The Greene County Surrogate's Court

All of the historic records of the Greene County Surrogate's Court from 1800 to 1920 currently reside on the shelves of the Vedder Research Library. We are proud to continue offering access to these historic records at no charge to the public, and we encourage the use of these records as an unparalleled genealogical tool.

what is the surrogate's court?

The Surrogate's Court is a state-wide system broken down by County that is responsible for handling wills and estates. The Greene County Surrogate's Court has been in existence since the formation of Greene County from portions of Ulster and Albany Counties in 1800, and therefore has kept record of the estates and wills of the deceased since that time. 

The surrogate's court handles the estates of the deceased whether or not they possessed a will. In cases where a will existed, the Court first confirms its authenticity and then designates someone to act upon it. In cases where no will existed, the Court is able to step in and manage the estate of the deceased under the authority of a judge. What this all means is that our older Surrogate's Court records can vary widely in their scope and content - sometimes containing little more than a Letter of Administration, and sometimes containing a vast array of material including inventories, correspondence, and legal documents from disputes about the estate. The Vedder Research Library will provide photocopies of these documents at the current rate offered by Greene County.

Contact The Surrogate's Court

If you found this page by accident, or need to find out where to find more recent Surrogate's Court records, please click the button below to navigate to the contact page for the Greene County Surrogate's Court offered by the New York State Unified Court System.