Court records are divided into two categories, criminal and civil.  Criminal actions deal with the bringing of public offender to justice.  Whereas, civil actions deal primarily with the protection of individual rights.  Non-adversary civil proceedings, such as name changes, naturalizations, adoptions, probate may have significant genealogical importance.

There are two types of court systems, the individual states and the federal government.  The federal court records have limited value to the family researcher.  Most of the genealogically important records will be found in the state court system.

Director General and Council of New Netherland was the highest court and governing body in New Netherland.

• 1638-1660, Register of the Provincial Secretary; Council Minutes, by Arnold JF Van Laer, Genealogical Publishing,  1974

Courts of schouts and schepens were the Dutch courts having criminal and civil jurisdiction.  These were replaced by the mayor's court.

• The Records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini, 7 vols., Edmund B OCalaghan, Berthold Fernow, ed., 1897, reprint 1976 Genealogical Publishing

• volumes 1-4 LDS film #982184

• volumes 5-7 LDS film #982187 (index in volume 7)

• Immigrants and their occupations are sometimes listed.

• New York Historical Manuscripts, Peter Christoph, ed., 1980 Genealogical Publishing

• Vol 2, Books of General Entries of the Colony of New York, 1664-1673

• Vol 3, Books of General Entries of the Colony of New York, 1674-1688

• These books list some marriages, divorces, denizations, passport and court decisions.

Court of Assizes was the highest provincial court.  It was established in New York City, hearing both civil and criminal cases.  Along with the Court of general sessions of the peace, the Court os Assizes had jurisdiction over probates.

• 1665-1682, New York Historical Manuscripts: English. Records of the Court of Assizes for the Colony of New York, 1665-1682, Peter R & Florence A Christoph, eds., 1983 Genealogical Publishing

• the records contain appeals, some probates, and divorce records.

Court of general sessions of the peace were county courts having jurisdiction over criminal cases such as desertions, vice, apprenticeship disputes, bastardy, and other violations of vice and immorality laws.  These courts handled probate matters from 1665 to about 1683.  They heard only criminal cases after 1691.  Their jurisdiction was transferred to the county court in 1847, except in New York County where the courts of general sessions of the peace continued until 1962.

• 1684-1804, New York City Court Records, 1684-1804, Genealogical Data from the Court of Quarter Sessions, 4 vols., Kenneth Scot, ed., National Genealogical Society, 1982-88.

• Records contain lists of person involved in cases of stealing, assault, battery and illegitmacy.

Mayor's court existed in New York City and Albany.  It handled civil suits, apprenticeships, and naturalizations.

• 1674-1675, New York Historical Manuscripts. Minutes of the Mayor's Court of New York, 1674-1675, Kenneth Scott, ed., Genealogical Publishing, 1983.

• The above book list probates, marriages, lawsuits, licenses, names of freemen, and person taking allegiance oaths.

• The Mayor's court of Albany was established in 1686 and continued during the colonial period.

• The records are at the Albany County Hall of Records.

Courts of common pleas were established in each city and county to handle civil cases such as marriages, naturalizations, name changes, probates, exemptions from military duty, lunacy cases, tavern licenses, insolvency cases, old age assistance, manumissions, laying of roads, insolvency, settlement of boundary disputes, and child support and custody.  They handled appeals from justices of the peace.  The court was replaced by the county court.  In New York City, the court of common pleas and the superior court were abolished in 1895 and their activities taken over by the supreme court.

The court of oyer and terminer and general gaol delivery was a county court that had jurisdiction over capital crimes such as treason and murder. 

Justice's courts are presided over by justices of the peace who perform marriages, issue summons for debts, and rule on minor civil suits.

The Prerogative Court was headed by the governor or his delegate.  It had jurisdiction over all estates in the New York City area and over larger estates elsewhere in New York Colony.  The court also registered marriage licenses but did not possess jurisdiction over matrimonial proceedings like divorces.  The constitution of 1777 replaced this court with the court of probates.

The Supreme Court is a statewide court which holds terms in each county.  Since 1847, it has heard appeals from the surrogates court.  Only in some counties today, usually the largest ones, does the court handle naturalizations.  The county clerk is also clerk of the supreme court. 

• 1691-1704, Collections of the New York Historical Society, published by the society in New York, 1957-59.

The Court of Probates handled most probates for 1778-1787.  Until 1783 in British occupied New York City, Long Island and Staten Island, the Prerogative Court handled probates also. 

Surrogates Courts are countywide courts with jurisdiction over probates, some adoptions, and guardianships.  Before 1787 surrogates were appointed to act in place of the prerogative.

Circuit courts were the trial terms of the supreme court.  The term "circuit court" was not used after 1895.  Since 1896, the supreme court has held trial terms periodically in each county.

The Court of Chancery had statewide jurisdiction over civil equity matters, such as mortgage foreclosures, real property proceedings, sale of estates, in dower and curtesy, naturalizations, matrimonial disputes, divorces, guardianships and child custody.  It absorbed the court of probate and had appellate jurisdiction over surrogate's courts.  After 1847 equity responsibilities were assigned to the supreme court.

• The Records of the New York Court of Chancery, 2nd through 8th Circuits, 1823-47, are now at the state archives.

• The Records of the New York Court of Chancery, 1st Circuit, 1823-47, which sat in New York, are at the New York County Courthouse, Office of the County Clerk. 

• Records contain decrees, files, indexes, minutes and orders.

County courts are the major trial courts for each county with jurisdiction over criminal matters, minor equity cases, and some appeals.  They assumed the duties of the court of common pleas. 

• Brooklyn Division (Brooklyn, Kings, Queens, Richmond)

• Hauppauge Division (Suffolk County)

• Uniondale Division (office is in Brooklyn but no specific counties assigned)

• New York City Division (Bronx, New York County, and nearby counties)

• Albany Division (Albany and surrounding counties)
•  Binghamton Division (Broome County and surrounding counties)
• Syracuse Division (Onondaga County and surrounding counties)
• Utica Division (Oneida County).

• Buffalow Division (Erie County and surrounding counties)
• Rochester Division (Monroe County and surrounding counties)

• minutes and rolls of attorneys, 1789-1841
• admiralty case files, 1790-1966
• price and related record for the War of 1812, 1812-1816
• bankruptcy records
  • Act of 1800, 1801-1803
  • Act of 1841, 1842-1843
  • Act of 1867, 1867-1878
  • Act of 1898, 1898-1929
• judgement records, 1795-1911
• law case files, 1795-1938
• criminal case files, 1846-1868, 1913-1966

• minutes, 1790-1875
• trial notes, ca 1834-1853
• appellate case files, 1793-1911
• judgement records, 1794-1911
• law case files, 1790-1912
• equity case files, 1791-1911
• criminal case files, 1790-1912

• known as U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals from 1891-1948

Most of New York's probate records are maintained by the Surrogate's Court, which was established in each county in 1787. However there are other types of probate records: wills, inventories, and other documents recorded, filed, or maintained by the colonial Prerogative Court, 1686-1783, and its successor, the State Court of Probates, 1778-1823; and wills from the New York County Surrogate's Court, 1787-1879.

• Card indexes for record, 1787-1899 and 1900-1986
• Computerized index from Jan 1987 to presnet
• Card index 1940-1986 and computer index include:
  • name
  • last address of individual
  • date of death
  • type of proceeding filed
  • file number
• Earlier index cards include:
  • name
  • file number
  • type of proceeding

Mail Requests for Records
Cast $70 for the search of a record by full name over 25 yers old and $25 for records under 25 years, plus the cost of copying the record.  (See below for LDS film numbers for record indexes)

• Abstracts of early wills of Queens County, New York : recorded in Libers A and C of deeds now in the Registers Office at Jamaica, New York, 1683-1744; film #17872
• Abstracts of wills for Queens County, New York, 1787-1850; film #860322
• Accounts of executors and administrators, 1835-1865, film #930546
• Probate records,  Accounts, 1800-1888
  • Index to accounts - A-O 1787-1899 - Film #933005
    Index to accounts - P-Z 1787-1899 -  Film #933006
•  Administration bonds, 1787-1791; film #488731
• letters of administration, 1787-1799; film #481397
• Early wills of Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York, Sessions book no.1, 1669-1687 : includes early wills at Riverhead, Suffolk Co., N.Y., Lester Will book and abstracts of Queens County wills, Liber A of Deeds, Jamaica, L.I., New York; film # 17117
• Letters of administration, 1792-1916; index to letters of administration, 1791-1900; film #930543+
• New York Queens County card index to probate records, 1900-1987; film #1765725+
• Personal wills, Queens County; film #17877
• Queens County, New York, Surrogate records at Jamaica, N.Y., 1787-1835; film #17871
• Records in the Office of the County Clerk at Jamaica, Long Island, New York, 1680-1781 : Wills and administrations, guardians, and inventories; film #17715
• Records of dower, 1814-1865; film #941406
• Wills and probate proceedings, 1787-1881
  • Index to probate proceedings and administrations - A-G 1787-1899; film #933001
  • Index to probate proceedings and administrations - H-R 1787-1899; film #933002
  • Index to probate proceedings and administrations - R-Z 1787-1899; film #933003
  • Real estate wills; film's numbers start at: 930528+
• Wills of personal estate, 1835-1898, Queens County
  •  Vol. 1-3, 1835-1875; film #1787648
  • Vol. 4-6, 1875-1898; film #1787796
• Wills of real estate, 1864-1916 ; index, 1787-1922; index film #17869; wills' film's numbers start with # 17869+
• Wills of Real Estate, Queens County; film #17872
• Wills of real estate, Queens County
  • Liber 1-6, 1834-1855; film #17875
  • Liber 7-9, 1853-1862, film #17877
• Card index to letters of administration, 1832-1899; film #1765841
• Index [to] Wills of Real Estate, Queens County, New York : Libers A-G, 1787-1835; film #17872
• An index of administrations of Queens County, New York, 1787-1908; film #17875

• Ellis Island, Gateway to the American Reeves, by Pamela Reeves, 1998
• Evidence!  Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian, by Dlizabeth Shown Mills, 1997
• Genealogy Online for Dummies, by Matthew L. Helm, April Leigh Helm, 1998
• Guide to Naturalization Records of the United States, by Christina K. Schaefer, 1997
• Hudson Mohawk Gateway, An Illustrated History, by Thomas Phelan, 1985
• Naturalization & Related Records, New York State Archives, Information Leaflet #6
• Netting You Ancestors, Genealogical Research on the Internet, by Cyndi Howells, 1997
• New York Archives Magazine, Volume 1, Number 1, Summer 2001
• New York, Past and Present, by C. Poli, 1998
• New York Extra, A Newspaper History of the Greatest City in the World from 1671 to the 1939 World's Fair, From the Erick C. Caren Collection, 2002
• The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, 3rd Edition, by Val D. Greenwood, 2000
• The Unpuzzling Your Past Workbook, by Emily Anne Croom, 1996
• United States, Naturalization Laws, 1790 to 1954, LDS Research Guide
• Web Publishing for Genealogy, by Peter Christian, 2000
• Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940, NARA, by Marian L. Smith, 1998
• Genealogical Resources in the New York Metropolian Area, by Estelle M. Guzik, 1989
• New York State Probate Records: A Genealogist's Guide to Testate and Intestate Records, by Gordon L Remington, 2002