Index to Records of Inmates at the
Rensselaer County Almshouse 1875-1892
Index and Notes by James Corsaro, Librarian of
the Rensselaer County Historical Society, Troy, NY
Webpage by Cliff Lamere Jan 2002
Index to Records of Inmates at the
Rensselaer County Almshouse 1875-1892
Index and Notes by James Corsaro, Librarian of
the Rensselaer County Historical Society, Troy, NY
Webpage by Cliff Lamere Jan 2002
The Rensselaer County Almshouse was built in 1821 in Troy, New York. The property of about 160 acres was located south of Spring Avenue near the mill ponds on the Wynantskill Creek. Itıs original name was House of Industry and the name was later changed to Rensselaer County Almshouse. The main building was built of brick and in 1860 a wooden building was added. A brick ³lunatic asylum² was added at a later date. In 1882, during the time the records indexed here were compiled, the almshouse included the keeperıs residence, dormitories for men and women inmates, dining halls, kitchens and laundry along with farm and other service buildings. The Lakeview Sanitarium was erected adjacent to the almshouse in 1910 and this was converted into a county hospital in 1919. The property was sold sometime after 1925 and the buildings demolished. This set of original archival inmate records appears to have been preserved from a larger group of records that appears not to be extant. The records
can presently be viewed at the Rensselaer Co. Historical Society, Troy, NY.
The names in the index are shown as they appear on the record; there are
many names that appear to be misspelled and some of the entries are nearly
illegible. While each record does not include information for each of the
following categories, much information is found in each inmate record; the
clerks entering the information on the record seem to have been fairly conscientious about completing each record. The dates of the records range from 1875 to 1892; some records have several dates as inmates were admitted and re-admitted at different times. There are approximately 250 inmate records. At least two inmates probably could not be identified by name by the clerk entering the record and they are given the surname, Doe. Each inmate record may include the following questions about the inmate: [Notes by James Corsaro]
Name, Record Number
Date of Admission, Re-Admitted Dates, Discharged Dates
Sex, Age, Color
Single, Married, Widower
Birthplace: State or Country; County; Town or City
If Foreign Born how long in the U.S.
How long in this state
At what port landed
Was Head Money Paid
Is the person naturalized
Birthplace of Father: State or Country; County; Town or City
Birthplace of Mother: State or Country; County; Town or City
Education
Habits
Habits of Father, Habits of Mother
Occupation, Occupation of Father
Condition of Ancestors and other Relatives (living or dead) as to whether Pauper or Self-Supporting: Grand Parents Paternal Side, Grand Parents Maternal Side, Father, Mother, Brothers, Sisters, Other Relatives
If a Parent, how many children living: State their condition-whether in Poor Houses, Asylums, Hospitals, other Institutions, or Self-Supporting
Existing Cause of Dependence
What kind of labor is the person able to pursue, and to what extent
Has the person received public or private out-door relief; if so, how long
Have the parents or other relatives been thus aided; if so, state the fact
Has the person been,heretofore, an inmate of poor houses; if so, how long
Has the person been an inmate of any other charitable institution; if so, note the fact.
What is the probable destiny of the person as respects recovery from the cause of dependence.
Remark. (This column often includes information about the death of the
inmate)
[Notes by Cliff Lamere] According to Linda Crannell (The Poorhouse Lady), the records for the people who are in the index below may be on microfilm at the NY State Archives. For the same period of time (1875-1892), about 3550 certificates were microfilmed. The Rensselaer Co. Historical Society has about 220 of the certificates, and the route by which they arrived there could mean that they were not with the others when the microfilming took place. There are an additional 1700 or so from 1892-1899 and many more from then up to 1920. There is no overall index to all of them, but some of the microfilms contain handwritten quasi-alphabetical indexes that were made at the time the forms were filled out. For information on how to borrow these microfilms by using your local interlibrary loan service, click here.
All names are listed as spelled in the inmate record. There may be spelling errors for some of the names, and some of the writing has faded or is illegible. Page numbers indicate the page where the inmateıs record may be
found. Name Page Number
Adgatent, William H. 55 Allen, Betsy 79 Ambrow, Edmond 6 Barrett, Richard 82 Barringer, Ralph 23 Barry, Michael 81 Basler, John 34 Bennett, Peter 28 Bewer, Simon 29 Bishop, Jack (?) 20 Bloomingdale, David 31 Bloomingdale, Edward 6 Boach, Ellen 58 Boardman, George W. 26 Boardman, Mary 26 Boardman, William 26 Bohn, Patrick 64 Boodery, Felix 33 Bouge, Saphrona 78 Bradshaw, Bridget 2 Brennan, Lawrance 12 Brimer, Horace 78 Bryant, William 54 Buffalo, John 71 Buhr, Sophia 66 Burge, James 30 Burk, James 7 Burk, Susan 71 Burke, James 43 Buterfield, Josephine 67 Butler, Lewis 29 Buttler, Catherine 70 Cady, James 28 Cameron,Daniel 7 Campbell, Hannah 85 Campbell, Samuel 21 Carrell, Michael 24 Carrell, Robert 33 Carter, Charles 32 Cary, Johanah 76 Cavanaugh, Charles 34 Chase, Mary 9 Clark, Hannah 31 Clark, Louisa 25 Colbat, James 11 Cole, Henry 18 Colopy, William 38 Commons, Mary 58 Connors, Ann 74 Connors, James 50 Corcron, Maggie 65 Cota, Phoebe 83 Cray, Patrick 75 Cronon, James 19 Cutler, Simon 40 Debrire, John 83 Dennis, Philip 1 Diston, Kate 36 Diston, William 36 Doe, John 68 Doe, Julia 46 Doherty, Michael 1 Donahue, John 29 Donnely, James 15 Donnely, Mary 15 Duhigg, Mary 43 Dunn, An 12 Dunn, Julia 23 Ellick, Sarah 52 Farrell, John 3 Faurget, Jane 11 Fitzgerald, Mary 45 Fitzpatrick, Eddy 60 Fitzpatrick, Ellin 14 Flynn, Ann 75 Foley, John 36 Forget, Mary E. 10 Fowler, John 3 Francisco, Joseph 57 Frazer, William 20 Fury, Bryan 3 Gallpo, Nelson 13 Gannan, Kate 24 Gauthier, Victoria E. 40 Gaynor, John 84 Gleason, Thomas 22 Gleason, William 22 Grace, John 74 Green, Mary 16 Griffith, Ann 54 Haggerty, Mary 84 Haley, James 41 Haley, Margt. 63 Haley, Martin 41 Haley, William 41 Hall, Joshua P. 2 Halon, Mary 49 Halpin, Mary 15 Halpin, Thomas 37 Hanlon, Peter 72 Harney, James 65 Harper, Gennett 5 Haverman, Jospeh 59 Hazzard, James 48 Hennesy, Daniel 8 Higgins, Michael 31 Hill, Joseph 57 Hines, Ellen 32 Hogan, Patrick 64 Holmes, Lizzie 68 Houston, Joseph 63 Irvin, Margt. 84 Jacob, Ann M. 85 Johnson, Henry 35 Kalacka, Cath. 2 Keling, William 17 Kelly, Anne 9 Kelly, Bridget 73 Kelly, Dennis 85 Kelly, Mary E. 35 Kennedy, Margt. P 10 Kennelly, John 58 Kenny, Eliza 47 Kernan, Philip 77 Kinney, Charles 34 LaFrind, Ira 27 Lahey, William 38 Lampson, Ira 45 Lane, (?), John 42 Lawler, Michael 24 Lawson, Thomas 42 Lennon, James 43 Lewis, A.W. 18 Lindsay, Cath. 53 Little, David 81 Livingston, Henry 30 Lofty, Margaret 49 Long, Mary 79 Looney, Jane 69 Looney, Mary 69 Looney, William H. 70 Lynch, Thomas 4 Machan, Bridget 21 Machan, Catherine 21 Macks, Joseph 57 Madden, Mary Ann 85 Madigan, William 6 Mahoney, Marl(?) 54 Manning, Elvira (?) 5 Marrah, William 45 Matchet, James 13 May, Kate 14 McBride, James 69 McCarty, Betsy 76 McCarty, Eliza 73 McCoy, Jane 37 McCue, Delia (alias Crawford) 5 McDougan, William 44 McGovern,Peter 47 McGrath, Mary 56 McIntyre, Lizzie 48 McIntyre, Robert 48 McKenney, Annie (alias Harper) 19 McMahon, John 16, McNamary, Mary 63 McNamery, Michael 17 McNichol, Marg. 78 Meisener, Sylvaneous F. 79 Moffet, Joseph 62 Moore, Marthy J. 62 Moran, Daniel 14 Moran, Jerry 55 Munson, Ann E. 68 Murphy, Catherine 80 Murphy, Eliza 30 Murphy, John 39 Murphy, Mary 50 Musselman, Henry 71 Myres, Margt. 17 Nolan, John 13 Noonan, Cath. 25 O' Brien, Annie 4 O'Brian, Annie 67 O'Brian, Annie 72 O'Brian, Bridget 72 O'Brian, Mary 46 O'Brien, James 59 O'Brien, Lizzie 39 O'Donald, James 11 O'Donnald, Patrick 65 O'Neil, Charles 9 O'Neil, James 73 Oaks, Andrew 46 Osier, Jane 70 Parker, Charles 7 Pierce, Edward J. 32 Polock, John 62 Priggs, Margt. 82 Provost, Charles 4 Quigley, Michael 20 Quinbin, Bridget 33 Quinlin, Mary 51 Quinn, Mary 47 Ray, Volney 53 Riley, James 8 Robinson, M.C., (male) 44 Rogers, Charles 66 Ross, Katie 1 Russell, John 66 Ryce, Thomas 67 Sacket, Nancy 80 Scully, Mary 44 Shanley, Mary 25 Shaver, John 35 Sheffer, Samuel 50 Shelly, James 83 Sherlock, Frances 27 Shey, Patrick 12 Simpson, Henry 23 Slattery, Thomas 38 Smith, Eliza 64 Smith, Henry 80 Smith, John 28 Smith, Maggie 27 Smith, Sally A. 77 Smith, Thomas 61 Smith, William 22 Snyder, George 77 Spoten, Bridget (or Strong) 75 Steward, Julia 42 Stokes, John 52 Sulivan, Dennis 10 Swartz, Charles 49 Sypherfelt, Peter 8 Taylor, George 56 Taylor, Lizzie 55 TellDeanvil (?), Vincent 18 Tierney, Cath 39 Tobin, Richard 19 Toohey, Anne 16 Van Alstyne, Allen 81 Van Benthuysen, Lucinda 56 Van Benthuysen, Thomas 51 Van Nalds, Sally Ann 61 Wall, Patrick 40 Wall, Patrick 82 Walsh, Edward 37 Walsh, John 52 Welch, Ann 74 Welch, Dennis 76 Whalon, Margt. 59 White, Fisher A. 53 Wilkinson, Margt. (alias Mary Coleman) 51
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