North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index - FamilySearch Historical Records
| Access the Records | |
| This article describes a collection of records scheduled to become available at FamilySearch.org. | |
| North Carolina, United States | |
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| Flag of North Carolina | |
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| Location of North Carolina | |
| Record Description | |
| Record Type | Cemeteries Headstone inscriptions |
| Collection years | 1800-1972 |
| FamilySearch Resources | |
| Related Websites | |
What is in This Collection?
Index and images of Surname index cards listing county, name of cemetery, town, person, date of birth, death date, age, spouse or parents, location of grave, military information.
=== To Browse This Collection === (Use if a “Browse Collection”, but not “Fakey Browse”) (DO NOT CHANGE THE CODE)
| You will be able to browse through images in this collection when it is published. |
What Can These Records Tell Me?
Collection Content
Sample Images
Oakdale Cemetery 1862
Burke County 1906
Davie County 1898
Craven County 1887
Coverage Table
Coverage Map
Digital Folder Number List
How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
- The name of person
- The approximate date of death
- The place where the death occurred
Search the Index
You will be able to search this collection when it is published.
=== View the Images === (Not for collections with a fakey browse/DFNL)
Add this template below after “Search the Index” or “View the Images” headers:
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More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at Cemetery records |
Longer coding is used when the link is to a catalog record that lists references to multiple catalog records:
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More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at 182254 Cemetery records of North Carolina. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images. |
How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.
What Do I Do Next?
This section can be made up of either sentences or bullet points.
I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
- Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church, land, and census records
- Use ages to determine approximate birth dates
- Use the date when a will was filed or probated as an approximate death date
- Search for records of people in the county who shared a surname. These may have been the couple’s parents, uncles, or other relatives. Your ancestor may have been an heir who sold inherited land that had belonged to parents or grandparents
- To find later generations, search the land records a few years before and after a person’s death. Your ancestor may have sold or given land to his or her heirs before death, or the heirs may have sold the land after the individual died. For daughters, the names of their husbands are often provided. For sons, the given names of their wives may be included. Heirs may have sold their interest in the land to another heir, although the record may not indicate this. Continue this process for identifying each succeeding generation
- When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
- Some counties were subdivided or the boundaries may have changed. Consider searching neighboring counties as well since that courthouse may have been more convenient for the person
- Witnesses and neighbors, even those with a different surname, may have been relatives, in-laws, or even a widowed mother who has remarried. You may want to check the records of these witnesses and neighbors, especially if they are frequently found in your ancestor’s land records
- The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant
- Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900
- There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record
I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
- Check for variant spellings of the surnames
- Check for indexes. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume
- Search the indexes for the “parent” county to find the original purchase of a parcel of land. You may also need to search a neighboring county since that courthouse may have been more convenient for the person to record the deed
- Make a list of all residences mentioned in the records within a year or two of when your ancestors came to the county — regardless of surname. Then search the records of places that seem likely or that occur frequently
- Create a database for other people with the same surname who lived in the county. Doing this may help you identify which individuals were related. If your ancestor’s records do not contain the information you need, a county database might give you a more complete picture
Record Finder
Consult the North Carolina Research Tips and Strategies and its Record Finder to search other records
Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.
- Collection Citation
- North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : publication date. Custodian.
| Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information. |
| Image Citation: When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen. |