Philadelphia County History and Information

One of the three original counties created by William Penn in November 1682, and its name to him signified “brotherly love,” although the original Philadelphia in Asia Minor was actually “the city of Philadelphus.” Philadelphia was laid out in 1682 as the county seat and the capital of the Province; it was chartered as a city on October 25, 1701, and rechartered on March 11, 1789. On February 2, 1854, all municipalities within the county were consolidated with the city. The county offices were merged with the city government in 1952.

Swedes and Finns first settled within the county in 1638. Dutch seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674. Penn’s charter for Pennsylvania was received from the English king in 1681, and was followed by Penn’s November 1682 division of Pennsylvania into three counties. The City of Philadelphia merged (and became synonymous) with Philadelphia County in 1854. Thomas Holme made the physical plan for the City, and the Northern Liberties were designated to give urban lots to all who purchased 5,000 rural acres in Pennsylvania. The City had eighty families in 1683, 4,500 inhabitants in 1699, 10,000 in 1720, 23,700 in 1774. Philadelphia was economically the strongest city in America until surpassed by New York City in population in 1820 and in commerce by about 1830, although Philadelphia was strongest in manufacturing until the early twentieth century. It led the nation in textiles, shoes, shipbuilding, locomotives, and machinery. Leadership in transportation, both as a depot and a center for capital funding, was another Philadelphia attribute. This was readily apparent as the Pennsylvania Railroad grew to be a nationwide system. Quaker leadership, which had shaped the pre-Revolutionary culture, gradually gave way. Both the numbers and the wealth of the Society of Friends shrank. Before the Civil War, race riots and nativists’ anti-Catholicism erupted. A strong African American community existed by the early nineteenth century, but abolitionists met stiff popular resistance. After the Civil War, the central business district of today emerged. Large retail sales stores arose in center city, and suburbs grew, delineated by race, income, and ethnicity. Three decades of urban renewal occurred after World War II. Reform mayors Joseph Clark and Richardson Dilworth allied themselves with the urban renewal cause. The Federal Housing Act of 1954 used Philadelphia’s system as a model for low-income housing. In 1953 the Broad Street Railroad Station and the elevated “Chinese Wall” were torn down to be replaced by John F. Kennedy Boulevard and the Penn Center.

The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation was initiated in 1958. Much restoration of the oldest areas, especially east of City Hall, was accomplished. Philadelphia once had a reputation as the “private city,” in the sense that activities of the family and in the home had a social priority. There is a noticeably strong African American culture. The city has a large medical complex that rivals Boston and New York. It also has an old professional baseball tradition. The venerable University of Pennsylvania’s folk “gladly learn and gladly teach,” and art, music, and museums flourish.

The City and County of Philadelphia were combined in 1854 and the city and county offices merged in 1952. The Orphans court is in Rm 415 of City Hall and the City Archives is located at 401 North Broad Str. Philadelphia 19108

Counties that are adjacent to Philadelphia County are Montgomery County (north), Bucks County (northeast), Burlington County, New Jersey (east), Camden County, New Jersey (southeast), Gloucester County, New Jersey (south), Delaware County (west)

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. See the County Maps & Atlases section below for Map of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs, Townships, and Census-designated places.

Districts, Townships and Boroughs of the County of Philadelphia Before 1854, Aramingo Borough, Belmont District, Blockley, Bridesburg Borough, Bristol, Byberry, Delaware, Frankford Borough, Germantown Borough, Germantown, Kensington District, Kingsessing, Lower Dublin, Manayunk Borough, Moreland, Moyamensing District, Northern Liberties District, Northern Liberties, Oxford, Passyunk, Penn District, Penn, Philadelphia City, Roxborough, Richmond District, Southwark District, Spring Garden District, West Philadelphia Borough, Whitehall Borough

The Official County website is http://www.phila.gov/

• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania History Books at Amazon.com
• Pennsylvania Archives (Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents from The Pennsylvania State Archives which published 10 series of historical records in 135 volumes, covering the initial colonial settlement through the Civil War. More than 100,000 pages from 1664–1880. If you're interested in Pennsylvania history and want information relating to historical events, facts about ancestors, or original documents to support a research paper, the Pennsylvania Archives is an important publication to explore. THIS IS A FREE DATABASE
• Philadelphia County Municipalities Incorporation Dates
• Search Historical Newspapers from Pennsylvania (1719 - 1997) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.

County Court Records

See Also Pennsylvania Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Philadelphia County Register of Wills/ Orphan's Court Clerk has Marriage Records from 1682 and Probate Records from 1682 and is located at Register of Wills, Room 180 City Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Register of Wills: (215) 686-6250, Marriage Records: (215) 686-2234 (Copies). Philadelphia County Marriage Records, Marriage Bureau City Hall, Room 415 Philadelphia, PA 19107 ; (215) 686-2234.
The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphan's Court is an elected official who serves as a dual officeholder and whose primary function is to determine whether the document offered for probate should be received as the last will of the decedent. When disputes arise at the time of probate, the Register, as a quasi-judicial officer, is empowered to hold hearings, take testimony, review evidence and render decisions on how the administration of the estate shall proceed.

Philadelphia County Recorder of Deeds has Land Records from 1682 and is located at ? .

The Recorder of Deeds is responsible for recording documents related to property. Documents recorded in the office consist of, but are not limited to, deeds, mortgages, releases, easements (rights-of-way), subdivisions, restrictions, notaries, public and elected county officers. Other documents, such as Military Service Discharges, foreign birth certificates, as well as obscure documents like cattle brands, arealso recorded here. All document, except Military Service Discharges, are public record and are readily available.

Philadelphia County Prothonotary / Clerk of Courts has Court Records from 1682 and is located at 336 City Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19107; 215 686-2547 .

The prothonotary has been the clerk of court of common pleas since 1707. Court records here include divorces, naturalizations, peddlers' licenses, registration of attorneys, oaths of county officers, equity, sheriff's sales, juror lists, some tax records, and some civil court records. Other court records are with the clerk of courts.

Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Naturalization Petitions for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1795-1930(The National Archives): These are Naturalization Records of the US Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. They include petitions for naturalization, 1795-1930; and declarations of intent, 1793-1818, and 1825-1836. There are some years missing from this publication within those time periods.
• Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1906-1930 (The National Archives): These petitions are arranged by court then by year. Within each year, they are listed by the date of the record and then by petitioner's name. Typing a name in the search box directly below this title may bring the best results. Additional years prior to 1906 are also included in these naturalization records for Pennsylvania's middle district.
• Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): These files contain declarations of intent and petitions for naturalization for the Western District of Pennsylvania, arranged by date, October 1820 through September 26, 1906. They also include records of the US Circuit Court, July 1910-1911, listed by petition number, from 1 to 1,616; and records of the US District Court, October 1, 1906 through January 27, 1931, listed by petition number, from 1 to 91,300.
• Pennsylvania Marriages to 1790
• Pennsylvania Marriages to 1810
• Pennsylvania Naturalizations, 1740-73
• Philadelphia, 1789-1880 Naturalization Records
• Early Pennsylvania Land Records
• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Court Books at Amazon.com
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
• The Philadelphia City Archives, 3101 Market Street 1st. Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (215) 686-1581 prior to 1915, (215) 560-3054 after 1915; Email: archives@phila.gov

County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Pennsylvania

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Birth & Death Certificates before 1906: Pennsylvania birth & death records prior to 1906 can be accessed through the Philadelphia County courthouse. The Division of Vital Records does not keep this information. Please write or call to The Philadelphia City Archives, 3101 Market Street 1st. Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (215) 686-1581 prior to 1915, (215) 560-3054 after 1915; Email: archives@phila.gov. Courthouse has Birth records from July 1860 to June 1915, Death Records from July 1860 to June 1915

Vital Records, State Dept of Health, P.O. Box 1528, 101 South Mercer Street, New Castle, PA 16101; (724) 656-3100, Fax: (724) 652-8951, Please allow up to approximately 4-6 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:

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• Birth & Death Certificates: Birth records maintained by Pennsylvania Vital Records since Jan 1906 through the present.
• Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage & Divorce records are not available from the Division of Vital Records. They are usually obtained from the Philadelphia County Courthouse (If they were issued there).
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

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Cost: Include $10.00 fee per copy, $17.00 (by fax) for Birth records and Include $9.00 fee per copy, $16.00 (by fax) for Death Records. Please do not send cash. Make check or money order payable to “Vital Records." Please do not send cash in the mail.

Order In Person:You may apply in person at one of our six public offices in Erie, Harrisburg, New Castle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Scranton

Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address:Vital Records, State Dept of Health, P.O. Box 1528, 101 South Mercer Street, New Castle, PA 16101. Birth Certificate by Mail Order Form , Death Certificate by Mail Order Form. Allow 4-6 weeks when ordering by mail.

Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Pennsylvania newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Pennsylvania

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania are 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. There are three indexes for the 1800 census and two for 1810. The 1850 census also has two indexes, one arranged by county. For the 1910 Miracode, Philadelphia County is indexed apart from the rest of the commonwealth. After it was filmed by the National Archives, the 1880 census was sent to the University of Pittsburgh. The state copies of the 1840–70 censuses are no longer extant, but a few county copies are known to exist. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania areIndustry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890.

There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

State Schedules: Pennsylvania took no state censuses, but an enumeration of taxpayers compiled every seven years from 1779 through 1863 is commonly called the Septennial Census. These records have only survived in small numbers and are available at the state archives.

Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Census Books at Amazon.com
• Pennsylvania Census, 1772-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1772 Tax List (Northampton County); 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1842 Chester County Census Index; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1857 Chester County Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Naval Veterans Schedule; Early Census Records.
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Pennsylvania Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Pennsylvania and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Pennsylvania showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Pennsylvania showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Maps. Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Map of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).
• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Pennsylvania

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.

Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War from the State of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 from the State of Pennsylvania.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• List of Pennsylvania Units in the Revolutionary War
• List of Pennsylvania Units in the Civil War
• Pennsylvania Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• Pennsylvania Pensioners, 1835: This database identifies thousands of Pennsylvania soldiers who were covered under various pension acts in the early 1800s.
• Pennsylvania Volunteers in the War of 1812: Compiled from the Pennsylvania Archives collection, this database is a listing of soldiers who volunteered to fight the British during the War of 1812.
• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Late eighteenth-century tax records for various counties, 1765–1791, were published in Pennsylvania Archives, 3d series, vols. 11–32.

Among the few surviving 1798 U.S. Direct Tax lists are those for Pennsylvania. They were microfilmed by the National Archives and are available at the Mid-Atlantic Region in Philadelphia and at the Pennsylvania State Archives. Indexes have been published for Washington and Lancaster counties.

Tax records are typically found in the county tax assessment offices but may also be in the county commissioners' office or with the prothonotary. The state archives has microfilms for some of these records (1715–1930s). Some assessment records have found their way into manuscript collections of county historical societies and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania as well as at the Philadelphia City Archives.

Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Tax Books at Amazon.com

County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Pennsylvania Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• The Philadelphia City Archives, 3101 Market Street 1st. Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (215) 686-1581 prior to 1915, (215) 560-3054 after 1915; Email: archives@phila.gov
• The Pennsylvania Archives Online
  As one of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania played an important part in our nation's early history. Many significant records were created and kept by Pennsylvania, as Philadelphia was both the site of the Continental Congress and the largest port of the time. Many of those early documents, and others through the 1800s, were transcribed into the published Pennsylvania Archives. These volumes should not be confused with the repository in Harrisburg where official colonial and state records are kept. The images here are pages from the 138-volume, 10-series set of the well-known collection of early government records transcribed and printed by the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Archives has been relied upon by scholars, genealogists, and historians for valuable historical information for over a century. The only online availability of virtually all of the Pennsylvania Archives is here, with free access, on Footnote.com.
• Bureau of Archives and History, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
  William Penn Memorial Museum and Archives Building
  3rd Avenue and Forster Street, P.O. Box 1026, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1026
  Referred to as the Pennsylvania State Archives
• State Library of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Avenue and Walnut Street, P.O. Box 1601, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1601
• Historical Society Of Pennsylvania. 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Phone: 215-732-6200, Fax: 215-732-2680
• Genealogical Society Of Pennsylvania
  215 S. Broad St., 7th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5325; Phone: (215) 545-0391, Fax: (215) 545-0936; EMAIL
• Directory of Pennsylvania Genealogical, Historical and Preservation Societies
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Pennsylvania

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Philadelphia County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Philadelphia County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Historical Records Survey produced an inventory of the church archives in Pennsylvania, but it was never published. Arranged by county, the inventory is located in the state archives. A good number of church records have been published individually and in periodicals such as The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Many copies exist in manuscript at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Library (DAR collection), and in other libraries. A good portion of the published material concerns German churches and Quaker meetings.

Large collections of cemetery records are located at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, and at many local libraries and historical societies. The Pennsylvania State Library maintains the state's DAR cemetery collection. Several funeral director records for Philadelphia are in the Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania State Department of Military Affairs has records of veterans' graves and burials. The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania is currently in the process of microfilming cemetery records throughout the commonwealth.

Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Pennsylvania obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Pennsylvania newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Pennsylvania.
• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Philadelphia County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Philadelphia County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Pennsylvania Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Pennsylvania Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data : For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Philadelphia County ] [ Pennsylvania ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The Pennsylvania Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

 

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