Westchester County Resources in the NYG&B Record

Author

The 131 volumes of the Record contain source material from many New York counties, but perhaps no county has been more extensively covered than Westchester. As the resources for this county are scattered through so many volumes, researchers may find it useful to have a consolidated list. Much of this material pertains to areas later annexed to New York City (1874, 1895) and now forming Bronx County. The list does not include compiled genealogies.

There is a particularly large concentration of Westchester material in volumes 50-60 (1919-1929), including the only published abstracts of many land and probate records. This major contribution to New York genealogy was largely the work of Theresa Hall Bristol, FGBS (1867-1941), the first woman to serve on the NYG&B Publication Committee (1915-1931).

For guides to Westchester County research and resources see Marjorie C.H. Renino, The Guide to Genealogical Research in Westchester County, revised edition 2003; David Carmichael and Diana Maull, Guide to Collections of the Westchester County Archives, 1994 [N.Y. Co. W522.05]; and Guide to Historical Resources in Westchester County, New York, Repositories (Ithaca, 1991) [N.Y. Co. W522.02].

Many of the land and probate records are now in the Westchester County Archives and/or are available on film from the Family History Library. The NYG&B Collection has film copies of some of this material (marked *).

Material in the New York Public Library Catalog

Censuses and Other Lists

  • 1698 Census: Eastchester, Fordham, Westchester town, Rec. 38:129, 218; Mamaroneck, Morrisania, New Rochelle, Record 59:103.
  • 1698 Oath of Allegiance to King: Eastchester, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Westchester, Yonkers, Record 59:66.
  • 1710 Census of Bedford, and list of men 16 to 60 in Westchester, Eastchester, Record 38:219.
  • 1760 Muster Rolls, Record 38:15, 87.
  • 1763 List of Freeholders of County, note about, Record 83:23.
  • 1767 New Rochelle rate list, Record 107:194.
  • 1771 Census New Rochelle, Record 107:196.
  • 1780-82 Suppliers to the Continental Army, Record 142:65.
  • 1798 New Rochelle road list, Record 140:207
  • 1800 Federal Census, all towns, Record vols. 57–59.
  • 1811 New Rochelle Freeholders to be Jurors, Record 140:287 

Land and Related Town and Manor Records (abstracts)

  • Selected documents (mostly deeds) pertaining to the White Plains Purchase (then in the Town of Rye), with map, Record 49:170, 292, 381. *
  • Various early land records, Record 50:240. *
  • County deeds 1683-1801, libers A–M, Record vols. 51-55.* Series begins with liber C; abstracts for earlier libers A and B are in vols. 54-55. Not every record is abstracted (e.g., those previously abstracted in Record vols. 49-50 [above] are not repeated). See also correction at Rec. 123:309.
  • Unrecorded deeds 1722-1813, Record 139:283
  • County mortgages 1755-1796, libers A–E, Record 55:384; 56: 137, 281, 317. *
  • Secretary of State deeds pertaining to Westchester County 1669-1687, Record 58:348. *
  • Records of the Town of Westchester (including deeds) 1655-1725, books 1–5, Record 60:105, 256, 303. (originals now at NYC Municipal Archives, film copy at FHL)
  • Rye town deeds c.1670-1772, libers B,C,D, Record 57:240, 315; 58:34, 102. (film at State Archives)
  • Mamaroneck deeds 1719-1788, Record 58:242. (For text see Early Town Records of Mamaroneck 1697-1881, 1979 [NY L M310.1].)
  • “Town” book, Manor of Philipsburgh 1742-1779, Record 59:203.
  • Philipsburgh Manor rent roll 1760, Rec. 110:102. [full text]
  • Tenants of the Commissioners of Sequestration in Westchester Co. 1778-1783, Record 123:203, 124:30.
  • Sales of land by the Commissioners of Forefeiture 1784-1786, mostly in former Philipsburgh and Van Cortlandt manors, Record 59:108, 247, 342; 60:64, 164.
  • Pelham slave manumissions 1801-1823, Record 123:145.

Church and Other Vital Records

  • 3 marriages in County Deeds, liber A, 1683-1687, Record 6:73.
  • Description of earliest church records, Record 8:181.
  • Cortlandtown Dutch Reformed Church, baptisms 1741-1748, 1781-1830, Record 73:136, 190, 281.
  • King Street Baptist Church records 1794, 1831, 1854, Record 134:49, 95 [church in Greenwich, Conn., on Westchester border]
  • Morrisania marriages by a Justice of the Peace 1867-73 [before NYC annexation], Record 129:189
  • North Salem Presbyterian Church members 1856, Record 137:178
  • Purchase Monthly Meeting of Friends, marriages 1742-1785, Record 3:45. [published as Friends marriages in Harrison]
  • Rye Christ Church (Episcopal), baptisms 1790-1879, marriages 1802-1879, deaths 1790-1879 (gaps), Record vols. 37-38, 46-48.
  • Rye Christ Church (Episcopal), baptisms, burials, marriages 1880-1898, Record 141:43, 142, 230.
  • Rye Justice of the Peace marriages 1772-1776, Record 33:54.
  • Salem Church of Christ (Presbyterian) baptisms 1752-1820, marriages 1752-1822, deaths 1767-1823, members 1804-1818, Record vols. 31–34.
  • Yonkers St. John's Church (Episcopal), baptisms and marriages 1820-1826, Record 79:179. [marriages continued to 1840, also deaths 1820-26, in NYPL Milstein Division call no. NYGB AZ Loc 09-354]    

Probate Records (abstracts)

  • Recorded county wills 1787-1812, libers A,B,C,F,E,G, Record vols. 55-58, 60. See note 57:248. (*to 1803, also files to 1804)
  • Unrecorded county wills 1787-1805, Record 67:75.
  • County letters of administration 1787-1812, libers A,B, Record 59:26, 130.*
  • Administrations 1707, Record 124:90 [full text].   

 

by Harry Macy Jr., FASG, FGBS

Originally published in The NYG&B Newsletter, Spring 1998

Updated June 2011

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