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Ancestry.com New York

Several New York repositories have formed a partnership with Ancestry.com to digitize family history records and make them available on line for free. The list of records available is located in the bottom left corner of the Ancestry.com New York web page. Descriptions of the records as well as the holding organizations are provided through the links and logos on the page.

Create a Free Account

Free access to Ancestry.com New York is available to New York State residents. This access requires a free Ancestry.com New York account.

To begin, enter your zip code below, and you will be taken to the Ancestry.com New York search page.

New York State Zip Code:

Follow these steps to create your free account:

  1. Enter your search parameters (name, birth year and location, etc.) on the initial search page. The results will display entries found in the New York partners' records.
  2. Click on any of the documents in the list of results, and you will be prompted to "Create a Free Account."
  3. Enter your name and email address. You may opt out of receiving additional communication (such as email promotions) by checking the appropriate box. Ancestry.com will send you a user name and password.
  4. View any records available through the Ancestry.com New York page at anytime by signing in to your free account.
  5. Remember, you will have free access only to the records available through Ancestry.com New York, not to the entire Ancestry database.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I already have an Ancestry.com account?

All the records made available through the Ancestry.com New York partnership are included in your Ancestry.com subscription. Your search results will include all of the records available on Ancestry.com.

Why am I asked to set up a paid account?

Some Ancestry.com searches may lead you to records outside the free New York material, at which point you may be prompted to set up a paid account. If you don't wish to do so, just back up to the free Ancestry.com New York section.

On-site researchers may access the entire Ancestry (Library edition) database while at the New York State Library.

What if I do not wish to receive email messages from Ancestry.com?

To opt out of receiving e-mail from Ancestry.com:

  • Go to the Ancestry.com New York page and log into your account.
  • At the top you will see a link for "My Account" with a dropdown arrow. Hover over the arrow to see email preferences. Click on that link.
  • You will go to the page where you can select your email preferences.

How can I find what I'm looking for in the records?

Most of the New York family history record collections have been indexed, which means you can search by name, location, or other keywords.

Records that have not been indexed (e.g., Town of Salina records) can be browsed page by page to see what data is available.

What New York materials are available?

As of April 2015, the following digitized and indexed New York records are available free to New Yorkers via Ancestry.com:

From the New York State Archives (Albany):

  • New York, Pension Claims by Disabled Revolutionary War Veterans, 1779-1789
  • New York Sales of Loyalist Lands, 1762-1830
  • New York, War of 1812 Payroll Abstracts for New York State Militia, 1812-1815
  • New York, Town [and City] Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War, 1861-1865
  • New York, Registers of Officers and Enlisted Men Mustered into Federal Service, 1861-1865
  • New York, Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, 1861-1900
  • New York, Grand Army of the Republic Records, 1866-1931
  • New York, Veterans' Home [at Oxford] Resident Case Files, 1897-1963
  • New York, [Abstracts of] Spanish-American War Military and Naval Service Records, 1898-1902
  • New York, [Abstracts of] Mexican Punitive Campaign National Guard Muster Rolls, 1916-1917
  • New York, Abstracts of World War I Military Service, 1917-1919
  • New York, Abstracts of National Guard Service in World War I, 1917-1919
  • New York, World War I Veterans' Service Data, 1913-1919
  • New York, New York National Guard Service Cards, 1917-1954
  • New York, New York Guard Service Cards, 1906-1918, 1940-1948
  • New York, Alien Depositions of Intent to Become U.S. Citizens, 1825-1871
  • New York, Census of Inmates in [City] Almshouses and [County] Poorhouses, 1830-1920
  • New York, Prisoners Received at Newgate State Prison, 1797-1810
  • New York, Discharges of Convicts, 1882-1915 [only discharges by commutation of sentences]
  • New York County, New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1658-1880
  • New York, Estate Inventories and Accounts, 1666-1822
  • New York, Executive Orders for Commutations, Pardons, Restorations, and Respites, 1845-1931
  • New York, Governor's Registers of Commitments to Prisons, 1842-1908
  • New York, Clinton Prison Admission Ledgers, 1851-1866, 1926-1939
  • New York, Sing Sing Prison Admission Registers, 1865-1939
  • New York, [Chancery Court and Supreme Court] Naturalization Papers, 1799-1847
  • New York, State Census, 1915
  • New York, State Census, 1925
  • New York, Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, 1799-1804

From the New York State Library (Albany):

  • U.S. Census Mortality Schedules, New York, 1850-1880
  • U.S. Census Non-Population Schedules, New York, 1850-1880 [agriculture and industry schedules]
  • U.S. Federal Census - 1880 Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes

From the New York Military Museum (Saratoga Springs):

  • New York, [Civil War soldier] Cartes-de-visite, 1860-1865
  • New York, Military Service Cards, 1816-1979 [NYS Militia and National Guard officers only]
  • New York, Veteran Burial Cards, 1861-1898
  • New York, U.S. National Guard Enlistment Cards, 1923-1947
  • New York, National Guard Monthly Roster, 1940-1945
  • New York, Record of Award Medal, 1920-1991
  • New York, WWII Enlisted Men Cards, 1940-1945

From other agencies:

  • New York, State Census, 1855, 1892, 1905 [Data from county clerks' offices; many counties lacking.]
  • Menands, New York, Albany Rural Cemetery Burial Cards, 1791-2011 [Albany Rural Cemetery]
  • Salina, New York, Records, 1805-1969 [records of Town of Salina, Onondaga County]
Last Updated: November 23, 2022