District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia statewide beginning in 1874, although counties may have kept earlier records. 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
- 1830-1955: District of Columbia Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1874-1897: District of Columbia Birth Returns at FamilySearch; index & images
Marriages
- 17th-20thc: US Marriages – District of Columbia at Findmypast - index only ($)
- 1801-1825: Washington, D.C. Compiled Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1810-1953: Washington, D.C. Marriage Records at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1811-1950: District of Columbia Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images, incomplete
- 1826-1850: Washington, D.C. Compiled Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1830-1921: District of Columbia, Marriages at FamilySearch; index only; Also at MyHeritage and Ancestry ($)
- 1850-1900: US Hochheimer Marriage Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- Historical court records of Washington, District of Columbia) at Ancestry - index only ($)
Deaths
- 1769-1960: Washington, D.C. Select Deaths and Burials Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1840-1964: District of Columbia Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only; Also at MyHeritage ($)
- 1874-1961: District of Columbia Deaths at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1962-2014: US Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; index only ($)
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in District of Columbia, see How to Find District of Columbia Birth Records, How to Find District of Columbia Marriage Records, and How to Find District of Columbia 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 1874. 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
- 1930-current: US Obituary Collection at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1980-2014: US GenealogyBank Obituaries at FamilySearch; index & images
- Obituaries at Archives.com
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- BillionGraves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch How to Use This Record
- District of Columbia, Select Deaths and Burials Index, 1769-1960 at Ancestry ($)
- Washington, District of Columbia, Battleground National Cemetery, 1864-1936 at Ancestry ($)
- District of Columbia, U.S., Glenwood Cemetery Records, 1854-2013 at Ancestry ($)
- District of Columbia Cemetery Records at Interment
- District of Columbia Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online District of Columbia Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
For more information, see District of Columbia Newspapers and Obituaries and District of Columbia 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.
- District of Columbia, United States Historical Images, New Version
- District of Columbia, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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.