Genealogy in Westchester County, NY (Albany, Schenectady: real estate, buying, living in)

[fmbrown]

Had relatives that lived in District 1, Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, NY according to the 1880 census. Where would I go to do some research and/or to find out where District 1 is located now? I also want to find out which cemetery they are buried in. I would appreciate any help as we will be there in early May.

[Cwood2008]

Isn't their address listed on the census? And, you may be able to guess their cemetery based on their religion. You would then have to contact the cemetery and they can search their records, but make sure you have full names and date of death/burial.

Here's a link that may help:

NYGenWeb: MOUNT PLEASANT, NY Genealogical Resources

[Dockside]

If you are a library patron in Westchester County you have access to Ancestry Plus in the PROQUEST Database. The database in unavailable from home, you must be in the library to use it, but it is an excellent resource anyone living in Westchester County.

Books, Genealogy, and Magazines | Westchester Library System (http://westchesterlibraries.org/node/200 - broken link)

[Cwood2008]

Didn't think of this yesterday, but better yet with regard to the cemetery, did you get a copy of their death certificates? It usually lists the cemetery there.

[nancycurran]

Originally Posted by fmbrown

Had relatives that lived in District 1, Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, NY according to the 1880 census. Where would I go to do some research and/or to find out where District 1 is located now? I also want to find out which cemetery they are buried in. I would appreciate any help as we will be there in early May.

Vital records, that is records of births, marriages and deaths, began in NYS about 1881. Westchester County records would be included in the Department of Health vital records indexes in Albany and several other places.

In NYS vital records are held in the Dept of Health records. They are created in the municipality in which the event occurred, which means village or city rather than county level.

Quickest service from the state DOH takes two weeks, using a dropbox in the NYS Archives reading room in Albany, so you might want someone local to do that part right away. Otherwise, you'll count on the Mount Pleasant city clerk to give you a photocopy of the original record.

When you get to Westchester County, you may want to go to Surrogate's Court for wills and the County Clerk's office for other records, such as those created when buying and selling real estate.

Nancy Johnsen Curran
in Schenectady