Diane: Have you had ocassion to use any CNYGS publications, and if so would you be kind enough to critique them for this list? Jim Hartigan CNYGS Member ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 2:12 AM Subject: Re: [NYOnonda] 1815 marriage records > In a message dated 10/29/2003 6:17:48 PM Pacific Standard Time, > [email protected] writes: > > > Are there any 1815 marriage records available from Onondaga Co.? Thank > > you. Mitzi > > > > Hopefully you know the TOWN where your relatives lived in Onondaga County. > Have you found them in the US Census yet? > > Let's start with where you won't find early marriage records. > > Since civil marriage records were not kept on a systematic basis in the state > of NY until about 1905, you will not find a 1797 or an 1815 marriage record > at Albany. > > Many of the towns began keeping civil marriage records about 1880, which > means that you won't find a 1797 or an 1815 marriage record in the town halls. > > If you knew what church or denomination your relatives belonged to, and the > records of that church were complete, you might find a 1797 or an 1815 marriage > record. > > If you are able to visit the Onondaga Historical Association in Syracuse, > their card files on various Onondaga County surnames might contain a > transcription or even the actual marriage notice from the newspaper [if there WAS a > newspaper published at that time -- consult the National Union List of United States > Newspapers]. That's how I found the announcement of the marriage of George > W. Montgomery to Almira Gunn, my third greatgrandparents at OHA: > > "Montgomery, George and Elmira Gunn, marriage announcement," Onondaga > Standard, 30 December 1829: "MARRIED- In the town of Onondaga, on the 14th inst, by > the Rev. Mr. Spaulding, Mr. G. W. Montgomery to Miss Elmira Gunn, all of that > town." > > Likewise, the resources of the Onondaga County Public Library are vast -- > and the librarians are super helpful. > > There might be a family Bible extant for your relatives in someone's > possession or archive. > > Diaries, letters and other ephemera may contain the date of a marriage. > > I found the date of marriage for Almira Gunn's parents [Charles Gunn and > Charity Pettibone] contained in a deposition within Rev. War pension papers at the > National Archives. The widow applying for a pension must prove that she was > married to the soldier. > > Probate documents, guadianship papers and property records occasionally will > contain genealogical information which may give you a clue to finding your > relatives' marriage date. > > Legal proceedings may contain genealogical information which may give you a > clue to finding your relatives' marriage date. > > County histories, so-called "mug books," will sometimes contain dates of > birth and marriage. Proud descendants often outlined their pioneer ancestors' f > amily history in order to increase their own prominence in the community.The > images of the following histories -- and about 70 more -- can be found on > genealogy.com's subscription database, Family & Local Histories. [The same images > plus the US Census for 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1860,1870, 1890 (fragment), 1900, > 1910 and 1920 are available through the New York Genealogical & Biographical > Society's membership: nygbs.org] > > Clayton, W. W. History of Onondaga County, New York : with illustrations and > biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. Syracuse, > N.Y.: D. Mason, 1878, 610 pgs. > > Bruce, Dwight H. Onondaga's centennial : gleanings of a century. Boston: The > Boston History Company, 1896, 1996 pgs. > > Beauchamp, William Martin, Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, > New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908. New York: The > S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1908, 1631 pgs. > > Chase, Franklin H. Syracuse and its environs : a history. New York ; Chicago: > Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1924, 1619 pgs. > > Fitch, Charles E. The press of Onondaga : a lecture delivered before the > Onondaga Historical Association. Syracuse: Daily Standard Print, 1868, 16 pgs. > > Beauchamp, William Martin, Revolutionary soldiers resident or dying in > Onondaga County, N.Y. : with supplementary list of possible veterans based on a > pension list of Franklin H. Chase, Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse, N.Y.: McDonnell Co., > 1913, 309 pgs. > > > Hope this helps, > > Diane Wilson Flynn >