Can you help me with my Ancestor search? [Pennsylvania, 1850-1900s?]?
Hey,
I’ve got a membership to Ancestry.com (global), but I’ve found myself running into more than a few brick walls.
The problem I’m having the MOST trouble in is Pennsylvania circa 1860. I guess counties were individually responsible for record keeping, and are therefore, extremely impossible to get. Is there anybody that has advice on how I can go about looking for these records? (Death, Birth, Marriage)?
If somebody could send me a message, I’d love to get some help.
Thanks in advance.
At ancestry.com’s search page, go down to the bottom where each state is listed and click on Pennsylvania. It opens up to all their databases. In the death, birth, and marriage section it lists these:
"Pennsylvania Birth, Marriage & Death":
The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Index, 1887-2006 – Free Index
Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots
Berks County, Pennsylvania Births, 1876-1906
Berks County, Pennsylvania Deaths, 1852-55, 1894-1906
Berks County, Pennsylvania Delayed Births
Berks County, Pennsylvania Marriages, 1885-1929
Chanceford Township, York County, Pennsylvania Church Records
Cross Creek, Pennsylvania Cemetery History
Cross Creek, Pennsylvania Deaths, 1810-90
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1800-55: Hoffman Reformed Church
Evangelical Lutheran Congregation at Rossville, York County, Pennsylvania, 1843-88
Fayette County, Pennsylvania Vital Records, 1750-1890
Goshert’s Zion Lutheran Church, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1879-1957
Hopkins Family Marriage Records in the United States, 1628-1865
JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR) – Free Index
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Marriages, 1769-1864: Trinity Tulpehocken Reformed Congregation
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1748-1854: Falckner Swamp Reformed Congregation
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1753-1851: Indian Creek Reformed Church
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1770-1865: Trinity Reformed Church of Pottstown
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1787-1856: St. Peter’s Yellow Church
Mount Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, 1834-1906
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church at Cedar Point, York County, Pennsylvania, 1868-1938
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1777-1854: Stone Valley Lutheran and Reformed Congregations
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1851-92: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
Pennsylvania Quaker Records
Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. I
Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. II
Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. III
Pennsylvania, Lutheran Baptisms and Marriages
Pennsylvania: Reformed Congregation of Roth’s Church Baptisms, York County 1818-1900
Philadelphia, Tombstone Inscriptions from Christ Church
Reading, Pennsylvania Births, 1876-1905
Reading, Pennsylvania Deaths, 1873-1905
Reading, Pennsylvania Marriages, 1876-84
Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Fulton County, Pennsylvania, 1849-1906
The Boston Jewish Advocate Index to Obituary Notices, 1905-2007 – Free Index
York County, Pennsylvania, 1763-1869: St. David’s/Sherman’s Reformed and Lutheran Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1764-1894: Wolf’s (St. Paul’s) Reformed and Lutheran Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1764-1936: Reformed Congregation of St. Paul’s/Wolf’s Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1800-56: Emmanuel’s Reformed Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1801-53: Trinity Reformed Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1801-73: Canadochly Lutheran and Reformed Congregations
York County, Pennsylvania: Creutz Creek Church Records
Zion Lutheran Church, Snyder County, Pennsylvania, 1889-1943
If you still need some help, let me know. I also have a worldwide membership.
Try:
http://www.genealogytoday.com/genealogy/states/pennsylvania.html
http://pennsylvaniagenealogyguide.com/societies.htm
http://www.rootexinc.net/Pennsylvania.html
In other words, contact local genealogical societies. Pennsylvania has many of them, and I’m sure they have friendly people who are willing to share. Local genealogists know more about mysterious nooks and crannies than commercial or government organizations will ever understand.
References :
We all run into brick walls it’s parr for the coarse, part of the problem is we expect to find every thing we need on line and that is not the case, You could have a look at http://rootsweb.com or genweb some else might be working on your tree from another angle.
If not then you are going to have to track down the records the old fashioned way, that would mean writing letters and a lot of foot work.
Good luck and good hunting
References :
At ancestry.com’s search page, go down to the bottom where each state is listed and click on Pennsylvania. It opens up to all their databases. In the death, birth, and marriage section it lists these:
"Pennsylvania Birth, Marriage & Death":
The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Index, 1887-2006 – Free Index
Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots
Berks County, Pennsylvania Births, 1876-1906
Berks County, Pennsylvania Deaths, 1852-55, 1894-1906
Berks County, Pennsylvania Delayed Births
Berks County, Pennsylvania Marriages, 1885-1929
Chanceford Township, York County, Pennsylvania Church Records
Cross Creek, Pennsylvania Cemetery History
Cross Creek, Pennsylvania Deaths, 1810-90
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1800-55: Hoffman Reformed Church
Evangelical Lutheran Congregation at Rossville, York County, Pennsylvania, 1843-88
Fayette County, Pennsylvania Vital Records, 1750-1890
Goshert’s Zion Lutheran Church, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, 1879-1957
Hopkins Family Marriage Records in the United States, 1628-1865
JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR) – Free Index
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Marriages, 1769-1864: Trinity Tulpehocken Reformed Congregation
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1748-1854: Falckner Swamp Reformed Congregation
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1753-1851: Indian Creek Reformed Church
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1770-1865: Trinity Reformed Church of Pottstown
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1787-1856: St. Peter’s Yellow Church
Mount Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, 1834-1906
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church at Cedar Point, York County, Pennsylvania, 1868-1938
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1777-1854: Stone Valley Lutheran and Reformed Congregations
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1851-92: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
Pennsylvania Quaker Records
Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. I
Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. II
Pennsylvania Vital Records, Vol. III
Pennsylvania, Lutheran Baptisms and Marriages
Pennsylvania: Reformed Congregation of Roth’s Church Baptisms, York County 1818-1900
Philadelphia, Tombstone Inscriptions from Christ Church
Reading, Pennsylvania Births, 1876-1905
Reading, Pennsylvania Deaths, 1873-1905
Reading, Pennsylvania Marriages, 1876-84
Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Fulton County, Pennsylvania, 1849-1906
The Boston Jewish Advocate Index to Obituary Notices, 1905-2007 – Free Index
York County, Pennsylvania, 1763-1869: St. David’s/Sherman’s Reformed and Lutheran Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1764-1894: Wolf’s (St. Paul’s) Reformed and Lutheran Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1764-1936: Reformed Congregation of St. Paul’s/Wolf’s Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1800-56: Emmanuel’s Reformed Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1801-53: Trinity Reformed Church
York County, Pennsylvania, 1801-73: Canadochly Lutheran and Reformed Congregations
York County, Pennsylvania: Creutz Creek Church Records
Zion Lutheran Church, Snyder County, Pennsylvania, 1889-1943
If you still need some help, let me know. I also have a worldwide membership.
References :
http://www.ancestry.com/search/locality/dbpage.aspx?tp=2&p=41&categoryFilterID=34&showPaging=true
The largest geneological records in the world can be accessed through the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Many large metropolitan libraries now have access to these records.
I suggest you contact your local library for information about access to these most important records.
References :
It’s easiest to order the films from the LDS. The issue for you is the era of 1850-1870. Don’t expect to find birth records because they were very rarely kept. If you do get lucky, thank God for the little blessing. Marriage records are quite well-preserved by the state archives well back to the 1600s. Death records are going to be hit and miss because so many occurred in the rural and wilderness areas and there wasn’t any mandatory reporting of deaths until the 1870s.
References :