Wayne County, New York Genealogy
Wayne County, New York family history and genealogy research page. Uncover links to record collections, history, and genealogy information to help you you track your own Wayne Co., ancestors. Begin by building a Free Family Tree.
Wayne County was created on February 16, 1791 from Ontario County and Seneca County. This particular county was named in honor of General Anthony Wayne (1745–1796), the American Revolutionary War general .
The Wayne County Seat can be found in Lyons and in addition the county government website is co.wayne.ny.us
Regions neighboring Wayne County include Lake Ontario and Canada (north), Cayuga County (east), Seneca County (southeast), Ontario County (southwest), Monroe County (west).
Cities and Towns to be found in Wayne County consists of Arcadia, Butler, Galen, Huron, Lyons, Macedon, Marion, Ontario, Palmyra, Rose, Savannah, Sodus, Walworth, Williamson, Wolcott. Villages include Clyde, Lyons, Macedon, Newark, Palmyra, Red Creek, Sodus, Sodus Point, Wolcott. Hamlets include Alloway, Alton, Angells Corners, Bear Creek, Bonni Castle, Butler Center, Desbrough Park, East Bay Park, East Palmyra, East Williamson, Evans Corner, Fairville, Fairville Station, Fort Hill, Furnace Village, Furnaceville, Gananda, Glenmark, Huddle, Huron, Hydesville, Lake Bluff, Lakeside, Lincoln, Lock Berlin, Lummisville, Macedon Center, Marbletown, Marengo, Marion, Mud Mills, Noble Corner, North Huron, North Macedon, North Rose, North Wolcott, Ontario, Ontario Center, Ontario-on-the-Lake, Owls Nest, Pilgrimport, Pultneyville, Resort, Rice Mill, Rose, Savannah, Shephards Corner, Sodus Center, South Butler, South Sodus, Sunset View, Thorntons Corner, Union Hill, Wallington, Walworth, Wayne Center, Wayneport, West Butler, West Walworth, Westbury, Williamson, Yellow Mills, York, Zurich.
Wayne County does have Federal Census Schedules to help in looking into your family tree. United states federal Population Schedules are present for 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940. Wayne Co. Mortality Schedules can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Wayne Co. Industry and Agriculture is available for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Wayne Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be obtained for 1890. You can get free downloadable and also printable census forms that can help with your research.
Wayne County Societies and Family History Resources
A list of Wayne County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives. See Also New York Archives, Genealogical and Historical Societies for statewide Addresses and links.
- New York State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- West Wayne Genealogical Society, 411 Canal Drive East, Macedon 14502-9113
- Wayne County Historical Society, 21 Butternut Street, Lyons, New York 14489, Phone: 315-946-4943
- Lyons Heritage Society, P.O. Box 150, Lyons, New York 14489, Phone: 315-946-6316 or 946-4596
- Central New York Genealogical Society, Box 104, Calvin Station , Syracuse, New York 13205
- Lyons Public Library, 122 Broad Street, Lyons, New York 14489, Phone: 315-946-9262
- The Palmyra Kings Daughters Free Library, 127 Cuyler Street, Palmyra, New York 14522, Phone: 315-597-5276; The Palmyra library had local histories, old newspaper listings on marriages, cemetery listings, old maps, deaths, poorhouse records and more.
- Clyde Savannah Public Library, 204 Glasgow Street, Clyde, New York 14433, Phone: 315-923-7767
- Museum of Wayne County History, 21 Butternut Street, Lyons, New York 14489, Phone: 315-946-4943
- Heritage Square Museum, 7147 Ontario Center Road, Ontario, New York 14519
- The Museums of Historic Palmyra, 132 Market Street, Palmyra, New York 14522, Phone: 315-597-6981
- New York Genealogy Research Community (facebook.com)
- Wayne County, New York Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Wayne County
- Wayne County, New York Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com) read and post messages with other genealogy researchers for Wayne County
- USGenWeb Archives for Wayne County (usgwarchives.net)
Wayne County Courthouse and Government Records
Researchers frequently overlook the significance of Wayne County court, probate, and land documents as a resource of family history and genealogy details. Buried away in New York courthouses and archives just about everywhere could be the aspirations and worries of the many New York men and women.
The possibilities are excellent that your particular ancestors and forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of factors of their lives in the Wayne County court records. Even if your forebears is not discussed in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her appearing in court records.
Please make sure to contact the clerk's office to verify hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics prior to visiting or inquiring information because of occasionally changing contact details. The Department Offices DO NOT DO RESEARCH. The files are readily available to interested parties, barring confidential issues. A good number of staff will help people in locating the resources, however it is up to the person to carry out the research.
The following specifics denotes whatever birth, death, marriage, land, probate, and legal records will be in Wayne County. The years pointed out listed below tend to be the first known records in this county.
- Wayne County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 26 Church Street, Lyons, New York 14489-1145
- Also contact local Town Clerks. They are responsible for vast amounts of local information from deeds, property transfers, and genealogical materials. Research on place and road names, the history of property transfers and much more are available through your Town Clerk. They are a tremendous resources.
- Wayne County Clerk is the keeper of most civil and criminal trial court records for Supreme Court and County Court, naturalizations, marriages (1908–35), censuses (Some county clerks' offices hold duplicate copies of some of the State censuses taken periodically between 1825 and 1925 and copies of the federal census), as well as deeds and mortgages.
- Address: 9 Pearl St., P.O. Box 608, Lyons, NY 14489
- Phone: 315-946-7470
- Land Records: 1823 (Land conveyances, deeds and mortgages are recorded in the county clerks' offices or in the New York City Register's Office. Recording of deeds became mandatory statewide in 1840. Before that many deeds were not recorded)
- Court Records: 1823
- Naturalization Records: State court naturalization records remain in custody of the county clerks. Older court naturalization records have been transferred to the National Archives--Northeast Region.
- Wayne County Surrogate Court Clerk maintain records of wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, orders and decrees, and appointments of guardians; and filed papers, including original wills, petitions for probate (gives date of death and lists next of kin), performance bonds, property inventories (seldom found after ca. 1900), administrator's or executor's accountings, etc. Surrogate's Courts create comprehensive indexes to records and files.
- Address: 54 Broad Street, Lyons, NY 14489
- Phone: 315-946-5459
- Probate Records: 1823 (each county generally has records dating back to the establishment of the county or 1787, whichever was later. Record keeping was systematized by an 1830 statute)
- Wayne County Treasurer is responsible for the collection of taxes.
- Municipal Historians: Includes all Town and Village Historians
- Wayne County Historian maintains archival holdings for virtually every facet of the county’s history. In New York State, every municipality (town, city, village, county) must have an appointed historian. Most of the towns have their own historians as well and each can be contacted. The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.
- Address: 9 Pearl Street, Suite 3, Lyons, New York 14489
- Phone: 315-946-5470
- New York Department of Health has copies of birth records after 1881 and death records after 1880, copies of marriage since 1881 (A marriage license may also sometimes be found in the office of the town or city clerk who issued the license) and a Divorce records since 1847 (Is handled in the supreme court for the county in which the divorce was heard. Divorce files, however, are sealed for one hundred years). There is a fee for each copy requested. Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.
New York Historical Records - Databases include New York Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; New York Birth, Marriage & Death Records; New York Voter Lists & Census Records; New York Immigration & Emigration Records; New York Obituary Records; New York Military Records; New York Family Tree Records; New York Pictures; New York Stories, Memories & Histories; New York Directories & Member Lists and much more....
Wayne County Genealogy Links
The following are web links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relevant to Wayne County. Most of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some have to have a cost. This is simply a listing that has been compiled or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site over another. Feel free to suggest your own favorite Wayne County genealogy or family history related sites.
Wayne Co. NY Books, Newspapers & Publications
Wayne Co. NY Birth, Marriage & Death Records
Wayne Co. NY Court, Probate Land and Tax Records
Wayne Co. NY Census Records
Wayne Co. NY Cemeteries & Graveyards
Wayne Co. NY Church & Bible Records
Wayne Co. NY Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
Wayne Co. NY General and History Websites
- Wayne County, New York Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- Landmarks of Wayne County, New York (search.ancestry.com)
- Rose neighborhood sketches : Wayne County, New York, with glimpses of the adjacent towns: Butler, Wolcott, Huron, Sodus, Lyons, (search.ancestry.com)
- Palmyra and vicinity (search.ancestry.com)
- History of Macedon Academy, 1841-1891 (search.ancestry.com)
- Pioneers of Macedon (search.ancestry.com)
- Wayne County, New York Wiki (familysearch.org)
- Wayne Co. NY Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org)
- Wayne County, New York (linkpendium.com)
- Cyndi's List - United States - New York - Counties - Wayne (cyndislist.com)
- Wayne County New York (genealogytrails.com)
- Wayne Co. NYGenweb (nygenweb.net)
- Wayne County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- Wayne Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
Wayne Co. NY Immigration & Naturalization
Wayne Co. NY Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
Wayne Co. NY Military Records
Wayne Co. NY Schools & Directories