GSRC: Signatures

Signatures of Deceased Residents of Rockland County

Compiled by Brian Belanger
Last updated September 2023

Like photos, signatures seem to give us a better feel for who our ancestors were. A signature may offer clues as to a person’s educational background or possibly to a past relative’s personality. Was that ancestor a fastidious individual who took the time to cross every “t” and dot every “i”? An autograph is a piece of a forbearer’s life that comes with a history. Under what circumstances did this ancestor sign his or her name? Who was present and what was felt as the pen moved across the paper? In many cases, this is the only opportunity for us to have something a particular ancestor actually produced. So that the many genealogy enthusiasts whose roots are planted firmly in Rockland County may have a central resource to obtain ancestral signatures, this collection has been compiled from a wide variety of sources. In an effort to protect the privacy of the living, signatures have only been included for individuals who have passed away. Although the collection is horribly incomplete, it does include a cross-section of both prominent and ordinary folks who have lived in Rockland County during the past three hundred years.

So that new findings can be added periodically, the signatures are not in alphabetical order. To locate a desired autograph, find a name in the index document:

RocklandSigs-index.pdf

and then go to the appropriate page in the signature collection document:

RocklandSigs-data.pdf

Because this collection is a work in progress, anyone who has signatures from Rockland County, and who would care to donate them to Brian's collection, may contact him at RocklandNewsletter@gmail.com.

Return to the Genealogical Society of Rockland County home pagse.