North Carolina 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 North Carolina online records.
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Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
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 North Carolina Census and United States Census.
Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in North Carolina statewide beginning in 1913, 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
- 1800-2000: North Carolina Birth Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1866-1964: North Carolina Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only
- 1913-1922: North Carolina Center for Health Statistics, Vital Records Unit, County Birth Records at FamilySearch; index & images
Marriages
- 17thc-20thc: US Marriages at Findmypast - index only ($)
- 1741-1868: North Carolina Marriage Bonds at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1741-2004: North Carolina Marriage Index at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1741-2011: North Carolina Marriage Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1759-1979: North Carolina Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
- 1762-1979: North Carolina County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1763-1868: North Carolina Civil Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images
Deaths
- 1898-1994: North Carolina Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only
- 1906-1930: North Carolina Deaths at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at Findmypast ($); Also at MyHeritage ($); Also at American Ancestors ($)
- 1908-2004: North Carolina Death Indexes at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1909-1976: North Carolina Death Certificates at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1931-1994: North Carolina Deaths at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Findmypast ($); Also at MyHeritage ($)
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in North Carolina, see How to Find North Carolina Birth Records, How to Find North Carolina Marriage Records, and How to Find North Carolina Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1913. 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 North Carolina Death Records & Indexes by county
- ObitsArchive
- Obituary Links
- North Carolina Obituaries
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave.com
- 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 ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch How to Use This Collection
- North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index at FamilySearch How to Use This Record; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- North Carolina, Cemetery Survey Records aka the WPA Survey Records at North Carolina Digital Collections
- Cemeteries of North Carolina at Cemetery Census
- North Carolina Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- North Carolina Cemetery Records at Interment
- North Carolina Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online North Carolina Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- Sandhills Jewish Congregation Memorial Garden in North Carolina at Find-A-Grave
- Hebrew Cemeteries in North Carolina at Find-A-Grave
- North Carolina Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see North Carolina Obituaries and North Carolina Cemeteries.
Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- North Carolina, United States Historical Images, New Version
- North Carolina, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in North Carolina Online Genealogy Records.
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 North Carolina 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.