 1888 the City of New York began printing indexes to births, marriages (by groom), and deaths, and Brooklyn began to do so in 1894-95. Beginning in 1898 these printed indexes cover all five boroughs; the indexes to marriages (Department of Health certificates) end in 1937, but those for births and deaths were published through 1982. The Department also maintained several card indexes, including marriages by bride to 1937.

These indexes are available at 1) the Municipal Archives has the indexes for the certificates that are in their custody, 2) at the New York Public Library on film or in print through 1982, and 3) at the Family History Library on film through 1965. In addition, the Italian Genealogical Group has created indexes online (see below for dates covered).

Among specialized additional indexes available only at the Municipal Archives are indexes to births by street address, for Manhattan 1880-1914, Bronx 1898-1910, Brooklyn 1898-1910, Queens 1898-1917, and Richmond/Staten Island 1898-1909, as well as a hospital index for Manhattan births 1880-1909 and Bronx 1942-44.

Some Alternate Sources For Deaths

Besides the city deaths registers and certificates of deaths, there are at least three other city sources where death data may be found:

1) Bodies in Transit. New York City kept a record whenever the body of someone who died outside the city was brought into the city for burial, or passed through the city for burial elsewhere. For more detail see Bodies in Transit. These records, dating from 1859 to 1894, are available at the Municipal Archives, Family History Library (microfilms #1671686-1671688), and New York Public Library (microfilm *R-USLHG *ZI-1139, donated by the NYG&B).

2) Records of the City Coroner. Coroners held inquests regarding deaths which occurred under unusual circumstances. Surviving records from the colonial period were mentioned earlier. The New York City coroners’ records from 1795 to 1918 are at the Municipal Archives and have been filmed or published. At the Family History Library there are two series of films covering all of these records (do a film/fiche search for #1318155 and #514332, but note that the earliest records 1795-1820 are on the last reel in the second series, #501156). The New York Public Library has only the first series of films, covering 1823-1898 (*R-USLHG *ZI-1058, donated by the NYG&B).

The Municipal Archives has an index to coroners’ records 1853-1917. Dr. Kenneth Scott’s published abstracts of these records to 1849 also serve as an index: See his abstracts of the surviving 1795-1820 records in his article “Early New York City Coroner’s Reports,” Record 119 (1988): 76-79, 145-50, 217-19, and 120 (1989):18-20, 88-92; and his two books, Coroners’ Reports, New York City, 1823-1842 (NYG&B, 1989), and Coroners’ Reports, New York City, 1843-1849 (NYG&B, 1991).

Separate coroners’ records for Brooklyn are available from 1897-1916, at the Municipal Archives and on Family History Library film series beginning with #1435700 and #1435709. The Archives also has Richmond County (Staten Island) coroners’ records 1851-97, but they are not on site and must be requested in advance. Beginning in 1918 and through 1939 the Archives has investigation of death case files from the coroners’ successors, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, but there are restrictions on the use of those records (see Genealogical Resources in New York, p. 124).

3) Alms House Records. The city Alms House (or poor house) kept records of deaths of its residents, which may also be recorded in the city death registers and certificates but possibly with different detail. The records are at the Municipal Archives, and some from 1759-1916 are available on film at the Family History Library — check the Family History Library catalog under New York, New York (City), Poorhouses. The New York Public Library has various publications concerning the Alms House.

Additional Alternative Sources

When a vital record is not found, there are other alternative sources created by the federal and state governments:

1) Federal Census Mortality Schedules for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880, which list deaths that occurred in the 12 months ending May 31 of the census year. Available for all counties.

2) New York State Censuses of 1865 and 1875, for deaths and marriages occurring in the 12 months ending May 31 of the census year. 1865 also lists military deaths. The 1855 census lists deaths and marriages but without names. The 1855, 1865 and 1875 censuses are available for Kings and Richmond counties; 1855 is available for New York County.

3) Social Security Death Index for deaths 1962 to date.

Records Available by County/Borough

The remainder of this article lists the vital records available by geographic area, both before and after the creation of the five boroughs in 1898. The records since 1898 are essentially the same for each borough and require only brief descriptions. Those for the 19th century are complicated and most of the following explanation is devoted to them. As previously mentioned, additional detail can be found in Genealogical Resources in New York, pp. 113-124.

CITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW YORK COUNTY 1795-1897

As already noted, before 1898 the City consisted of the island of Manhattan and adjacent small islands, and from 1874 the western Bronx and 1895 the eastern Bronx, the latter two areas annexed from Westchester County (see Annexed District, below). New York County covered the same areas as the City.

Libraries catalog many of the pre-1898 records under “Manhattan,” even though the name Manhattan did not come into official use until 1898. This designation also obscures the fact that beginning in 1874 many of the records are from what became the Bronx in 1898.

All of the records and indexes listed below are at the Municipal Archives, and on film at the Family History Library, cataloged at the latter under New York, New York (City), Vital Records and Vital Records Indexes. The New York Public Library has most of the indexes on film, and some of the earliest records as well.

City of New York Births Before 1898

The Municipal Archives has birth registers (ledgers) for 1847-48 and 1853-87, and birth certificates for 1866-97. The indexes also show a few births dating back to 1830. Microfilmed card indexes for the registers cover 1830-65 (with gaps) and 1873-88, and the certificates are similarly indexed 1866-97; these indexes all consist of separate sections for each year or small groups of years. Also on microfilm is a printed soundex to births beginning in 1881.

At the Family History Library, the birth registers 1847-48 and 1853-73, and indexes to births 1830-65, are in a series of films beginning at #1378956. Certificates and certificate indexes 1866-97 are on films beginning at #1323501. The 1881-97 soundex is on films beginning at #1322457.

The New York Public Library has microfilmed birth indexes for 1830-65 (*R-USLHG *ZI-1138), 1866-81 (*R-USLHG *ZI-1061), and the soundex for 1881-97 (*R-USLHG *ZI-1230, reels 1-2), all donated by the NYG&B.

Births 1880-97 are indexed at the Italian Genealogical Group website. Birth indexes 1891-1902 are also available in a database at Ancestry.com.

City of New York Marriages Before 1898

The Municipal Archives has marriage registers (ledgers) for 1829-46, 1847-48, and 1853-87, and marriage certificates 1866-97, also some smaller collections 1873-97 (see Genealogical Resources in New York, p. 114). There are microfilmed card indexes to the registers (by groom) 1873-88 and to the certificates (by both bride and groom) 1866-97, as well as microfilmed printed indexes by groom beginning 1888. The earlier marriage registers are not indexed, but like all such registers the entries are arranged chronologically by first letter of surname.

Most of the earliest records are civil marriages, while later registers include marriages reported by officiating clergy. Ray C. Sawyer copied and indexed the earliest records in her Marriages Performed by the Various Mayors and Aldermen of the City of New York, as well as Justices of the Peace, etc., 1830-1854 (1935), available at New York Public Library and Family History Library, and online at Ancestry.com.

At the Family History Library, the registers 1829-87 (with gaps) and index 1873-88 are in a series of films beginning at #1671684. The certificates 1866-97 and indexes to them by groom 1866-97 and bride 1869-97, plus the printed groom index beginning 1888, are all in the series beginning at #1653852 (catalog notes bride index includes five marriages 1855-65).

At the New York Public Library, the registers 1830-65 are on microfilm *R-USLHG *ZI-1286, and the groom index 1866-95 on *R-USLHG *ZI-1302, both from the NYG&B Collection. The bride index 1869-97 is on film *R-USLHG *ZI-805. The printed marriage index 1888-97 is on film *R-USLHG *ZI-329.

Grooms and brides 1866-97 have also been indexed by the Italian Genealogical Group.

City of New York Deaths Before 1898

As previously noted, the City began recording deaths or burials long before it recorded births or marriages. The Municipal Archives has death registers (ledgers) for 1795 (fever epidemic), 1801 to mid-1804, part of 1808, and 1812-87. The registers 1801-43 are actually records of burials in the city and therefore do not include all deaths. The Archives also has death certificates 1866-97. There are indexes to the registers 1848-71 and to the certificates 1868-97 (cards 1868-90, printed 1888-97). The earlier registers are not indexed but deaths were recorded chronologically under the first letter of the surname. Certificates for 1866-67 are not indexed because they are filmed in alphabetical order.

At the Family History Library, the death registers 1795-1865 are in the series of films beginning at #447544. Certificates 1866-97 and card indexes 1868-97 begin at film #1324808, while the printed indexes 1888-97 begin at #1324912.

The New York Public Library has the 1795-1865 death registers on microfilm *R-USLHG *ZI-1060. The certificates for 1866-67 are on *R-USLHG *ZI-1233 (filmed alphabetically, but reel 1 also includes separate sets of cholera certificates and coroner’s certificates). The card index to deaths 1868-90 is on microfilm *R-USLHG *ZI-880. The printed death indexes 1888-97 are on microfilm *R-USLHG *ZI-1312. All of these items were donated to the NYG&B.

Deaths 1868-97 have been indexed by the Italian Genealogical Group. Death indexes 1892-97 (continuing with 1898 and 1900-02) are also available in a database on Ancestry.com.

See also Fever Deaths, Bodies in Transit, Coroner’s Records, and Alms House Records, above.

BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN SINCE 1898

The following records are available at the Municipal Archives and the Family History Library: birth certificates 1898-1909, marriage certificates 1898-1937, and death certificates 1898-1948. In the Family History Library catalog do a place search for New York, New York (City), Vital Records. The Archives also has record of “delayed and imperfect marriages” to 1916.

The Municipal Archives has the indexes for the certificates listed above, including marriages by both bride and groom. The New York Public Library and Family History Library have the published indexes to marriage certificates by groom 1898-1937 and births and deaths 1898-1937 and the card index on film for marriage certificates by bride 1898-1937. The New York Public LIbrary has the indexes to births and deaths on film or in print 1898-1982 while the Family History Library has those indexes on film 1898-1965.

There are online indexes at the Italian Genealogical Group for births 1898-1909, marriage certificates by bride and groom 1898-1937, and deaths 1898-1948.

City Clerk’s marriage licenses 1908-1929 and indexes 1908-1951 are available only at the Municipal Archives.

THE FUTURE BRONX BEFORE 1898

(Annexed district and Former Westchester County Towns and Villages)

In 1874 the City of New York annexed the Westchester County towns of Morrisania, West Farms, and Kingsbridge; the area was subsequently known as the Annexed District of New York City and County. No vital records survive for this area prior to annexation except for a few from Morrisania, but from 1874 to 1897 the area is covered by the City’s vital records as described above. In 1895 the City annexed the town of Westchester and parts of Eastchester and Pelham. These areas had been recording vital records under state law, and the certificates they issued 1881-1895 are at the State Department of Health, Albany. The 1881-1895 ledgers and indexes for the Town of Westchester and two incorporated villages in Eastchester are held by the Municipal Archives, along with some earlier records. All vital records 1895-1897 for the 1895 annexed area are included in those of the City. In 1898 the entire Annexed District became the Borough of the Bronx (see Before the Five Borough City for maps and some further detail).

Following are the records at the Municipal Archives, plus a relevant Record article:

1872-74 Town of Morrisania Births
1867-73 Town of Morrisania Marriages (by a J.P.), Record 129 (1998):189-90
1847-49, 1881-95 Town of Westchester Births
1847-49, 1871-73, 1876, 1881, 1882-94 Town of Westchester Marriages
1847-49, 1887-95 Town of Westchester Deaths
1890-95 Village of South Mount Vernon Births
1890-95 Village of South Mount Vernon Marriages
1878-81, 1890-95 Village of South Mount Vernon Deaths
1890-95 Village of Wakefield Births
1890-95 Village of Wakefield Marriages
1878-81, 1890-95 Village of Wakefield Deaths

The Morrisania births and records for Westchester Town before 1881 are available only at the Municipal Archives. The other records for Westchester Town and the records for the two villages are available on Family History Library film #1398783 and New York Public Library film *R-USLHG *ZI-1244 (donated by the NYG&B). Both the Family History Library and New York Public Library catalog the Village of South Mount Vernon records incorrectly as those of the City of Mount Vernon in Westchester County. The two localities are not the same, and the former Village is part of The Bronx.

These town and village records have not been indexed by the Italian Genealogical Group.

To repeat, 1874-97 vital records for the 1874 Annexed District, and 1895-97 vital records for the areas annexed in 1895, will be found in the records of New York City described above.

BRONX BOROUGH SINCE 1898

The following are available at the Municipal Archives and the Family History Library: birth certificates 1898-1909, marriage certificates 1898-1937, and death certificates 1898-1948. In the Family History Library catalog do a place search for New York, Bronx.

The Municipal Archives has the indexes for the certificates in their possession. The New York Public Library has the indexes to births and deaths on film or in print 1898-1982 while the Family History Library has those indexes on film 1898-1965. The New York Public Library and Family History Library have the published indexes to marriage certificates by groom 1898-1937. All three repositories have a bride index to marriage certificates 1898-1937. The Archives and Family History Library have films of a separate card index to grooms 1898-1937 which includes “delayed marriages” 1902-16. There are online indexes at the Italian Genealogical Group website for births 1898-1909, marriage certificates by groom 1898-1937 and by bride 1899-1937, and deaths 1898-1948.

City Clerk’s marriage licenses 1914-1929 and indexes 1914-1951 are available only at the Municipal Archives; they begin at the creation of the separate Bronx County in 1914. Licenses and indexes 1908-14 are filed under New York County (Manhattan/Bronx).

CITY OF BROOKLYN 1848-1897

The City of Brooklyn was formed in 1834 from the former Town and Village of Brooklyn, and then expanded in stages from 1855 to 1896 to include all of Kings County. Before they were annexed to Brooklyn, the other Kings County towns kept their own records (see next section below). All of the vital records listed for Brooklyn are available on film at the Municipal Archives, and at the Family History Library (cataloged there as New York, Kings, Brooklyn, Vital Records and Vital Records Indexes). The New York Public Library has the films for some of the earliest births and deaths, and all of the available indexes (donated by the NYG&B).

City of Brooklyn Births

The Municipal Archives has the birth ledgers for 1866-79 and birth certificates for 1866-1897, as well as indexes to the certificates. There is a separate record of stillbirths 1866-97. The certificates and indexes are available on Family History Library microfilm (in the Family History Library catalog do a film/fiche search for #1380499 for the certificates, #1324701 for a card index to all certificates, and #1322457 for a soundex beginning 1881). The card index (to 1880) and soundex are both available at the New York Public Library (*R-USLHG *ZI-1235 and *R-USLHG *ZI-1230, respectively). (Note that the birth ledger, for 1869 only, is on a film of death records, Family History Library #1315322 and New York Public Library *R-USLHG *ZI-1234.) At the Italian Genealogical Group website are indexes to City of Brooklyn births 1880-97. Ancestry.com has a database created from the birth indexes for 1891-97 (continuing to 1902).

City of Brooklyn Marriages

The Municipal Archives has the marriage ledgers for 1866-79 and marriage certificates for 1866-97, as well as indexes to the certificates by both bride and groom. The certificates are available on Family History Library microfilm (series beginning #1543711), but the only filmed index is the groom index 1894-97 (Family History Library film # 1653852), which is also at New York Public Library (*R-USLHG *ZI-329, reel 1). At the Italian Genealogical Group website are indexes to City of Brooklyn marriages by groom 1864[sic]–97, and bride 1871–97.

According to Genealogical Resources in New York, p. 115, the Municipal Archives also has “delayed registration” marriages beginning in 1875, apparently not available elsewhere.

City of Brooklyn Deaths

The Municipal Archives has the death ledgers (libers) for 1848-53 and 1857-79, and death certificates for 1862-97, as well as indexes to the ledgers 1848-71 and to the certificates 1862-97. Microfilm of the ledgers for 1848-53 and 1857-61 are Family History Library #1315322 and New York Public Library *R-USLHG *ZI-1234. Family History Library also has the certificates for 1862-97 (film series beginning #1323651). The New York Public Library has an index to the ledgers for 1848-66 (*R-USLHG *ZI-1059), and to the certificates 1862-95 (*R-USLHG *ZI-1059) and 1895-97 (*R-USLHG *ZI-1312); both of these indexes are also on Family History Library film (series beginning #1378813). At the Italian Genealogical Group website are indexes to City of Brooklyn deaths 1862-97. Ancestry.com has a database created from the death indexes for 1892-97 (continuing to 1902), with gaps.

KINGS COUNTY TOWNS BEFORE 1898

Kings County included several towns besides Brooklyn, all of which were eventually absorbed into the City of Brooklyn. For maps and further details on these towns see Before the Five Borough City. Under state law the towns kept vital records for several years beginning in 1847, but only those for Flatbush survive. All of the towns still existing in 1880 resumed registering births, marriages, and deaths under state law, and continued doing so until each town was annexed to Brooklyn. The certificates beginning in 1880 are at the State Department of Health in Albany. The ledgers, in which town clerks recorded the certificate data, are at the Municipal Archives, along with indexes. These cover the following:

1880-94 Town of Flatbush births, marriages, deaths (annexed to Brooklyn 1894)
1880-95 Town of Flatlands births, marriages, deaths (annexed to Brooklyn 1896)
1880-94 Town of Gravesend births, marriages, deaths (annexed to Brooklyn 1894)
1880-94 Town of New Utrecht births, marriages, deaths (annexed to Brooklyn 1894)
1881-86 Town of New Lots births, marriages, deaths (part of Flatbush before 1852; annexed to Brooklyn 1886)

Flatbush town birth, marriage, and death ledgers 1847-51 are available on FHL film #1376354 Item 1, indexed on #1378837 Item 2. The birth and death ledgers and indexes beginning in 1880, but not the marriages, are available on microfilm at the Family History Library and New York Public Library. At the Family History Library, cataloged under New York, Kings, [town name], Vital Records or Vital Records Indexes, the ledgers are on films #1376354-55 and 1376362-64, the indexes on #1378835-38. At the New York Public Library the ledgers are microfilm *R-USLHG *ZI-1236, indexes *R-USLHG *ZI-1311, both donated by the NYG&B (the New York Public Library sets lack Family History Libraryfilms 1376355 and 1378835, containing some of the Flatbush deaths and indexes). The births, marriages and deaths for all the towns (except Flatbush marriages 1847-51) have been indexed by the Italian Genealogical Group.

BROOKLYN BOROUGH SINCE 1898

The following records of the Borough of Brooklyn are available at the Municipal Archives and the Family History Library: birth certificates 1898-1909, marriage certificates 1898-1937, and death certificates 1898-1948. In the Family History Library catalog do a place search for New York, Kings, Brooklyn. The Archives also has “delayed marriages” 1898-1934 and “special marriages” 1898-1937.

The Municipal Archives has the indexes for the certificates in their possession. The New York Public Library has the indexes to births and deaths on film or in print 1898-1982 while the Family History Library has those indexes on film 1898-1965. The New York Public Library and Family History Library have the published indexes to marriage certificates by groom 1898-1937. The Archives also has a bride index to marriage certificates for 1898-1910 and 1930-37. There are online indexes at the Italian Genealogical Group website for births 1898-1909, marriage certificates by groom 1898-1937 and by bride 1898-1918 and 1928-37, and deaths 1898-1948.

City Clerk’s marriage licenses 1908-1929 and indexes 1908-1951 are available only at the Municipal Archives.

QUEENS COUNTY BEFORE 1898

Before it became part of the City of New York in 1898, the present Borough of Queens consisted of three towns, Newtown, Flushing, and Jamaica, and one city, Long Island City, which was created from part of Newtown in 1870. The Rockaway Peninsula, which is also part of the present Borough, was before 1898 part of the Town of Hempstead. For a map and further detail see Before the Five Borough City.

Under state law, the towns kept vital records in registers (ledgers) for several years beginning in 1847. In 1871, after it was incorporated as a city, Long Island City began to keep similar records of births, marriages, and deaths. Then in 1880, the new state vital records law required that certificates be issued for births, marriages, and deaths and registered with the towns; the original certificates were forwarded to the State Department of Health in Albany, and the towns maintained a copy of the data in registers (ledgers). Starting in 1889 some incorporated villages began registering vital events under this system, apart from their respective towns.

After the Borough of Queens was created, the pre-1898 birth, marriage, and death registers (ledgers) described above, and corresponding indexes, were turned over to the City (except those for unincorporated portions of the Rockaway Peninsula which remained in the custody of the Town Clerk of Hempstead, since 1899 part of Nassau County). The City eventually turned the records over to the Municipal Archives and they may be consulted on microfilm there:

1847-49, 1881-97 Town of Newtown births, marriages, deaths
1847-49, 1881-97 Town of Flushing births, marriages, deaths
1847-48; 1881-97 Town of Jamaica births, marriages, deaths
1871-97 Long Island City births, marriages, deaths (for 1847-49 see Newtown)
1889-97 Village of College Point births, marriages, deaths (before 1889 see Town of Flushing)
1889-97 Village of Flushing births, marriages, deaths (before 1889 see Town of Flushing)
1889-97 Village of Whitestone births, marriages, deaths (before 1889 see Town of Flushing)
1889-97 Village of Jamaica births, marriages, deaths (before 1889 see Town of Jamaica)
1889-97 Village of Far Rockaway births, marriages, deaths (for earlier records see Town of Hempstead as explained above)
1895-97 Village of Richmond Hill births, marriages, deaths (before 1895 see Town of Jamaica)
1897 Village of Rockaway Beach births, marriages, deaths (for earlier records see Town of Hempstead as explained above)

Copies of the films are also available at the Family History Library, and at the New York Public Library (donated by the NYG&B). In the Family History Library catalog search Vital Records and/or Vital Records Indexes under 1) New York, Queens, and 2) New York, Queens, plus one of the following local names: Flushing, Jamaica, Elmhurst [inaccurately used as an alias for Newtown], Long Island City, Whitestone, College Point, Richmond Hill, Far Rockaway, and Rockaway Beach. Note that some catalog entries confuse indexes with ledgers, or Town with Village, or they place a village in the wrong town.

At New York Public Library births and deaths are on film series *R-USLHG *ZI-1056, except births for Jamaica Town and Village, Long Island City, and Richmond Hill are on *R-USLHG *ZI-1236 reel 4. Films for Jamaica Town deaths and Newtown deaths 1847-49 are missing, but there is an index for the Jamaica deaths. Marriages are also on film series *R-USLHG *ZI-1056, plus reels 8-9 of *R-USLHG *ZI-1057. Indexes are on the same films, except Long Island City which is indexed on *R-USLHG *ZI-1311. To determine exactly what is on each reel in these series it is necessary to consult the contents descriptions on the film boxes or consult the guide on top of the film cabinet.

The pre-1898 Queens births and deaths (except those for 1847-49) are indexed in the Early NYC Town Database of the Italian Genealogical Group.

The 1847-49 vital records of the Town of Hempstead, including the Rockaway peninsula now in Queens, were published in the Record 55 (1924):270-80, 368-77, and 56 (1925):19-28.

QUEENS BOROUGH SINCE 1898

The following are available at the Municipal Archives and Family History Library: birth certificates 1898-1909, marriage certificates 1898-1937, death certificates 1898-1948.

Indexes at the Italian Genealogical Group website cover births 1898-1909, marriage certificates by groom 1905-1937, marriage certificates by bride 1904-1937, and deaths 1898-1948.

City Clerk’s marriage licenses 1908-1929 and indexes 1908-1951 are available only at the Municipal Archives.

RICHMOND COUNTY (STATEN ISLAND) BEFORE 1898

Before it became part of New York City, Richmond County was divided into five towns: Castleton, Northfield, Southfield, and Westfield, plus Middletown which was created in 1860 from parts of Castleton and Southfield. See map and further detail in Before the Five Borough City. In these towns there were also several incorporated villages, one of which, New Brighton, came to encompass the whole of Castleton. Vital records were kept by these towns and villages when required by New York State law. Beginning in 1881 certificates are on file at Albany with the State Department of Health, while the registers (ledgers) containing the data from the certificates, as well as records from the earlier (1847) law, and all indexes, are held by the Municipal Archives of the City of New York as follows:

1847-50, 1881/82-97 Town of Northfield births, marriages, deaths (also deaths 1872-73)
1848-50, 1881/82-97 Town of Castleton (=Village of New Brighton 1881-97) births, marriages, deaths
1848-53, 1882-97 Town of Southfield births, marriages, deaths
1849, 1882-97 Town of Westfield births, marriages, deaths
1882-97 Town of Middletown births, marriages, deaths (for 1848-53 see Castleton and Southfield)
1885-97 Village of Edgewater births, marriages, deaths (before 1885 see Middletown and Southfield)
1888-97 Village of Port Richmond births, marriages, deaths (before 1888 see Northfield)
1890-97 Village of Tottenville births, marriages (also for 1864-65), deaths (before 1890 see Westfield)

Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and New York Public Library (donated by the NYG&B). In the Family History Library catalog do a place search for most of these records under New York, Richmond, Vital Records or Vital Records Indexes; some films are cataloged under New York, Richmond, (Castleton, Port Richmond, or Tottenville), Vital Records. At the New York Public Library the birth, marriage, and death registers (ledgers) are on microfilm *R-USLHG *ZI-1245. Births (1847-97) are indexed on *R-USLHG *ZI-1362, marriages (by bride and groom 1882-97) on *R-USLHG *ZI-1360 continued on *R-USLHG *ZI-1057 reel 8, and deaths (1847-97) on *R-USLHG *ZI-1261.

These town and village records are not indexed at the Italian Genealogical Group website.

RICHMOND BOROUGH SINCE 1898

Richmond was renamed the Borough of Staten Island in 1975, but is still Richmond County.

The following are available at the Municipal Archives and Family History Library: birth certificates 1898-1909, marriage certificates 1898-1937, death certificates 1898-1948.

The Municipal Archives has the indexes for the certificates in their possession. The New York Public Library has the indexes to births and deaths on film or in print 1898-1982 while the Family History Library has those indexes on film 1898-1965. The New York Public Library and Family History Library have the published indexes to marriage certificates by groom to 1937 and all three repositories also have a bride index to marriage certificates for 1898-1937. Indexes at the Italian Genealogical Group website cover births 1898-1909, marriage certificates by groom 1898-1937, marriage certificates by bride 1898-1937, and deaths 1898-1948.

City Clerk’s marriage licenses 1908-1929 and indexes 1908-1951 are available only at the Municipal Archives.

by Harry Macy Jr., FASG, FGBS

Originally published in The NYG&B Newsletter, Summer 1998 and 1999

Revised January 2013