Alabama Descendancy Research
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As families believe they have researched their pedigrees back in time as far as possible, they sometimes choose to gather information on all the descendants of a particular ancestor or even all of their ancestors. This article explains possible steps to take on such a project in Alabama online records.
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Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.[edit | edit source]
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked.
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For more information on census records, see Alabama Census and United States Census.
Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.[edit | edit source]
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in Alabama beginning in 1908. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however.
Births
- 1881-1930: Alabama Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only
- 1881-1930: Alabama, County Birth Registers at FamilySearch; index only
Marriages
- 1784-1920: Alabama Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Court, and Other Records at Ancestry; index and Images ($)
- 1800-1969: Alabama Marriage Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1802-1825: Alabama Compiled Marriages at Ancestry ($)
- 1805-1967: Alabama County Marriage Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1809-1950: Alabama County Marriages at FamilySearch; index and images
- 1809-1920: Alabama Compiled Marriages from Selected Counties at Ancestry ($)
- 1814-1935: Alabama Marriage Indexes at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1816-1957: Alabama Marriages at FamilySearch; index only; Also at: American Ancestors ($)
- 1816-1942: Alabama Select Marriage Indexes at Ancestry ($)
- 1818-1936: Alabama County Marriages at FamilySearch; index and images
Deaths
- 1784-1920: Alabama Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Court, and Other Records at Ancestry - index and Images ($)
- 1843-1951: Alabama Death Record of State Convicts at Ancestry ($)
- 1881-1952: Alabama Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only
- 1881-1974: Alabama Deaths and Burials Index at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1908-1974: Alabama Deaths at FamilySearch; index only; Also at American Ancestors ($)
- 1908-1959: Alabama Death Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- US Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; index
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Alabama, see How to Find Alabama Birth Records, How to Find Alabama Marriage Records, and How to Find Alabama Death Records.
Step 3:Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.[edit | edit source]
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1908. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
- Online Alabama Death Records, Indexes, Obituaries
- Currentobituary.com index, 2001-2014 at FamilySearch; Index/images — How to Use this Collection
- ObitsArchive.com - Alabama ($)
- ObituariesHelp.org - Alabama Newspaper Obituaries Listings
- The Obituary Link Page - Alabama Obituary Links
- Alabama Obituaries
- United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection
- Billion Graves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- Find-A-grave
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- United States Deaths & Burials 1833-1970 in Alabama at Findmypast ($)
- Alabama Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- Alabama cemetery records at Ancestry ($)
- Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry ($)
- Alabama Cemetery Records at Interment
- Alabama Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb
- Online Alabama Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at Online Death Indexes
- Alabama Gravestones
- Jewish Cemeteries in Alabama at Find-A-Grave
- Alabama Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see Alabama Obituaries and Alabama Cemeteries.
Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..[edit | edit source]
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- Alabama, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Alabama, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Alabama Online Genealogy Records.[edit | edit source]
The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Alabama Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.