Local Genealogical Gems : Website of Troy Irish Genealogy Society

This week's installment of local genealogy gems is the website of the Troy Irish Genealogy Society or TIGS. Do not let the name of this genealogy society fool you. It is not strictly about and or for Irish genealogy. The society has numerous transcribed records that are online assessable for free. Please check its website.

My three favorite record collections that are online on the TIGS website are:

• Transcriptions of marriages, deaths, and miscellaneous info from the West Troy Advocate newspaper. An old Watervliet newspaper. The New York State Library also has these records in book form.
• Index to Marriage Records, Rensselaer County, NY Records run from 1908 to 1935 and have over 60,000 names.
• Lost for many many years were the burial records of St. John's Cemetery in Albany on Delaware Avenue where the Spectrum movie theater is today. A few years ago the burial book was recovered and scanned. TIGS was able to transcribe the scanned images. Over 20,000 burial probably occurred in St. John's Cemetery. The book of interments runs from 1841 through 1887. But further burials occurred after 1887.

Please join TIGS to help support their projects. All transcription work is done by volunteers. Dues are only $10 per year. Check their website for further membership information.

BTW TIGS has upcoming record collections to be added at a later date.