RESEARCHERS OF EASTERN NEW YORK GENEALOGY

Cliff Lamere

Most recent revision:  21 May 2010

Original version:  27 Apr 2002

Below, there is a list of genealogists who do research for a fee.  Following that is a list of the major research sites within 50 miles of Albany, NY and a description of some of the information available at that site.  For each,  and  followed by a list of places in Eastern New York where their research is done plus what resources are available at each site.  Looking at the site list will give you an idea of where your research could be conducted.  Then, you can look for someone who researches at that facility.  Contact the researchers for their fees.

LIST OF RESEARCHERS (click on a name for more information, or just browse below)

Coreen & Lewis Hallenbeck

Sylvia Hasenkopf

Diane Koenig 

Cliff Lamere

Sally Light

Jenn Olmstead

Nancy Paulsen

Rebecca Rector
Nancy J. Curran

Donna M. Radz (withdrawn for reasons best told by the people who paid her but did not get the research done.  To

     read about some of their experiences, click here.)

LIST OF RESEARCH SITES AND THEIR HOLDINGS   

      (from my Guide to Albany Area Genealogical Resources listing 45 research facilities and showing more

       holdings than listed below, plus things like address, phone number, hours of operation, website and email

       addresses, and photocopy fees.  Some of the facilities will do searches for a fee, some for a donation.)

Albany Co.

New York State Archives  (Albany)  -  Microfiche index of births (1881-1929), marriages (1881-1954) and deaths (1880-1954).  The index covers all parts of the state except New York City, but for Albany, Buffalo and Yonkers, it does not include marriage records before 1908, or birth and death records before 1914  (obtain those from the respective city).  The marriage index will not tell the name of the spouse.  The Archives also has military records for Revolutionary War (most were lost in a fire), Civil War (on microfilm), and World War I (service record cards with extensive information).

 

New York State Library  (Albany)  -  Research can be done for all counties in the state (New York City records and materials are limited).  Holdings:  church record transcriptions or microfilms; state censuses for NY on microfilm (1825-1925); federal censuses for NY on microfilm (1790-1920, except 1890); federal census indexes (about 1800-1870) and soundex indexes (1880, 1900, 1920; the one for 1880 lists only households with children under the age of 10); newspaper microfilms; city directory microfilms; published genealogies; county histories; DAR publications for NY (hundreds of volumes); The New York Times Obituaries Index (1858-1978); The New York Times Personal Name Index (1853-1999, includes obituaries).

 

New York State Department of Health Vital Records  (Albany)  -  Personally make application for vital records, supplying the certificate number found at the NYS Archives.  Waiting time is 1-2 weeks compared with about 8 weeks (in Sept 2006) if applications are submitted by mail.

 

County Clerk's Office  (Albany)  -  Deeds and mortgages back to 1600's; powers of attorney; Certificates of Partnership; DBAs; and liens.  They also have NYS Supreme Court and Albany County Court case files.

 

Surrogate's Court  (Albany)  -  Probated wills; letters testamentary; letters of administration (when there is no will); guardianship papers.  They have some of the original wills dating back to 1730.

 

Albany (city) Bureau of Vital Statistics  -  Birth and death records (no marriages) for 1870-present.  Sep 1870-1913 are only available here.  They are not available from the NYS Dept. of Health until after 1913.   

 

Albany County Hall of Records  (Albany)  -  Albany City Directories (1830-1994); census records (1855-1925), Declarations of Intention and Naturalization (1827-1991, indexes being put on their website); Indexes to Deeds (1630-1940); marriage records for the City of Albany (1870-1952); vital records for a few churches in Albany Co. (and a few outside the county); many kinds of Historical Records (a list is on their website).

 

Albany Institute of History & Art  -  Albany City Directories (starting in 1813), 14,000 books, over 90 bibles of prominent Albany families (1600s to 1800s), some marriage certificates, a large number of deeds (1652-1900), family folders on many families in Albany and the Hudson Valley, 85,000 photographs, family papers of the Van Rensselaers and others.  Admission free to members only; library open 1:30-4:30 Thursdays (according to their website June 2009).

 

Cemetery & Headstone Photography  - Locate and photograph headstones and any pertinent parts of the cemetery

Columbia Co.  

Columbia County Surrogate's Court (Hudson)  -  Probated wills; letters testamentary; letters of administration (when there is no will); guardianship papers.

 

Columbia County Clerk's Office (Hudson)  -  Censuses (1790-1925); old atlases containing names of property owners; deeds; mortgages; some immigration records; veteran's discharges; five books of extensive mg. records 1908-1934; DBAs; incorporations; judgements; liens; county court proceedings.

 

Columbia County Historical Society  (Kinderhook)  -  50 books of cemetery records including many available nowhere else in the area; 70 books of church record transcriptions; marriage records (on cards) transcribed from newspapers; several hundred surname folders; history of the county; a library of other books. 

 

Cemetery & Headstone Photography  - Locate and photograph headstones and any pertinent parts of the cemetery.

 

Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the D.A.R. (library)  -  Surname index to marriages and obituaries from Hudson newspapers (1842-1872).  All cemeteries in Columbia Co. have been recently transcribed.

Greene Co.

Surrogate's Court (Catskill)  -  Probated wills; letters testamentary; letters of administration (when there is no will); guardianship papers.

 

County Clerk's Office (Catskill)  -  Deeds; mortgages; naturalization records; county court proceedings; powers of attorney; certificates of partnership, DBAs; liens; marriage records 1892-present; censuses (1830, 1840, 1860, 1865, 1870, 1880, 1892, the location of the others being unknown by the Clerk's Office or the Greene Co. Records Management Office - April 2002).

 

Greene Co. Historical Society (Coxsackie)  -  Surname folders; censuses on microfilm; church records; cemetery and undertaker records; court records; a large library of books.

 

Cemetery & Headstone Photography  - Locate and photograph headstones and any pertinent parts of the cemetery

Rensselaer Co.

Surrogate's Court (Troy)  -  Probated wills; letters testamentary; letters of administration (when there is no will); guardianship papers.

 

County Clerk's Office (Troy)  -  Deeds; mortgages; naturalization records; court papers such as law suits and trial records; criminal records; and powers of attorney.

 

Rensselaer Co. Historical Society (Troy)  -  Rensselaer Co. Almshouse records for 1875-1892 (see Index); about 300 published surname genealogies; surname folders; Troy city directories; some 19^th century Rensselaer Co. directories; a large collection of photos; archives of some businesses and organizations; databased index to the wills and letters testamentary 1791-1910 of the Rensselaer Co. Surrogate's Court.

 

Troy Public Library, Main Branch  -  Troy City Directories (1829-present, which at various times included Lansingburgh, Cohoes, Watervliet (West Troy), and Green Island); Rensselaer Co. censuses (1790-1925) on microfilm; newspapers (bound and on microfilm); bound indexes of vital records for Troy and Lansingburgh newspapers 1787-1881 and 1901; card indexes for Troy newspapers from 1882-1900 (deaths and marriages) and 1975-1990 (births, marriages, deaths); books of church and tombstone records for Troy and Rensselaer Co.  

 

Nassau Free Library  -  The Ralph Phillips Genealogy Collection (four filing cabinets of about 1000 surname folders); 1876 F. W. Beers Atlas of Rennselaer Co. (showing houses and giving the surnames and initials of the owners); 5-6 notebooks of typed cemetery records (which may be included in the 93,000 online cemetery records posted on the Rensselaer Co. NYGenWeb site).

 

Cemetery & Headstone Photography  - Locate and photograph headstones and any pertinent parts of the cemetery

Schenectady Co.

Schenectady Co. Historical Society  -  Large number of surname folders; some periodicals such as the Valley Quarterlies (index is on CD) and NYG&BR; a very nice library of books, including many books of church and cemetery records for this and other counties.  On microfilm they have: all Schenectady Co. censuses that are available; censuses for most of New York State for 1850 and 1900; Schenectady Co. wills; Schenectady city directories.  Non-members are charged a daily use fee.

 

Surrogate's Court (Schenectady)  -  Probated wills; letters testamentary; letters of administration (when there is no will); guardianship papers.

 

County Clerk's Office (Schenectady)  -  Deeds; mortgages; naturalization records; court papers such as law suits and trial records; criminal records; and powers of attorney.

 

Schenectady City Clerk's Office  -  Certificates of birth (1882-1927) and deaths (1882-1952).

 

Schenectady Co. Public Library  -  City directories 1841-1968 & 1984 to present.  Newspapers on microfilm beginning in the early 1800s; microfilms of Schenectady Co. in the US censuses; AIS census indexes; subscriptions to Ancestry and Heritage Quest. 

 

Cemetery & Headstone Photography  - Locate and photograph headstones and any pertinent parts of the cemetery

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

National Archives and Records Administration  -  Microfilmed records or indices such as:

1790-1920 US censuses for all states (except 1890, most of which burned up); Indexes to military records;

Military service and pension records for Revolutionary War; Naturalizations; Passenger Arrival Records.

 

Berkshire Athenaeum (Pittsfield Public Library)  -  "Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts research materials, this collection offers histories for nearly every town in the Commonwealth and neighboring areas.  A strong point is its fairly comprehensive collection of state and local genealogical resources covering most of New England." - from their website.  Neighboring areas would include Columbia and Rensselaer Counties. 

Coreen & Lewis Hallenbeck     <HALLENBECKLEWIS@msn.com>    (email working June 2009)

Albany Co.  -  NYS Archives, NYS Library, New York State Department of Health Vital Records, 

                        Albany Co. Clerk's Office, Albany Co. Surrogate's Court, Albany Co. Hall of Records

                        Albany City Bureau of Vital Statistics

Sylvia Hasenkopf   sylvia@northtiverresearch.com     (email working June 2009)

Albany Co. - NYS Archives, NYS Library, Albany County Hall of Records, Albany Co. Surrogate's Court,

                      Albany Co. Clerk's Office, NYS Vital Records, Albany Institute of History & Art

Columbia Co.  -  Columbia Co. Clerk's Office, Columbia County Surrogate's Court, Columbia Co. Historical

                            Society, Hendrick Hudson Chapter DAR (library)

Greene Co.  -  Greene Co. Clerk's Office, Greene Co. Surrogate's Court, Greene Co. Historical Society, 

                         Durham Center Museum

Rensselaer Co.  -  Rensselaer Co Clerk's Office, Rensselaer Co. Surrogate's Office, 

                               Rensselaer Co Historical Society

Schoharie Co.  -  Schoharie Co. County Clerk's Office, Schoharie Co. Surrogate's Court, Schoharie Co. Historical

                             Society at the Old Stone Fort

Other  -  

Photography - of tombstones, homes, businesses, etc. in all counties mentioned

House Histories and/or Family Reunion Planning - in all counties mentioned

Libraries and Historical Societies in all Towns, Cities and Villages

Delaware, Dutchess and Ulster Counties -  County Clerk's Office, Surrogate's Court, County Historical Society

Diane Koenig          <minkey@taconic.net>

Albany Co.  -  NYS Archives, NYS Library, New York State Department of Health Vital Records, 

                        Albany Co. Clerk's Office, Albany Co. Surrogate's Court, Albany Co. Hall of Records

                        Albany City Bureau of Vital Statistics

Columbia Co.  -  Columbia Co. Clerk's Office, Columbia Co. Surrogate's Court, Columbia Co. Historical Society,

                            Hendrick Hudson Chapter of DAR (library), Town Libraries, unpublished Columbia County

                            church records.

Greene Co.  -  Greene Co. Clerk's Office, Greene Co. Surrogate's Court, Greene Co. Historical Society

Rensselaer Co.  -  Rensselaer Co. Clerk's Office, Rensselaer Co. Surrogate's Court, Rensselaer Co. Historical

                               Society, Troy Public Library

Berkshire Co., Massachusetts  -  National Archives and Records Administration, Berkshire Co. Historical Society,  

                                                       Berkshire County Probate Court, Berkshire Athenaeum (Pittsfield Public Library),

                                                       Registry of Deeds (Pittsfield & Great Barrington)

Other  -  LDS Family History Center (Loudonville, Albany Co.), Dutchess Co., Ulster Co., 

                New York Co. (Manhattan)

Cliff Lamere      < zaq12345@nycap.rr.com >    (email working Feb 2009)

Other  -  Research on the Gardenier surname, back to the first Dutch immigrant who arrived in 1638.

                Alternate spellings of the name are Gardinier, Gordinier, Gaudineer, Guardineer and about 60 other

                variations all of which sound like 'ear' at the end of the name.   Gardiner and Gardner are not researched

                unless there is a proven connection to the Gardenier surname.

Sally Light          <SallyLight@taconic.net> also <slighthh@fairpoint.net>    (email working Feb 2009)

Albany Co.  -  NYS Archives, NYS Library, New York State Department of Health Vital Records, 

                        Albany Co. Clerk's Office, Albany Co. Surrogate's Court, Albany Co. Hall of Records

                        Albany City Bureau of Vital Statistics

Columbia Co.  -  Columbia Co. Clerk's Office, Columbia Co. Surrogate's Court, Columbia Co. Historical Society,

                            Hendrick Hudson Chapter of DAR (library), Town Libraries, unpublished Columbia County

                            church records.

Greene Co.  -  Greene Co. Clerk's Office, Greene Co. Surrogate's Court, Greene Co. Historical Society

Rensselaer Co.  -  Rensselaer Co. Clerk's Office, Rensselaer Co. Surrogate's Court, Rensselaer Co. Historical

                               Society, Troy Public Library

Schenectady Co.  -  Schenectady Co. Clerk's Office, Schenectady Co. Surrogate's Court, Schenectady Co.

                                 Historical Society

Berkshire Co., Massachusetts  -  National Archives and Records Administration, 

                                                       Berkshire Athenaeum (Pittsfield Public Library)

Other  -  Dutchess Co.; other NY counties; Berkshire Co., Massachusetts; Vermont; New Hampshire;

               Connecticut.  Will do research in any state, county, city or village in Northeastern U.S. if expenses 

               are paid.  

Jenn Olmstead          <nysresearcher@gmail.com>    (email working Feb 2009)

Albany Co.  -  NYS Archives, NYS Library, New York State Department of Health Vital Records, 

                        Albany Co. Surrogate's Court, Albany Co. Hall of Records

Nancy Paulsen           <nycapgensearcher@earthlink.net>  (email working Feb 2009)

Albany Co.  -  Albany Co. Clerk's Office, Albany Co. Surrogate's Court, Albany (city) Bureau of Vital Statistics

Columbia Co.  -  Columbia Co. Clerk's Office, Columbia Co. Surrogate's Court, Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the

                            D.A.R. (library)

Rensselaer Co.  -  Rensselaer Co. Clerk's Office, Rensselaer Co. Surrogate's Court, Rensselaer Co. Historical

                               Society, Troy Public Library, Nassau Free Library

Saratoga Co.  -  Saratoga Co. Clerk's Office, Saratoga Co. Surrogate's Court, Brookside Museum, Village and 

                           Town clerks & historians

Schenectady Co.  -  Schenectady Co. Clerk's Office, Schenectady Co. Surrogate's Court, Schenectady City Clerk's

                                 Office, Schenectady Co. Historical Society, Schenectady Co. Public Library

Berkshire Co., Massachusetts  -  National Archives and Records Administration, Berkshire Athenaeum (Pittsfield

                                                       Public Library)

Other  -   LDS Family History Center (Loudonville, Albany Co.) especially for Danish church records. Will research

                 unpublished records at area churches.  Will travel to other locations within 300 miles of Albany if

                 expenses are paid.  Discount on travel and research to Trenton, Mercer Co., NJ and the counties

                 of Herkimer & Oneida in NY.

Rebecca Rector          <rbinfo2@yahoo.com>    (email working Feb 2009)

Albany Co.  -  NYS Archives, NYS Library, New York State Department of Health Vital Records, 

                        Albany Co. Clerk's Office, Albany Co. Surrogate's Court, Albany City Bureau of Vital Statistics,

                        Albany Co. Hall of Records, Cemetery & Headstone Photography

Greene Co.  -  Greene Co. Clerk's Office, Greene Co. Surrogate's Court, Greene Co. Historical Society, 

                         Cemetery and Headstone Photography

Rensselaer Co.  -  Rensselaer Co. Clerk's Office, Rensselaer Co. Surrogate's Court, Rensselaer Co. Historical

                               Society, Troy Public Library, Nassau Free Library, other town libraries, 

                               Cemetery & Headstone Photography

Saratoga Co.  -  Saratoga Co. Clerk's Office, Saratoga Co. Surrogate's Court

Schenectady Co.  -  Schenectady Co. Clerk's Office, Schenectady Co. Surrogate's Court, Schenectady Co.

                                  Historical Society, Schenectady City Clerk's Office, Schenectady Co. Public Library,

                                  Cemetery & Headstone Photography

Washington Co.  -  Washington Co. Clerk's Office, Washington Co. Surrogate's Court

Berkshire Co., Massachusetts  -  National Archives and Records Administration, 

                                                       Berkshire Athenaeum (Pittsfield Public Library)

Other  -   LDS Family History Center (Loudonville, Albany Co.), Historical research, German and Irish research,

                 Montgomery Co. Dept. of History & Archives, Schoharie Co. church records, research in other NY

                 counties, VT (Bennington Library, etc.).

Nancy J. Curran          <njcinnorland@yahoo.com>    (new email address May 2010)

Albany Co.  -  NYS Archives, NYS Library, New York State Department of Health Vital Records, 

                        Albany Co. Clerk's Office, Albany Co. Surrogate's Court, Albany Co. Hall of Records

                        Albany City Bureau of Vital Statistics

Rensselaer Co.  -  Rensselaer Co. Clerk's Office, Rensselaer Co. Surrogate's Court, Rensselaer Co. Historical

                               Society, Troy Public Library

Schenectady Co.  -  Schenectady County Clerk's Office, Schenectady County Surrogate's Court, 

                                 Schenectady City Vital Records, City of Schenectady History Center & Archives,

                                 Schenectady Co. Historical Society, Schenectady Museum historical collections, 

                                 Schenectady Co. Public Library     

Photography  -  Photographs will be taken of cemeteries and headstones, family homes, public buildings, historic

                          markers, rural countryside, etc.  (In the counties of Albany, Delaware, Fulton, Montgomery,

                          Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Washington and others.  Anywhere within an

                          hour's drive of Schenectady.)

Other  -  Will research unpublished records at churches.  Research in other counties includes:  Delaware Co.

               (including Delaware County Historical Society); Montgomery Co. (including the Montgomery County

               Department of History and Archives); Saratoga Co. (including county historian’s office, and historical

               research in Saratoga Battlefield records and locations); Schoharie Co. (including the Old Fort at

               Schoharie historical repository)

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