| Introduction to Genealogy | |
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Death records are primary source records because they are completed at, or close to, the time of the death by someone who was present at the death. Death records are especially helpful, because they are the most recent record available about an ancestor and may often exist for persons who have no birth or marriage records. The validity of information on death certificates can be a little tricky, however, because information on the deceased individual (other than the time, date and place of death) is provided by someone who knew the deceased (an informant). Therefore, a death certificate is considered a secondary source for information such as the birth place, birth date and parents' names of the deceased.
What information will a death certificate provide? This will vary widely by location and time period. In general, vital records forms usually allow space for the following information but are not consistently filled in by the users.
Death records usually contain:
name
date of death
place of death
and may contain:
age at death
cause of death
exact time of death
date and place of birth (if known)
current residence
occupation
parents' names and birth places (rarely, but sometimes)
spouse's name, including maiden name for wife (if applicable)
whether single, widowed or divorced
place of burial
name of funeral home
name of physician or medical examiner
name of informant & their relationship to the deceased
officials or witnesses present at death
The most important thing to remember when
researching in death records is that birth and other such information in a death
record may not be accurate because the informant may not have had complete
information.
Next page > Divorce Records
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- Alberta Vital Records - Births, Deaths & Marriages in Alberta Canada
- 5 Things You Can Learn From Death Records - Besides the Place and Date of D...
- About Genealogy - How Do I Find a Death Date or Location
