I will be excited to check out records.
Now Online: New York Newspapers and New York Marriage License Records
We’re happy to announce we’ve just added New York Newspapers, 1806–2007, and the New York Marriage License Index, 1908–1929 to SuperSearch™.
The collections are valuable to everyone looking to discover new information about their ancestors, especially those with connections to New York State. Newspapers and marriage license records provide key insights into what our ancestors’ lives were like throughout history.
Here is why each collection is important to your research and what you can learn about your family through these records.
New York Newspapers, 1806–2007
This collection includes more than 1.9 million pages of 56 newspapers published in New York State’s various cities and towns, dating back to the early-1800s. Historical information is included on celebrities and important 19th-20th-century events.
You can find obituaries, birth, marriage and death announcements in newspapers, as well as important events and activities in the communities where your ancestors lived. Newspapers may also include previously unknown stories about both known living family members and ancestors.
Some publications included in this collection are The Rochester Evening Express, Schenectady Gazette, The Newburgh News, Hudson Valley News, and more. These publications are rich with genealogical information about New Yorkers, historical events, and US national news.
When you search this collection, all relevant local New York newspaper articles will appear in your search results and your keywords will be highlighted in each source. Every source will include the location of the publication, the date of the article, the language in which it was written, its periodicity, as well as the written text. You will then see the original newspaper article, which you can enlarge to full screen to read the print clearly.
–2007, MyHeritage SuperSearch" width="1894" height="870" />New York Newspapers, 1806–2007, MyHeritage SuperSearch
Before cities, counties or state governments recorded and tracked vital records, local newspapers published articles which detailed these important events. For example, newspaper obituaries contain significant biographical information about the deceased and their relatives.
Society pages in New York newspapers began as a way to attract readers with local gossip and news about elite and famous people, but they later evolved and began to cover the daily lives of average citizens. These sections include events, parties, job changes, hospital stays, and social visits by friends and family members.
Any information you find in a particular newspaper article may only be available in that article, and may not exist in any other record — that is what makes these records so special and valuable to genealogical research.
–2007, The Newburgh Daily News, Apr 20 1912, MyHeritage SuperSearch" width="769" height="443" />New York Newspapers, 1806–2007, The Newburgh Daily News, Apr 20 1912, MyHeritage SuperSearch
This New York newspaper article, published in The Newburgh Daily News, was printed only five days after the Titanic sunk in 1912. Survivors began telling their heart-wrenching stories to New York journalists just days after the catastrophe. In this article, we learn about Jack Phillips, the Titanic operator who sent this haunting message right before the ship sank: “Come as quickly as possible. She’s taking water and it’s up to the boilers.” We also learn about Frank K. Hayes and his daughter, Margaret Hays, who rescued two young boys from the Titanic and kept them safe in their home at 304 West 83rd Street, New York.
As you can see, newspaper articles contain incredible stories, addresses, names, dates, and other critical genealogical information that can reveal new things about your family and what they lived through. This is just one example of the many resources within the New York Newspapers, 1806 – 2007 collection that you can use to learn about historical events and the lives of your New York ancestors.
New York City Marriage License Index, 1908–1929
This collection is an index to marriage licenses filed at the New York City Clerk Offices from the five boroughs of New York from 1908–1929 and includes more than 1.5 million marriage license records.
Each index record contains the given names and surnames of both bride and groom, the date of the license application, and the license number. While the records include all New York marriage license records from 1908–1929, year ranges vary slightly for Queens and Staten Island. In Queens, the marriage license records cover 1908–1930, and the Staten Island records are from 1908–1938.
The images in this collection were obtained through the outstanding work and efforts of Reclaim the Records. Images are organized by borough, bride and groom, and then sorted alphabetically. We have linked the bride and groom together, when possible, using the license number.
Marriage records contain important genealogical information about the bride and the groom, including their residence when the marriage occurred, birth dates, birthplaces, occupations and whether they were single, widowed or divorced at the time of marriage. Marriage licenses often contain information about the parents of the bride and groom, such as their names and birthplaces.
Copies of the original marriage records in New York City are available for a fee from the Office of the City Clerk. All marriages that took place 50 or more years ago are classified as public documents and are available to all researchers. Any marriage that took place less than 50 years ago is restricted and only available under certain circumstances.
Often, brides and grooms were recorded on separate pages within the marriage index. In SuperSearch, each marriage license record will have a link to a separate page for the relevant bride or groom.
–1929, MyHeritage SuperSearch" width="1130" height="726" />New York City Marriage License Index, 1908–1929, MyHeritage SuperSearch
For example, in the image above, see the marriage record with information about the groom, Humphrey De F Bogart, but you must click on his bride, Helen Menkin, to view her information, recorded on a separate page within the New York City Marriage License Index.
Known as Humphrey Bogart, the groom was a famous Academy-Award winning actor who performed in Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and The Big Sleep. On the Groom’s page of the marriage index record for Humphrey De F Bogart and his wife Helen Menkin, view Bogart’s surname, given name, volume number, license number, and the marriage date.
–1929, MyHeritage SuperSearch" width="587" height="785" />New York City Marriage License Index 1908–1929, MyHeritage SuperSearch
Bride records contain the same information as groom records do in the New York City Marriage License Index, 1908–1929. Below, see Helen Menkin’s matching information including her surname, given name, volume number, license number, and marriage date.
–1929, MyHeritage SuperSearch" width="589" height="726" />New York City Marriage License Index 1908–1929, MyHeritage SuperSearch
As we see from these examples, these records are a treasure trove of information, not only for the genealogical content they offer for those with New York roots, but also for the meaningful historical content they contain.
This newly-digitized content is already available for searching in SuperSearch, our global search engine for historical records. In addition, our Record Matching technology will automatically bring you relevant historical records from the new collection that match individuals in your family tree. To access these collections, a MyHeritage subscription is required.
Explore the new collections here:
New York Newspapers, 1806–2007
New York City Marriage License Index, 1908–1929
You can also search our Collection Catalog to see other collections recently released or updated and browse more than 6,500 collections. We will update you as more newspaper and marriage records are released from around the world so you can continue to advance your genealogical research.
Do you have New York roots? Search the New York historical collections today and let us know what you discover!
Frederick Pillsbury
January 10, 2018
My mother’s family came from New York City. I’ve already found the marriage license for my grandparents in 1908. I expect to find more information in the immigration arrival records.