New York County Archives — New York Genealogy

Knapp Family Bible

The Knapp Family Bible was given by J. H. Knapp to his grandson, John Henry Knapp of New York. The author of the writing within it is not clear, but it likely is Mehitable (Heatty) Covell Ackerman Knapp, John’s second wife. It takes a little to unscramble this family, but both William Ackerman and John Knapp married Mehitable (Heatty) Covel. William first in 1784. After his death in 1798, Heatty married as her 2nd husband, John Knapp. While the Bible was handed down to John, the inclusion of William Ackerman and her children would presume that she was the writer.

New York City Reformed Dutch Marriage Records, 1639-95

The old Sugar House & Middle Dutch Church, Liberty St NY in 1830 by George Hayward in 1858

Settled by the Dutch in the seventeenth century, New Amsterdam became New York and a part of the British Empire in 1667. Many of these early Dutch settlers were members of the Reformed Dutch Church located in the city. Taken from existing church records, these manuscript are a collection of marriage records and includes information regarding over 2600 men and women. Researchers will find the date of marriage and the names of both bride and groom for persons married in the city between 1639 and 1695. Although these records appear in the original Dutch, this database can be valuable to researchers of ancestors from the New York City area.

Index to New York City Marriage Applications, Affidavits, and Licenses, 1908-1929

NYC Marriage Index - Microfilm Roll 23 - Brooklyn - 1908 0159

One of the most exciting research items to become “available” to the general public on the Internet this year are the indices to New York City Marriage Applications, Affidavits, and Licenses for the years 1908-1929. Not just because they’re finally online in digital format for free, but because it’s the culmination of a years long battle taken on by Reclaim The Records.