Florida 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 Florida 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.
Federal Censuses
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State Censuses
| Year | Type of Census | Links |
|---|---|---|
| 1885 | State, household members | FamilySearch — index and images Ancestry ($) — index and images |
| 1935 | State, household members | FamilySearch — index and images Ancestry ($) — index and images Findmypast ($) — index and images |
| 1945 | State, household members | FamilySearch — index and images Findmypast ($) — index and images |
For more information on census records, see Florida 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 Florida statewide beginning in 1897, 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
- 1880-1935: Florida Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only
Marriages
- 1802-1998: US Marriages – Florida at Findmypast - index & images ($)
- 1822-1850: Florida Compiled Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1822-1875, 1927-2001: Florida Marriage Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1823-1982: Florida County Marriages Records at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1830-1957: Florida County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1830-1993: Florida Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1837-1974: Florida Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
- 1905-1915: Selected Florida County Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1970-1999: Florida Marriages at MyHeritage - index only ($)
Deaths
- 1877-1939: Florida Deaths at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1877-1998: Florida Death Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($)
- 1900-1921: Florida Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only
- 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- US Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; index only
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Florida, see How to Find Florida Birth Records, How to Find Florida Marriage Records, and How to Find Florida 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 1897. 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
- Florida Obituaries
- United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection
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
- 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
- Florida Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- Florida Cemetery Records at Interment
- Florida Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online Florida Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- RecordAGrave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- Florida Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see Florida Obituaries and Florida 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.
- Florida, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Florida, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Florida 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 Florida 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.