Fulton County Death Records
Fulton County death records are available for three periods: 1852 to 1854, 1874 to 1881, and 1895 to 1905. Fulton County was created on April 19, 1850 from part of Bedford County and named for inventor Robert Fulton. The county seat is McConnellsburg. These records are among the most varied of any small Pennsylvania county in terms of time coverage. Marriage records from 1885 are maintained by the Clerk of Orphans Court. Records from 1906 forward are held by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records.
Fulton County Quick Facts
Fulton County Death Index Records
Fulton County offers an unusual range of early death records compared to most small Pennsylvania counties. Death records from 1852 to 1854 reflect the state's first attempt at mandatory vital registration. Fulton County was just two years old when this effort began, making these among the earliest records from the county. The 1874 to 1881 window covers another period of recording that preceded the more systematic 1890s registration. The 1895 to 1905 records represent the final county-level vital registration period before the state took over in 1906.
These records are available at FamilySearch Library on microfilm. Death records from 1852 to 1854, 1874 to 1881, and 1895 to 1905 are on film 324001. Birth records from 1894 to 1905 are on film 323999. The Fulton County Death Index covering 1874 to 1881 is also in the International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch, making it searchable online at no cost. These FamilySearch resources are accessible at any Family History Center or through the FamilySearch website for researchers who cannot visit the county courthouse in person.
Delayed birth records from 1941 to 1976 are also available for Fulton County. Marriage records from 1885 are maintained by the Clerk of Orphans Court at the McConnellsburg courthouse. These marriage records serve as a companion source to death records for genealogists tracing family relationships across generations in Fulton County.
Note: The 1874 to 1881 death records represent a local registration effort that was not part of a formal statewide mandate, making Fulton County somewhat unique in the breadth of its early death documentation.
Fulton County History and Genealogy Context
Fulton County was created from Bedford County on April 19, 1850. It was named for Robert Fulton, the inventor famous for developing commercially successful steamboats. The county sits in the south-central part of Pennsylvania near the Maryland border. Its small size and rural character mean that genealogy research here often depends heavily on local and informal records alongside the official county records.
The parent county, Bedford County, holds many of the older records for families that predated Fulton County's creation. Researchers tracing families in this area before 1850 should search Bedford County records first. When Fulton County was created, some estate and court records were split between the two counties. The Bedford County courthouse in Bedford, Pennsylvania holds the pre-1850 records for the area that became Fulton County.
Church records are especially important for Fulton County genealogy. The county has a strong history of small Protestant congregations that maintained their own registers. Brethren, Mennonite, and Presbyterian churches in the McConnellsburg area and surrounding townships kept baptism, marriage, and burial records that often predate any official county documentation. Cemetery surveys for Fulton County are also available through the Pennsylvania State Library and various genealogical societies.
State Death Certificates for Fulton County
Deaths from 1906 onward are recorded by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. The PA State Archives Death Indices cover 1906 to 1975 and are free to search online. The index provides name, county, year, and certificate number. Original certificates from 1906 to 1974 are at the State Archives. Digital copies for 1906 to 1972 are on Ancestry.com free for Pennsylvania residents.
Certified copies cost $20 each from the PA Division of Vital Records. Orders can be placed online through mycertificates.health.pa.gov using VitalChek, by mail to PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103, or by phone at 724-656-3100 or 844-228-3516. The Harrisburg walk-in office is the most accessible for Fulton County researchers and is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM. The PA Health genealogy page explains what records are available and how to request them. Death certificates are public 50 years after death, so records through 1975 are now publicly accessible.
Nearby Counties
Fulton County was formed from Bedford County and borders Franklin and Huntingdon counties. Checking these neighbors is useful when ancestors lived near county lines or moved across them.