Vital Records

Vital Records in Greene County

The availability of vital records in Greene County varies from township to township. The settlement of Greene County further inland, away from the strip of settlement along the Hudson Valley, began in the latter half of the 1700's and early 1800's. During this timeframe, religious congregations were usually small and services were often held in private homes. Families seemed to switch religious affiliations relatively regularly, to suit the availability of pastors or ministers in the local area. Civil registration of births, deaths and marriages was not mandatory in New York State until 1882, although townships often kept records of these events. Unfortunately few civil and religious records from the late 1700's and first half of the 1800's survive. Fire has destroyed most them. The researcher is then required to look for vital statistics and links to family associations through other types of documents. Deeds, wills, family bibles and newspaper notices are some of the documents that are still available in Greene County or in private collections.

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