Northampton County Lehigh Valley Death Records
Northampton County obituary and death records are held by the Register of Wills in Easton and through the Pennsylvania Department of Health for deaths after 1906. The county is one of the oldest in Pennsylvania, founded in 1752, and its records reflect centuries of life in the Lehigh Valley. Whether you need a recent death certificate from Bethlehem or an ancestor's burial record from the 1800s, this guide covers the offices, fees, and steps for finding Northampton County death records.
Northampton County Quick Facts
Northampton County Register of Wills
The Northampton County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court is located at the Northampton County Courthouse on Washington Street in Easton. The office handles probate, estate administration, and historical vital records. Staff maintain marriage license records from 1885 to the present and historical birth and death records from 1893 through 1906. Easton is one of the three cities where the Declaration of Independence was first read aloud in public, giving the county a deep historical significance.
Northampton County was formed from Bucks County in 1752 and is named after Northamptonshire, England. It sits in the Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. Bethlehem, the county's largest city, grew as a center of steel production and continues to be a major population hub. The Register of Wills office holds Northampton County estate records and historical death filings going back to the 1700s, making this one of the richest local archives in the state.
The Northampton County government website provides access to all county offices, including the Register of Wills in Easton.
The Register of Wills at the Northampton County Courthouse in Easton holds historical death records, wills, and estate files dating back to the 1700s.
| Office |
Northampton County Register of Wills Northampton County Courthouse 669 Washington Street Easton, PA 18042 Phone: (610) 829-6603 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Website | northamptoncounty.org |
Northampton County Death Certificate Orders
The Pennsylvania Department of Health manages death certificates for deaths in Northampton County occurring after 1906. Certified copies cost $20 each. Standard processing takes about three weeks. Order online at the PA vital records page or through VitalChek for quicker service.
Mail requests go to Division of Vital Records, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Include the deceased's full name, the date and county of death, and your relationship to them. Make your check payable to Vital Records. Certified copies with a raised seal are limited to immediate family and legal representatives. Those who do not qualify receive an informational copy. See the PA processing times page for current turnaround estimates before you apply.
Historical Northampton County Obituary Records
Northampton County's history stretches back to colonial Pennsylvania. Easton was founded in 1752 and sits where the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers meet. Bethlehem, founded by Moravian settlers in 1741, became one of the most important industrial cities in American history. Both cities and the surrounding Lehigh Valley communities have produced detailed death records, burial registers, and obituaries spanning nearly three centuries.
The Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society in Easton holds one of the strongest regional genealogy collections in eastern Pennsylvania. Their library includes newspaper obituary archives, cemetery records, church registers, and local history documents tied to Northampton County from the earliest settlement periods. Moravian church records from Bethlehem are especially valuable for deaths in the 1700s and early 1800s.
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds Northampton County death records from 1893 to 1905. You can search part of this collection online at the PHMC research portal. The slate belt communities in the southern part of the county and the steel towns of the Lehigh Valley each have their own layers of death documentation going back generations.
Note: Lehigh County was formed from Northampton County in 1812, so some early records tied to what is now Lehigh County territory may be found in the Northampton County archive.
Northampton County Genealogy and Death Research
Estate records at the Northampton County Register of Wills go back to the 1700s. Wills and inventories from colonial and early American families in Easton and Bethlehem are among the oldest local death-related documents in the state. These records name heirs, list assets, and often provide family details that are not found in a death certificate. All of them are part of the public record and accessible at the Easton courthouse.
The PA State Archives vital statistics collection covers Northampton County deaths from 1893 to 1905. Combined with the local historical society's holdings, these sources give genealogy researchers a strong set of tools for tracing Northampton County family lines going back multiple centuries. Lafayette College in Easton also maintains library resources useful for local history research.
For genealogy-specific death record access, the PA genealogy vital records program explains how to request older records for family history. The PA Courts Orphans' Court directory provides contact details for accessing probate case files at the Northampton County courthouse.
Related Northampton County Death Record Offices
The Northampton County Coroner investigates deaths under unusual or unattended circumstances throughout the county. Coroner case records are separate from the state death certificate and may include investigation findings, autopsy reports, and cause-of-death details not available elsewhere. The Clerk of Courts at the Northampton County Courthouse manages Orphans' Court files tied to estate proceedings after deaths in the county.
Property records at the Northampton County Recorder of Deeds show property transfers that often follow an estate settlement. These deeds can confirm the disposition of assets after a death in Northampton County. The county government portal at northamptoncounty.org lists all offices and contact details for Northampton County government services.
Cities in Northampton County
Northampton County includes several major communities in the Lehigh Valley. Death records for all municipalities are part of the county record system based in Easton.
Nearby Counties
Northampton County borders several counties in eastern Pennsylvania. Deaths near county lines may be documented in an adjoining county depending on residence at the time of death.