Death Records in Family Tree Research

Death Records in Family Tree Research

The key to most genealogists’ success is the location of marriage, birth, and death records. They are sources that are created on the local or town level, but can give you an abundance of information as well as confirmation. For the most part, you probably know that such records are found through the county. However, many death records and the like in New England are found through the town clerks. You should be able to find death records dating back through the middle of the 1600’s.

In fact, that information is important on another level as well. Before probate districts were put in place in parts of New England, the town clerk kept other records as well. Often the town clerks at these times were responsible for the recording of wills, land records, and deeds. All of these can be very important records when it comes to the search for genealogical records, and so it is important that you keep that in mind as you work on it.

If you are into genealogy, you should know that death records are some of the most important in your being able to fill in gaps that you may have in the family tree you are researching. For instance, if you have a relative for whom you do not know very much to continue back, their death record can be a huge help. A proper death certificate will likely have the date and place of birth on it as well as the names of both parents of the decedent. In that way, death records are a fantastic source and can thus at times be the holy grail of a given genealogical search.

Here is one tip to keep in mind when looking for those death certificates and or records. Around the start of the twentieth century, most of the states began to require that copies of all marriage, birth, and death records be filed with the state office of vital statistics. So, if you are looking for a record after that time, you actually can check for this information at the state level. That can make things much easier for you if you are having trouble pinning down a town or local area to check. However, if at any point the state’s vital records were destroyed by fire or some other act of nature; you can look back at the local level. On a similar note, if the county courthouse of a locality was destroyed after the turn of the twentieth century then check the state records.

What if you are having trouble finding the death date for a particular relative from your tree? First, try determining whether or not the local county clerk’s office kept records of probate or land during the time period the person in question died. You may, like many people, be under the impression that probate records are made only if a person leaves a will. Even if your relative did not, like many in the past, leave a will, the judge of the local city or county was required to identify heirs and creditors which leave a probate record. The probate packages usually include not only a list of property and debts, but also a date of death. If you can find a property record, look for when the property was transferred to an heir to get a death date. So as you can see, though death records can be incredibly vital to genealogists, there are ways to get information even in the absence of one. Get creative and be thorough and you will be able to find more information than you might initially think you can.

To find the actually addresses of town and county clerks offices, your best resources are online. There are also a number of genealogy how-to books that will help you with finding the records and clerks offices of many cities and counties throughout the country. Getting in contact with these offices is the first step in filling in those gaps in you family tree.

Genealogy is a great hobby and to be successful at it there are certain resources you need to enjoy access to. Death records are one example of these resources. By finding death records or knowing who to contact about death, birth, and marriage information can be a great asset in filling in those annoying gaps in your family tree.

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