Pennsylvania Databases - Chosse a link below to learn more about the stated records. These pages describes the type of records that can be found in
Pennsylvania research. Or you can go to a county page to learn about more localized records
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.
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.
Early Pennsylvania Land Records: The contents of this database, comes from the minutes of the Board of Property, for the then Province of Pennsylvania.
Berks County, Pennsylvania Estate Records, 1752-1914: The nearly 37,000 estate files indexed in this database contain original papers including wills, inventories, accounts, guardianship appointments, orphans' court real estate sales, etc.
Pennsylvania Marriages to 1790: This database contains the names of over 31,000 individuals for whom marriage licenses were issued in the Province of Pennsylvania, previous to 1790.
Pennsylvania Marriages to 1810: Originally published in volume VIII of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives, this wonderful collection contains almost 35,000 marriage records
Immigrants in Pennsylvania, 1727-76: This database contains some 30,000 names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French, and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from the years 1727 to 1776.
Pennsylvania Foreign Oaths of Allegiance: This database lists the names of immigrants who took the oath of allegiance to the province and state of Pennsylvania from 1727-1775.
Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1945: This database is an index to the passenger lists of ships arriving from foreign ports at the port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1800-1945.
Philadelphia, 1789-1880 Naturalization Records: It includes information on more than 113,000 immigrants from nearly 100 countries who applied for citizenship through the Philadelphia courts system from 1789 to 1880.
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.
Pennsylvania Maps (See Also Map Information for other States) - County road maps are available in most if not all courthouses. Older maps are published in county histories, county atlases, and in manuscript collections such as at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the state library, and the state archives. Useful city maps can sometimes be found in city directories. An interesting map showing the development of the commonwealth's counties is available for a nominal fee from the land records office (see Land Records). See also Henry F. Walling and O. W. Gray, 1872 Historical Topographical Atlas of the State of Pennsylvania (1872; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977), which has business directories and a place-name index.
Available at the state archives (with copies at the state library and the respective county recorder of deeds) are warrantee maps for twenty-four counties. Those for Fayette, Greene, and Washington were also published and indexed in volume 3 of The Horn Papers by W. F. Horn (New York, N.Y.: Hagstrom Co., 1945), but the preceding two volumes of text are mostly fiction (see William & Mary Quarterly, series three, 4 [1947]: 409–451).
Pennsylvania Census Maps 1790 - 1930 - Links to rotating animated maps showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.
Pennsylvania Formation Maps 1673-Present Day - Links to rotating animated maps showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries
Census Maps for all States - Links to rotating animated maps showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries
County Maps for all States - Links to rotating animated maps showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries and State Department of Transportation Maps
Genealogy Atlas - Have images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897
