Northumberland County Death Records
Northumberland County is one of Pennsylvania's oldest counties, established in 1772 from portions of Bedford, Berks, Cumberland, and Lancaster Counties. Its county seat of Sunbury sits at the fork of the Susquehanna River, a location that made it an important crossroads in colonial and early American history. Death records at the county level date from 1893 through 1905, while will indexes maintained by the county go all the way back to 1772. That nearly 250-year span of probate records is one of the longest in Pennsylvania, giving genealogists an extraordinary resource for tracing death-related documents across many generations. Sunbury's courthouse is the starting point for Northumberland County death records research.
Northumberland County Quick Facts
Northumberland County Death Records at the Courthouse
The Northumberland County Courthouse in Sunbury holds the county-level death records and related historical documents. Death Records are held in two volumes covering 1893 through 1905, the period of county-level vital registration before the state took over in 1906. Birth records are also held in two volumes for the same period. These volumes contain the formal registrations made by local officials before Pennsylvania centralized its vital records system. Researchers looking for deaths in Northumberland County prior to 1906 should begin at the courthouse.
The Will Indexes at the courthouse go back to 1772, the year the county was formed. Maintaining an index to wills from 1772 onward is one of the most comprehensive probate record systems in Pennsylvania. These indexes allow researchers to quickly identify whether an individual left a will and what the will number or volume reference is, making it much easier to locate the actual document. Probate records that predate the will index by even a few years are available through the Pennsylvania State Archives and can help fill gaps in the very earliest records.
| Office | Northumberland County Register of Wills 201 Market Street, Sunbury, PA 17801 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Records | Death Records 2 volumes 1893–1905; Birth Records 1893–1905; Marriage Dockets from 1885; Will Indexes from 1772 |
Note: Will indexes dating back to 1772 are among the oldest maintained county indexes in Pennsylvania, making the Northumberland courthouse a key stop for any researcher tracing this region's early families.
PAGenWeb Resources for Northumberland County Death Research
The Northumberland County PAGenWeb page provides a detailed listing of records available at the courthouse and through other repositories. PAGenWeb is a volunteer genealogy project that documents what records exist for each Pennsylvania county, where they are held, and how to access them. The Northumberland County page is particularly detailed and gives researchers a solid understanding of what to expect before they make a trip to Sunbury or write to the county office.
The PAGenWeb listing for Northumberland County covers not just the vital records but also delayed birth certificates, marriage dockets, and the will indexes. It also notes which records have been microfilmed or digitized and where copies can be found outside the courthouse. Researchers planning to work on Northumberland County families should consult the PAGenWeb page early in the process.
The image below is from the Northumberland County courthouse records page on PAGenWeb, which provides a detailed guide to death records and other historical documents held in Sunbury.
Northumberland County PAGenWeb courthouse guide lists all available death record volumes, will indexes, and related collections.
The PAGenWeb page is a free resource and provides more detail about Northumberland County records than most official county websites.
State Death Certificates for Northumberland County
Deaths in Northumberland County from 1906 forward are documented in state death certificates held by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. Certified copies cost $20 and can be ordered by mail at P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103, by phone at (724) 656-3100, or online through the state's MyCertificates portal. The state also works with VitalChek for online and phone orders.
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds death certificates for the period 1906 through 1975. Northumberland County deaths from that era are included in the Archives' holdings. The online death indices allow researchers to search by name and confirm a record exists before ordering a certified copy from the Division of Vital Records.
Delayed Birth Certificates and Northumberland County Death Research
Northumberland County holds Delayed Birth Certificate Books covering births from approximately 1869 through 1906 that were registered late. These delayed registrations, typically filed between 1941 and 1968, were created when individuals needed proof of birth for legal purposes and no original birth record existed. They often contain information gathered from family members, church records, and other sources, making them useful not only for birth research but for confirming family relationships that are relevant to death and estate records.
Understanding the context of delayed birth registrations helps researchers make sense of gaps in the birth record system. Many Pennsylvania counties have similar delayed birth books, but Northumberland's coverage from 1869 gives it an earlier start than most. Researchers working on families born in Northumberland County in the late nineteenth century and finding no birth record should check the delayed birth books before assuming the original record was lost.
The Northumberland County government website provides current contact information for county offices including the Register of Wills. Hours and procedures can change over time, so checking the website before a visit or written inquiry is always recommended.
Using Death Records from Northumberland County in Genealogy
Northumberland County's location at the fork of the Susquehanna River made it a natural gathering point for settlers moving through central Pennsylvania. Families who arrived in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries often spread into neighboring counties over time, meaning a researcher may need to check death records in Snyder, Union, Columbia, Lycoming, and Montour counties as well. The PAGenWeb sites for all of these counties provide useful guides to their respective courthouse records.
Church records from the Sunbury area and surrounding communities are among the most important supplemental sources for pre-1893 deaths. Lutheran, German Reformed, and Methodist congregations in the region kept burial registers that document deaths long before formal county registration. The FamilySearch Pennsylvania Vital Records wiki provides links to church record collections that are freely available online.
Estate records from the Register of Wills serve a function similar to death certificates for many genealogical purposes. A will or administration file from the 1800s can confirm a date of death, name surviving family members, and describe the decedent's property in detail. With will indexes going back to 1772 at the Northumberland County courthouse, this resource is accessible for nearly the entire history of the county.
Nearby Counties
Northumberland County borders several other central Pennsylvania counties along the Susquehanna River. Families in this region often appear in records from more than one county depending on where they lived at different points in their lives.