CONTENTS OF WEBPAGE

• Vital Records History
• Marriage and Divorce Records
• Bibliography
• Available Records
• Order Records Online
• LDS Vital Records Films
• Rensselaer Co Vital Records on line
• Passport Applications
• Upcoming Sections

Record keeping in Rensselaer County and other parts of the US started during the colonial times in our history.  Since the earlier settlers in the US were predominantly British, they followed British customs.  Beginning in 1538, shortly after the separation of the English from the church in Rome, it was required that ministers keep a record of christenings, marriages and burials in the registers of their individual parish churches.  Such recording keeping started first in Virginia in 1632 and in Massachusetts in 1639.  Acts were passed in both areas and other British settlements mandating recorded keeping but none of these laws were very effective.  The population was so unsettled that enforcement of these laws was next to impossible.

The English speaking peoples were not as quick to develop civil registration as other peoples of the world, such as the Dutch who originally settled in New York City.  By 1833 only one tenth of the world's population had vital registration systems which included New York City.

Useful death records generally developed slightly earlier than good birth records.  They were more important to facilitate the fight against disease.  Marriage records have been the slowest to develop.  While vital records are excellent sources of documentation in our research, one must always remember, the information they provide is only as good as the provider remembers or wants to report.  It is generally accepted that marriage records are the most accurate because they are the only records where the bride and groom actually give information about themselves.

Marriage and Divorce Records:  Marriage records are most often found in the county where the licenses were issued, usually in the jurisdiction of the county clerk or county recorder.  However, in New York State, they were kept in the town.  The early records consist mostly of records of licenses and bonds.  Many of these early records have been published in books and periodicals, but the quality often leaves much to be desired.

Most early marriage records do not contain detailed genealogical data; however, there are exceptions to this.  Some substitutes for original marriage records are newspaper notices and announcements, as well as the vital records lists of marriage licenses which most newspapers have carried.  While not actually vital records, another source of marriage information include widows' pension applications, family bibles and census records.

Divorce records are generally not found very early.  Most of the records are in the county where the divorce was granted.

• The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, by Val D. Greenwood, 2000
• Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family History, by Elizabeth Shown Mills, 1997
• International Vital Records Handbook, by Thomas Jay Kemp, 2000
• Genealogy Online for Dummies, by Matthew & April Helm, 1998
• Research Outline, New York, Family History Library, SLC, Utah
• New York City, Dept of Records & Information Services website
• New York City Vital Records Research, NYG&BS article by Harry Macy, 1998
• Indexes to NYC Vital Records, The NYG&B Newsletter, 1998, 1999
• Genealogical Resources in New York, by Estelle M Guzik, 2003
• US National Archives & Records Administration (NARA), website

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.  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.   In 1866 New York City began to issue certificates but continued the registers until 1887.

Passport applications can be an excellent source of genealogical information, especially about foreign-born individuals.  The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has passport applications from Oct 1795-Mar 1925; the US Department of State has passport applications from Apr 1925 to present.  The Department of State has issued passports to American citizens traveling abroad since 1789, but did not have sole authority to do so until Aug 23, 1856 when Congress passed an act prohibiting other governmental entities, such as state and judicial authorities, from issuing passports.

Foreign travel in the nineteenth century was much more frequent than one might expect.  Overseas travelers included businessmen, the middle class, and naturalized US citizens who returned to their homelands to visit relatives.  The US State Dept issued over 130,000 passports between 1810 to 1873 and more than 369,000 between 1877 and 1909 and then over one million between 1912 and 1925.

Not all US residents traveled overseas with a passport because they were not required until 1941, except during the Civil War and World War 1.  As a rule the US government only issued passports to US citizens but aliens who had declared be become a naturalized citizen could obtain a passport during the civil war and between 1907 and 1920.

Passport Information

The earliest passport applications were generally hand written letters, but by the 1860s most were submitted on printed forms.  Information contained:  date of birth, place of birth, physical description, occupation, and foreign destination.  If the passport was for a naturalized citizen, the application may also state the court and date of naturalization and the date and ship upon which the applicant immigrated to the US.  Photographs have been required since Dec 1914.

Passport LDS Films

Special Passport Applications of various types have been issued to government officials and/o r diplomatic personnel traveling abroad on official business, NARA films M1371
Index to Special Passport Applications 1829-1894, LDS film #1463577
Special Passports 1829-1859, LDS film #1549210
Special Passports 1846-1869, LDS film #1531648
Special Passports 1869-1873, LDS film #1531649
Special Passports 1873-1878, LDS film #1549210
Special Passports 1878-1890, LDS film #1531649
Special Passports 1890-1894, LDS film #1531850

• More LDS films with film #s
• Social Security Applications & Death index
• Driver's license records
• Military records
• Voter Registrations
• more....