CHARLOTTE COUNTY, NY HISTORY AND LOOKUP (EXTINCT COUNTY, 1772-1784)

County History Books

*None Listed

Charlotte County, New York: A Genealogical Overview

As a vast, frontier county of colonial New York, Charlotte County’s brief existence coincided with one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. Encompassing the strategic corridor between the Hudson River and Lake Champlain, its territory was a focal point of land disputes, political rebellion, and major military campaigns during the American Revolution. For genealogists, Charlotte County is a critical, though transitional, jurisdiction. Its records are the earliest county-level documents for a large swath of northeastern New York and the state of Vermont, but they are not found under their original name. Understanding its creation from Albany County and its politically motivated renaming is the key to accessing its records.

I. County Formation and Evolution

The history of Charlotte County is one of division, conflict, and ultimately, renaming. All genealogical research for this entity must be pursued under its successor’s name.

  • 1772: County Formed: Charlotte County was created on March 24, 1772, by the colonial government of New York.
  • Parent County: It was formed from the northern portion of the massive Albany County. All research for families and land titles prior to 1772 must be conducted in the records of Albany County.
  • Dissolution and Renaming: Following the victory in the American Revolution, the name honoring the British Queen Charlotte was politically untenable. On April 2, 1784, the New York Legislature officially renamed Charlotte County to Washington County in honor of General George Washington. All surviving records from the Charlotte County period (1772-1784) became the foundational records of Washington County.
  • Subsequent Formations: The original territory of Charlotte/Washington County was later partitioned to form all or part of several other counties, including Clinton County (1788) and Warren County (1813). Additionally, its eastern territory, which had been contested for years as the “New Hampshire Grants,” officially became the state of Vermont in 1791.
  • Name Origin: The county was originally named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of Great Britain.
  • County Seat History: The location of the county seat was a point of contention. While Fort Edward was an early designated site, the influence of wealthy Loyalist Philip Skene often made his settlement of Skenesborough (present-day Whitehall) the de facto center of county business until the outbreak of the Revolution. After 1784, the seat of the renamed Washington County moved several times before settling on its modern arrangement.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: The region was the traditional hunting and transit territory of the Mahican and the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, particularly the Mohawk nation. It was a vital native corridor for trade and war.
  • Colonial Settlement: European settlement was sparse and largely military-focused until after the French and Indian War (1754-1763). The British built major fortifications like Fort Edward and Fort Anne. After the war, the area was opened to settlement through large land patents, attracting pioneers from New England and other parts of New York. The early economy was based on lumber, the production of potash, and subsistence farming.
  • Key Historical Events:
    • New Hampshire Grants Dispute: Throughout its existence, Charlotte County’s authority in its eastern portion was violently contested by Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, who held land titles from New Hampshire and rejected New York’s jurisdiction. This conflict was a precursor to the formation of Vermont.
    • The American Revolution: Charlotte County was a primary theater of war. It was the main invasion route for British General John Burgoyne’s army in 1777. The region witnessed the fall of Fort Ticonderoga, the flight of American forces from Skenesborough, and numerous skirmishes leading up to the pivotal Battles of Saratoga, which took place just south of the county line. The local population was deeply divided, and the area was ravaged by the conflict.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

This section provides practical information for locating ancestral records, which will not be filed under the name “Charlotte County.”

  • County Courthouse (Successor Repository): No records are filed under the “Charlotte County” name. All surviving civil records from the 1772-1784 period are held by its direct successor. Researchers must consult the Washington County Clerk’s Office at the Washington County Municipal Center, 383 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY 12828. Early court records, deeds, and mortgages are part of the Washington County collection.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth, Marriage, and Death Records: There was no state-mandated vital records registration during this era. Statewide registration began in 1880. For the colonial and revolutionary periods, vital information must be sought in other sources like church records (especially Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, and Anglican), family Bibles, private papers, and cemetery transcriptions.
  • Essential Records and Archives:
    • New York State Archives: Located in Albany, this is arguably the most important repository for this period. It holds the original colonial land patents, Revolutionary War muster rolls and pension files, colonial legislative papers, and other high-level documents pertaining to the county’s creation and wartime history.
    • Washington County Archives: Co-located at the Municipal Center in Fort Edward, this office holds the earliest county-level records, including Court of Common Pleas minutes and deed books that began during the Charlotte County period.
    • The Washington County Historian: An essential resource for guidance, historical context, and information on specific local records.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions (in 1772):
    • Albany County, NY (south)
    • Tryon County, NY (west)
    • Province of Quebec (north)
    • A disputed border with the New Hampshire Grants (modern Vermont) to the east.

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