It’s a great new addition to the website! > When the cemetery was created in 1841, the property had been part of Groesbeckville, a hamlet in the Town of Bethlehem, Albany County. It was considered in those days to be far in the country. Groesbeckville was annexed by the City of Albany in 1870. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nytigs/StJohnsCemetery_Albany/StJohnsCemetery-Albany_Intro-Index.htm Albany seems to have begun agitating for the cemetery’s removal starting around that same time, 1870. That sort of thing seems to happen a lot. Troy annexes Lansingburgh, and immediately there’s talk of removing the Lansingburgh Village Burial Ground (which fortunately didn’t happen, but the city woefully neglected it). Albany annexes Arbor Hill and obtains ownership of the Rensselaerwyck Cemetery established in 1764 and then turns the cemetery into Hall Place and Van Rensselaer Park - without even moving the bodies. > A large [underground] vault was placed in the center of the plot and all bodies not claimed were put in the common vault and the spot covered. The bones, or what remains of them are now reposing within the confines of the park. The ground belongs unreservedly to the city and it has the legal and moral right to do with it just as the Common Council and mayor shall so decide. “City of Albany Has a Clear Title; Deeds to Van Rensselaer and St. Joseph’s Parks Are on File; Many Queries Answered; History of the Negotiations Which Resulted in Establishment of the Breathing Spaces.” Albany Evening Journal. August 1, 1901: 8 col 1. Most of the info I’d collected about St. John’s Cemetery is at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Mt-S77wZKfS1pialQ3U3BiVU0/view?usp=sharing though that might not be the most recent version of the document. I’d also found at least one other city map showing the cemetery. There’s a page on findagrave for the cemetery http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2482276 Memorials shouldn’t be added to that cemetery, as the people are all supposed to have been moved to other cemeteries. There’s a lecture at the Bethlehem Historical Society tonight about Albany and Bethlehem’s boundaries, unfortunately same time as TIGS’ meeting: > November 2014 - Boundary Lines > On Thursday, November 20 at 7 PM Albany City Historian Anthony Opalka and Bethlehem Town Historian Susan Leath will illustrate how the boundary line between Albany and Bethlehem has changed over the years. The City of Albany evolved from Fort Orange and Beaverwyck; Bethlehem from Rensselaerswyck Manor and the Town of Watervliet. Bethlehem was divided in 1832 to form the Town of New Scotland and Albany has annexed many sections since then. Discover more during Opalka and Leath’s talk at the Cedar Hill Schoolhouse, 1003 River Road, Selkirk. Free and open to the public. http://bha1965.webs.com Incidentally, I’d found some newspaper coverage of the Albany Common Council’s decisions with respect to the cemetery, but there’s likely other ones I didn’t find. The NYSL in Albany has a fairly complete collection of the Proceedings of the Common Council of the City of Albany, which might be worth consulting. Chris

The latest addition to the transcription projects on the website of the Troy Irish Genealogy Society, www.troyirish.com are the recently discovered interment records of 12,731 individual from the long closed St. John's Cemetery in Albany New York. St. John's Cemetery was located on Delaware Avenue in Albany, New York. To see these records on the TIGS website, click on PROJECTS and then ST. JOHN'S CEMETERY, ALBANY, NY - INTERMENT RECORDS. It had been widely reported that the interment records for this cemetery, covering interments starting over 173 years ago, had been lost or destroyed. However, in a recent chance conversation with the Historian at St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands, New York, it was discovered that the mostly intact St. John's interment book was in the possession of a retired cemetery employee and the book was promptly recovered. St. John's Cemetery was opened in 1841 by St. John's Church in Albany in an area which was considered "country" at that time. However, with the growth of the City of Albany, the cemetery land was wanted for development and in 1878 and 1879, the Albany City Council ordered that no further burials were to be made there and the cemetery had to close. Burials, however, continued as late as 1888-1890 before the cemetery closed and re-interments of the thousands of individuals buried there was started in the early 1900's. This long closed church of St. John's was located on Green Street in Albany's South End and it's parishioners were mainly Irish famine immigrants that began pouring into Albany during the 1820's and 1830's. This "Irish" connection is shown in the following summary of burials of this first generation of Irish immigrants, which, for the most part are identified as to the "County" in Ireland where they came from. It can be assumed that many of the other 46 years of interment records in this cemetery were for the children and grandchildren of these early Irish immigrants. A breakdown of the Irish immigrants identified on the interment records with their home county in Ireland shows the following: Antrim 10 Dublin 52 Londonderry 5 Tipperary 458 Armagh 35 Fermangh 30 Longford 143 Tyrone 91 Carlow 80 Galway 39 Louth 93 Waterford 83 Cavan 307 Kerry 76 Mayo 36 Westmeath 138 Claire 62 Kildare 38 Meath 116 Wexford 131 Cork 376 Kilkenny 195 Monaghan 47 Wicklow 43 Derry 22 Kings 114 Queens 114 Ireleand-No County 500 Donegal 28 Leitrim 28 Roscommon 159 TOTAL IRISH 3,895 Down 39 Limerick 160 Sligo 47 Other countries of origin identified in the interment records list Canada-89, England-30, France-8, Germany-198, Holland-7, Poland-2, Scotland-6, Spain-1 and Wales-2. Also identified were individuals from the following states; California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia. A smaller number of records shows one or two individuals from all over New York State cities, towns and counties while three locations show a heavier concentration; Rensselaer with 106, Greenbush with 77 and New York City with 63. As would be expected, Albany with a total of 5,815 records was shown as the county of origin for the largest number of individuals. Of course this figure includes the second and third generations for those early Irish immigrants. These fantastic records from this recently rediscovered interment book is a wonderful find for genealogists, especially for those researching Irish surnames. As genealogists searching Irish surnames often find out, it is quite rare to find records that identify the Irish county of orgin. Bill McGrath TIGS Project Coordinator Clifton Park, NY

John Fishback (1810-1860) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138976984 One of the headstones unearthed by RPI’s Alpha Phi Omega. The part of the stone with the inscription was buried under the blank broken lower half of the stone which was only partly showing. > From the Troy Times, Sept. 7. > FALL FROM A STEEPLE.—Two men were this morning employed in giving to the dome of St. Patrick’s Church, West Troy, a coat of white paint. Before going up, one of them, named John Fishback, was noticed by his companions to have been drinking, and was remonstrated with for ascending; but it was said in reply that he was better able to go up in that condition than though he was perfectly sober, and as it appeared he was quite rational, and but slightly under the influence of liquor, he was permitted to go up. Sixty-one feet from the ground is a narrow ledge or cornice, from two to three feet wide, running around the base of the dome. On this ledge the two men had been at work for some time, having previously finished painting above by means of ladders fastened from the cross on the summit of the dome. Upon this narrow shelving, where the men were now at work, Fishback would frequently let go all support from the dome, and walk out on the very edge, to show his nerve a! nd bravado. The entreaties of his companion not to do so, only induced him to show still greater recklessness, until all at once his companion saw him going, when no power of his could save him. He had lost his balance, and falling struck first upon a cornice quite a distance below, and then upon the ground, falling upon the right side of his head and shoulder and instantly killing him, causing the blood to spout from his ears, and driving the right side of his head and face into a horrid shape. Coroner Whitbeck held and inquest, and the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the above facts. Fishback was a native of Canada, and was a widower, having grown up children, who are, we believe, at work in Albany. “Fall from a Steeple.” Massachusetts Spy[Worcester, MA]. September 19, 1860: 1. That steeple would not have been on the recently-demolished cathedral, but the earlier 1840 church seen pictured on page 3 in this booklet: http://issuu.com/storiedboards/docs/st._patrick_s_history_booklet_v3_fi Chris Philippo

Joseph C. Cavanaugh (1830-1890) Co. A. 175 N.Y. Vol. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138973768 Rosanna Cavanaugh (1835-1895) Wife of Joseph C. Cavanaugh http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=136544382 Thomas Maloney (1832-1887) Ordnance Corps http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138973113 Thomas McClare (1840-1894) Ordnance Corps http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138973352 Patrick Horan (1832-1876) Co. A. 7 N.Y. Heavy Artillery http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119028991 Patrick McGuire (1837-1869) Co. E. 21 N.Y. Cavalry http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=39676395 John Mitchell (no dates!) Co. D. 21 N.Y. Cavalry http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138974225 (possibly b. 1842 http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/rosters/cavalry/21stCavCW_Roster.pdf ) Patrick Lally (182?-186?) Co. K. 93 N.Y. Inf. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138974315 There’s at least one other veteran’s stone they set upright and began cleaning, one with a pitted surface I’m still trying to puzzle out the name for - surname looks something like Kenny. They also cleared a lot of brush around two other veterans: John Murphy (1836-1862) Co. A. 34th N.Y. Vol. [Killed at Antietam] http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=74264999 Louis Molloy (1831-1871) Co. K. 14 N.Y. Heavy Artillery http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=136847982 Aside from that, there was a lot of work on non-veterans’ stones, about which more later. Chris

Before people arrived yesterday, around 9:45 or so, the light was right on a couple veterans’ headstones for the inscriptions to stand out reasonably well: Cornelius Carmody (1835-1877) (who died as a result of an explosion at the Watervliet Arsenal) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138796390 <http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138796390> David Carey (1830-1862) (died at Antietam) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=138808284

Alpha Phi Omega was great! I may write a fuller report later, but some quick thoughts: They worked from about 10:20 to 2:00. I did not do a head count, but I think about thirty people showed up despite the season. The sun was out, and the work arduous enough that the cold did not serve as an impediment. We were a little short on tools, but those without were able to drag cut branches and vines into the woods or into piles, and it also gave people a chance to trade off and give others a breather. Throughout the old sections were little islands of scrubby growth within which headstones were hiding. They hacked down many of those, uncovering a number of stones within them that had not seen the full light of day (if any) in quite some time. On the edges of the cemetery, similar work with lopping shears and saws as well as raking also uncovered a number of stones and made others which had been visible much more accessible. They were also able to uncover a number of partially buried headstones. Some that had been completely covered were among the oldest in the cemetery, like one for Daniel O’Day, died December 4, 1852, a native of the Parish of Drumming, County Limerick Ireland. A number of the old stones uncovered had been carved by William Toohey of West Troy, whose name I’d already seen on several previously. He did work of all shapes and sizes, some with some very attractive decoration. He was clearly a significant local stonecutter. Some volunteers focused on the headstones of veterans, many of which were significantly tipping. They set many of those upright, and were able to clean some they straightened enough to read. I’d brought one water sprayer and a bit of D2, but hadn’t thought we’d be doing much of that given the weather. All seemed enthusiastic, even at the end of the day, many expressing that they’d really enjoyed doing this kind of volunteer work. There was some interest in doing it again sometime next year at St. Patrick’s again, or wherever needed. Archivist of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Tom Hanley was there a good part of the day and also expressed that he was very pleased with Alpha Phi Omega’s work. Chris

I wonder if there is a connection to the James Cavanaugh who was a former mayor of Watervliet 1968-1973(?) > On Nov 15, 2014, at 4:23 PM, Christopher Philippo <toff@mac.com> wrote: > > September 2014, tipping forward > <DSCF5335.jpeg> > > November 2014 - much better! > <DSCF7740.jpeg><DSCF7739.jpeg>

This Saturday, November 15th at 1:00 PM, the Watervliet Historical Society will be showing “The Shakers” from the Ken Burns Collection. This should last about one hour. Address: 1501 First Avenue, Watervliet NY 12189

The burial records before the mid 1930's were lost in a fire. Tom Hanley, the archivist at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) has the records kept after that fire. If you are local and want to stop and talk with him, Tom plans to join us in the cleanup tomorrow. Or you can contact Tom directly - he works at IHM on Thursdays and Fridays. Here's his contact info: thanley@ihm.rcpw.prg (518) 273-6020. IHM asks for a $20 donation to do a search but it is extensive and can include baptisms, marriages, etc as well as burials. He does also have some earlier plot purchase records, but I don't think that he has anything for the oldest sections. Tom was able to tell me that my great-great-grandfather bought several 4-grave plots in 1874, but cannot tell me if they were all used - so there is a stone with three names and possibly more of my ancestors are buried in that extended plot, but we'll never know. Chris Phillipo has started documenting the stones in the old sections, but for unmarked graves in the oldest sections there is probably nothing. On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 5:11 PM, mike riley <mriley7212@gmail.com> wrote: > I have been told there are unmarked Graves there. Would you have access to > a listing of people buried there? > On Nov 14, 2014 4:36 PM, "Christine Connell via" < > ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com> wrote: > >> With tomorrow's weather forecast warm (?!?) and sunny, a group of us from >> TIGS, with the assistance of an RPI fraternity, plan to do a cleanup at St >> Patrick's cemetery in Watervliet. Even if you can just stop for a brief >> time, we could get a lot done. >> >> If you have any rakes/shovels/loppers/etc bring them along. Starting time >> is planned for about 10:15-10:30am. >> ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== >> Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website >> for details: >> Troy Irish Genealogy Society >> www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ >> Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' >> without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> >

I have been told there are unmarked Graves there. Would you have access to a listing of people buried there? On Nov 14, 2014 4:36 PM, "Christine Connell via" < ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com> wrote: > With tomorrow's weather forecast warm (?!?) and sunny, a group of us from > TIGS, with the assistance of an RPI fraternity, plan to do a cleanup at St > Patrick's cemetery in Watervliet. Even if you can just stop for a brief > time, we could get a lot done. > > If you have any rakes/shovels/loppers/etc bring them along. Starting time > is planned for about 10:15-10:30am. > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== > Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website > for details: > Troy Irish Genealogy Society > www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ > Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Absolutely!!!!! Lizette -----Original Message----- From: ny-troy-irish-gensoc-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:ny-troy-irish-gensoc-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Mary Ann Camosy via Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 10:30 AM To: ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com; gerrisherry@outlook.com Subject: Re: [NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC] November 20 Meeting at Park Pub Would a Midwestern guest be welcome at your December meeting? On Nov 10, 2014 11:33 AM, "Gerri Sherry via" < ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com> wrote: > Join us for our next meeting, November 20 at the Park Pub, 2701 Lavin > Court in Troy. 6:30 PM Start. Please RSVP me if you plan to attend. > Thank you, Gerri > gerrisherry@outlook.com > > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== > Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the > Website for details: > Troy Irish Genealogy Society > www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ > Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website for details: Troy Irish Genealogy Society www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

With tomorrow's weather forecast warm (?!?) and sunny, a group of us from TIGS, with the assistance of an RPI fraternity, plan to do a cleanup at St Patrick's cemetery in Watervliet. Even if you can just stop for a brief time, we could get a lot done. If you have any rakes/shovels/loppers/etc bring them along. Starting time is planned for about 10:15-10:30am.

Okay. Thank you. I will keep watching the emails for your December meeting details as we get closer to the time for my trip out there. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 3:48 PM, Lizette Strait <lstrait94@earthlink.net> wrote: > Absolutely!!!!! > > Lizette > > -----Original Message----- > From: ny-troy-irish-gensoc-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:ny-troy-irish-gensoc-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Mary Ann > Camosy via > Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 10:30 AM > To: ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com; gerrisherry@outlook.com > Subject: Re: [NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC] November 20 Meeting at Park Pub > > Would a Midwestern guest be welcome at your December meeting? > On Nov 10, 2014 11:33 AM, "Gerri Sherry via" < > ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com> wrote: > > > Join us for our next meeting, November 20 at the Park Pub, 2701 Lavin > > Court in Troy. 6:30 PM Start. Please RSVP me if you plan to attend. > > Thank you, Gerri > > gerrisherry@outlook.com > > > > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== > > Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the > > Website for details: > > Troy Irish Genealogy Society > > www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ > > Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== > Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website > for > details: > Troy Irish Genealogy Society > www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ > Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > -- *THEY CAME SEEKING THE TRUTH AND THEY FOUND GOD*. ~1990 Science Sunday, feast of the magi

As a Midwesterner who attended a meeting in Troy (Lansingburgh) about 10 years ago I heartily recommend that you go and meet the gang. Brad Miter -----Original Message----- From: ny-troy-irish-gensoc-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:ny-troy-irish-gensoc-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Mary Ann Camosy via Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 10:30 AM To: ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com; gerrisherry@outlook.com Subject: Re: [NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC] November 20 Meeting at Park Pub Would a Midwestern guest be welcome at your December meeting? On Nov 10, 2014 11:33 AM, "Gerri Sherry via" < ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com> wrote: > Join us for our next meeting, November 20 at the Park Pub, 2701 Lavin > Court in Troy. 6:30 PM Start. Please RSVP me if you plan to attend. > Thank you, Gerri > gerrisherry@outlook.com > > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== > Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the > Website for details: > Troy Irish Genealogy Society > www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ > Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website for details: Troy Irish Genealogy Society www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4213/8570 - Release Date: 11/14/14 ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4213/8570 - Release Date: 11/14/14 ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4213/8570 - Release Date: 11/14/14

Would a Midwestern guest be welcome at your December meeting? On Nov 10, 2014 11:33 AM, "Gerri Sherry via" < ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com> wrote: > Join us for our next meeting, November 20 at the Park Pub, 2701 Lavin > Court in Troy. 6:30 PM Start. Please RSVP me if you plan to attend. > Thank you, Gerri > gerrisherry@outlook.com > > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== > Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website > for details: > Troy Irish Genealogy Society > www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ > Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Hi Gerri Count Jan and I in for the meeting next week at the Pub... Noreen On 11/10/2014 11:32 AM, Gerri Sherry via wrote: > Join us for our next meeting, November 20 at the Park Pub, 2701 Lavin Court in Troy. 6:30 PM Start. Please RSVP me if you plan to attend. > Thank you, Gerri > gerrisherry@outlook.com > > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== > Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website for details: > Troy Irish Genealogy Society > www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ > Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

> The Troy City Clerk’s office has received $8,544 in funding through the New York State Archives and Records Administration (SARA) under the Local Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) for the purpose of digitizing over 100 years of marriage and City Council meeting records. > Digitizing records not only improves public access to those records; it also serves to maintain records that are in fragile condition and reduces space needed for physical storage. > Because the records will be searchable, public access will be simpler and faster. The work will be completed between now and next June by E-BizDocs of Menands. After documents and record books are scanned and information captured in a custom data base, the originals can be stored away safely. > “This grant-funded initiative is only the beginning of an ambitious program to migrate the City’s physical records into an electronic format” said Mayor Lou Rosamilia. “The conversion to electronic records is a growing trend across the country.” > “Smart software is used to process the scanned documents and the end result is a much more searchable data base for city employees and for the public,” said Karla Guererri, City Clerk. In fact, the grant proposal includes a computer terminal that can be used by the public at the Clerk’s window to search public records. > Lynn Kopka, City Council President stated, “ Our goal is fiscal responsibility, so the less space we require at City Hall, the better. Every square foot we don’t need for hard copy city records equates to saving.” “City Of Troy Wins Grant to Digitize Public Records.” October 9, 2013. http://www.troyny.gov/Newsroom/CityNews/13-10-09/City_Of_Troy_Wins_Grant_to_Digitize_Public_Records.aspx I received this info from the NYS Archives today: > The City completed it’s 2013-2014 LGRMIF grant to digitized certain records. Below is the final project report that they submitted: > > The City of Troy received funding from the NYS Archives Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund for a document conversions project of Marriage Records and City Council Minutes/Legislation located in the City Clerk's Office. The City Clerk's Office staff was faced with unwieldy procedures in locating and issuing copies of Marriage Records, City Council Minutes, and Council Legislation. Most of these records were not functionally indexed making it difficult to locate a specific record. Also, the Marriage Records are permanent historical records that are bound in large cumbersome books. Physical utilization of these books continually deteriorates the physical integrity of each book and the pages. Our goal was to convert these records to digital format with indexing so search and retrieval is far less time consuming for the City Clerk's Office Staff. Also, the paper records and older bound books would be utilized less resulting in substantially less wear and ! tear on their physical state. > > As a result of this conversion project, Marriage Records including 1915-1922, 1945-1957, 1963-1964, 1970-1971; City Council Minutes including 1971, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1997; and Council Legislation from 1999-2005 are now in digital format and indexed. The City Clerk's Office staff is now able to search and retrieve records and information from this group of records spending far less time than before. The Marriage Record books that were scanned will not be utilized as much which will reduce the physical deterioration and damage that occurs when they are continuously pulled and combed through. City Council Minutes and Legislation are far more user friendly to both staff and to the public. > > E-Biz Docs began the digital conversion of the records indicated above in March of 2014 and completed work on June 11, 2014. > > The final cost of the project came in $748.81 less than what was originally projected. This is because some volumes of Marriage Records that were included in the original plans of the project were in newly restored books. E-Biz Docs would have had to cut each page out of these books in order to scan. This was not suitable. > > This project moves us further into an electronic records environment. It is important for a better long-term storage media and retrieval system. The success of this project encourages support for other similar conversion projects. The City Clerk's office will continue to enter all new marriage records into software developed and dedicated to serve as an electronic repository of these records. New City Council Minutes that are generated will continue to be scanned, in-house to searchable pdf’s and made available to the staff and the public through the City web portal. There’s no mention in that report of the public computer terminal that was budgeted, so I don’t know if that was carried through or not, or why 100 years of Council Minutes weren’t scanned as planned. I hope there’s paper backups of new marriage records. Chris

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The vital records law that was in place for a few years (1847-1849/50) was repealed after that, and vital records were not recorded again until 1880. Church records are a good substitute for the in-between years, but can be difficult to find (or determine which churches to search). Rebecca -----Original Message----- From: Debby Masterson via Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2014 9:29 PM To: Christopher Philippo ; ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC] Lansingburgh deaths in 1848, 1849,and 1851 I will be happy to do some transcription if y’all need some help! BTW, does anyone know if vital records of the interim dates are recorded anywhere? When I worked at the FHC in Tucson I was never able to find any microfilm for 1851-1873 dates. My great grandmother Clara Belle DeFreest was married in 1862 and it was frustrating that I could never find her marriage record. Debby Masterson, CC Rensselaer Co. GenWeb > On Nov 8, 2014, at 11:17 AM, Christopher Philippo via > <ny-troy-irish-gensoc@rootsweb.com> wrote: > > Rensselaer County Vital Records > http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyrensse/rcvitals.htm > > They seem to have thoroughly transcribed the data from "Vital Records of > Rensselaer County, New York. Deaths 1847-1851”, putting it in an order > (the typescript in the library seems practically random). > > However, “Vital records of Rensselaer County, New York: births 1846-1850” > and “Vital records of Rensselaer County, New York: marraiges 1846-1850, > 1874-1881” don’t appear to have been transcribed. I’ll take digital > photos of those next time I’m there - maybe today? > > Something else the GenWeb wasn’t able to complete was the “Index to Some > Deaths Appearing in > Lansingburgh Newspapers, 1787-1850” > http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyrensse/obits1.htm That info came > “from Vol. 23, Nos. 2 and 3 and from Vol. 24, No. 3 of Tree Talks, > published by the Central New York Genealogical Society in September 1983 > and 1984.” They didn’t have access to “the issues of Tree Talks > containing surnames A-L, nor issues containing surnames after Young”. > Those would be worth finding! Possibly, though, that’s the TIGS project > in the works “Deaths & Marriages - 1787-1895 From 10 Lansingburgh > Newspapers”? > > Chris > ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== > Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website > for details: > Troy Irish Genealogy Society > www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ > Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ===NY-IRISH-GENSOC Mailing List=== Time for Society Members to pay up their **2014 Dues**. See the Website for details: Troy Irish Genealogy Society www.rootsweb.com/~nytigs/ Click ON - "JOIN TIGS NOW!" to get form. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NY-TROY-IRISH-GENSOC-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Thomas, Milton Halsey and Gladys Joan Dieseth, eds. Vital Records of Rensselaer County, New York Births 1846-1850. NY: 1942. https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7Mt-S77wZKfd1JfUEY5S0ZEeU0&usp=sharing The General Preface is about the same - explaining the law that required the records, the copy made in 1915 by Frank Warner Thomas from documents in the dusty basement of the Rensselaer County Courthouse, the inability to find those documents again in 1922. > PREFACE TO THE BIRTH RECORDS > The births are arranged by town and in the order they were originally recorded. There is a complete index at the end of the volume. > M. H. T. Unfortunately a few photos came out blurry, which I’ll have to retake. I haven’t uploaded the index. The reason in the gap in the marriage records which only had 1846-1850 and 1874-1881 is simply that Frank Warner Thomas did not locate any. Even the records for the years named are quite incomplete, as was noted in the preface “Ten marriages from 1874 to 1881 found in the copy are included in their alphabetical places.” There is also likely to be a number of copying errors and typos. It wasn’t known by the Thomases or Dieseth if records prepared in other counties under the “Act Providing for the Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths” passed by the NYS Legislature April 28, 1847 survived, other than some for Rensselaer County and Suffolk County. Possibly other researchers have turned some up, but I don’t know. Chris