When the class instructor tells you to choose another line rather than spin your wheels looking for records in New York…<\/p>\n
…t is time to adopt a different approach. The way West by land from New England was across New York–very hard to go any other way–especially before 1850. Even access to New Jersey was across Long Island<\/p>\n
Birth and death records were not kept until after 1881. Marriages were performed by local officials and ministers and recorded in their personal records or the churchbooks. The marriage was announced by the groom-to-be in the newspaper which circulated in the area where the groom and bride resided.<\/p>\n
The lands were owned by land speculators and land companies who kept track of persons applying for land holdings in their own records. The majority of land west of the Hudson River was granted to land speculators <\/u>and large land companies; who, in turn, sold it to settlers on long-term contracts at high interest. These private jurisdictions <\/u>held control over the land, and the records, until the contracts were fulfilled and the titles clear. So that before 1850, few land deeds and other property transactions, were recorded in the county courthouse. This created a major gap in the records of more than 60 years!<\/p>\n
Instead, the private papers of the speculators and the ledgers of the land companies are the sources which record the land transactions of Western New York settlers. And these sources often yield the places of origin for your ancestors. Among these private collections, you can find these sources–<\/p>\n
Journals–<\/strong> chronological record of transactions Ledgers–<\/strong> separate accounts of individual customers, each on separate page Documents Other Records<\/strong> These documents and ledgers are business records\u2014with double-entry bookkeeping. Watch for them by title in record inventories, in periodical articles, and in footnotes and bibliographies. Your favorite New York genealogist, Arlene Eakle\u00a0 http:\/\/arleneeakle.com<\/a><\/p>\n PS New York is such a challenge that I usually make a full research trip every other year to the State Archives and selected local research libraries in the state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When the class instructor tells you to choose another line rather than spin your wheels looking for records in New York… …t is time to adopt a different approach. The way West by land from New England was across New … Continue reading
\n__General Journal
\n__Daybooks-kept by individual agents
\n__Sales Books
\n__Modified Sales Books-lands sold at auction<\/p>\n
\n__General Ledger
\n__Cash Books
\n__Deed Register-deeds issued when land paid for
\n__Register of Land Allotments
\n__Ejectments, for non-payment, for abandonment
\n__Receipt Books
\nCash
\nCattle
\nProduce
\n__Statement of the Settlers (census)
\n__Quit Claims-lands sold at auction
\n__Mortgage Discharges<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Copies to the settler
\nCopies to the company
\nArranged by Township and Range, very few indexes
\n_Articles of Agreement-could be endorsed like a check to new owner
\n__Contracts
\n__Bonds-payments recorded on reverse side of document
\n__Mortgages-includes date recorded at courthouse
\n__Deeds of Title-contains the plat of the land
\n__Tract or Plat Books-maps of the land parcels
\n__Abstracts of Title-many are military in nature military service grants<\/p>\n
\n__Minute Books-meetings of stockholders, agents
\n__Trust Estates
\n__Letter Books-correspondence in and out
\n__Notices in Newspapers-copies cut from the paper
\n__Survey Books-may not include names, just calls<\/p>\n