Amherst Genealogy Lookup

Amherst genealogy records start at 1881 when New York State began requiring towns to register births, deaths, and marriages. The Amherst Town Clerk keeps these vital records on file at the Municipal Building in Williamsville. Erie County adds land deeds from 1821, naturalization papers, court files, and marriage records to the search. The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library holds state vital records indexes on microfiche, and the Amherst Museum preserves local history that can round out your family research. Between city, county, and library sources, most Amherst family lines can be traced back several generations.

Amherst Town Clerk Vital Records

The Amherst Town Clerk is the main source for vital records in the town. Birth records go from 1881 to the present. Death records cover the same span. Marriage records also start at 1881. The town may hold some records from the 1847 to 1849 period when New York briefly required school districts to collect vital statistics, though those early files are rare and incomplete.

The office is in the Amherst Municipal Building at 5583 Main Street, Williamsville, NY 14221. Call (716) 631-7021 for hours or to ask what is on file. You can visit in person to search the indexes and request copies. Mail requests are accepted too. Include the full name, the date or approximate date of the event, the type of record, and a statement that the request is for genealogy purposes.

Under Public Health Law Sections 4173 and 4174, birth certificates open for genealogy after 75 years if the person is known to be dead. Death certificates are available after 50 years. Marriage certificates require 50 years and proof that both spouses have died.

Erie County Records for Amherst Genealogy

The Erie County Clerk holds records that go beyond what the town clerk keeps. Land records run from 1821 to the present. Marriage records cover 1908 to 1935. Naturalization records span 1827 to 1929. The office also has Buffalo birth records from 1881 to 1913 and Buffalo death records for the same period, which predate the state Department of Health collection. These Buffalo records matter for Amherst researchers because many families moved between Amherst and the city.

The clerk's office is at 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY 14202. Phone is (716) 858-8868. Land records are indexed by grantor and grantee. Naturalization records are indexed by petitioner name. The Genealogy Room is open to the public during business hours, and some records are also available online.

The Erie County Surrogate's Court has probate records from 1821 to the present. Wills and estate files can show family connections that other records miss. The court is at 25 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202. Phone is (716) 845-7400.

For broader Amherst genealogy in Erie County, the county historian's office also maintains family files, cemetery records, and church records.

Amherst Genealogy at the Grosvenor Room

The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Grosvenor Room is one of the official repositories for the New York State Vital Records Index microfiche. You can search indexes to state births from 1881 onward, marriages from 1881, and deaths from 1880 here in Western New York. The library also keeps census records, city directories digitized from 1832 to 1913, newspapers on microfilm, and a broad collection of genealogy materials.

The Grosvenor Room is at 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203. Phone is (716) 858-8900. City directories are especially useful for placing ancestors at specific addresses and learning their occupations. Newspapers on microfilm can turn up obituaries, birth announcements, and marriage notices that never made it into official records.

Amherst Museum Local History

The Amherst Museum holds local history collections for the Town of Amherst and the surrounding area, including parts of the Town of Tonawanda. When official records run dry, the museum's archives can fill in details about daily life and community ties. Photographs, maps, personal papers, and local histories sit in the collection.

The museum is a good complement to the official records at the town clerk and the county clerk. Family papers and photographs can sometimes break through dead ends that vital records and land deeds leave behind.

State Resources for Amherst Genealogy

The New York State Archives in Albany holds vital records indexes that cover Amherst and all of Erie County. Birth indexes go through 1937. Death and marriage indexes open after 50 years. These are index entries with names, dates, and state file numbers. You use the file number to order a copy from the NYS Department of Health.

The Department of Health charges $22 for a three-year search, going up to $202 for 81 to 90 years. Processing takes eight months or longer. Sending your request to the Amherst Town Clerk is usually faster. The New York State Census was taken in 1825, 1835, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, and 1925. These state census records sometimes include details that the federal census skipped.

Reclaim The Records won a court case in 2025 that opened the full New York State Death Index from 1880 to 2017. You can download over 10 million death records for free, including Amherst deaths. The data has names, dates of death, ages, and file numbers.

Nearby Cities for Genealogy

Families in Western New York moved between towns and cities often. These nearby places may hold records for your Amherst ancestors.