California 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 California 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 California 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 California beginning in 1905. 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. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.
Births
- 1800-1994: California County Birth and Death Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1812-1988: California Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($), American Ancestors ($)
- 1849-1980: California County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1849-1994: California County Birth and Death Records at Ancestry; images only ($)
- 1872-1987: California Birth Records from Select Counties at Ancestry; images only ($)
- 1905-1995: California Birth Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($), American Ancestors ($)
Marriages
- 1852-2007: US Marriages – California at Findmypast - index & images ($)
- 1809-2011: Western States Marriage Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1850-1877: California Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1850-1941: California Marriage Records from Select Counties at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1850-1945: California Marriages at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1850-1952: California County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at MyHeritage ($)
- 1949-1959: California Marriage Index at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1960-1985: California Marriage Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at MyHeritage ($)
- Western States Marriages at BYU Idaho; index only
Deaths
- 1776-2000: California Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only
- 1800-1994: California County Birth and Death Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1873-1987: California Death and Burial Records from Select Counties at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1905-1939: California Death Index at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1935-2014: United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1940-1997: California Death Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($)
- 1991-2022 California, Los Angeles County Coroner Reports at MyHeritage - index ($)
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in California, see How to Find California Birth Records, How to Find California Marriage Records, and How to Find California Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.[edit | edit source]
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1905. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
Records] by county.
- Web: California, Berkeley Public Library Obituary Index, 1894-1979 ($)
- United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection
- San Diego Union-Tribune (California) Obituaries, 1993-1994 ($)
- California Obituaries
Cemeteries
- Findagrave.com
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- Billion Graves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch How to Use this Collection
- 1850 - 1960 - California Cemetery Transcriptions, 1850-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
- California Cemetery Inscription Sources at Ancestry ($)
- California, Mortuary and Cemetery Records, 1801-1932 at Ancestry
- California Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- California Cemetery Records at Interment
- California Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- California, Mortuary and Cemetery Records, 1801-1932 at Ancestry
- Online California Death Records & Indexes
- Jewish Cemeteries in California at Find-A-Grave
- Hebrew Cemeteries in California at Find-A-Grave
- California Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see California Obituaries and California 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.
- California, United States Historical Images, New Version
- California, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in California 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 California 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.