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Florida Research Outline |
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Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Maps
Military Records
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Periodicals
Probate Records
Taxation
Vital Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions
PROBATE RECORDS Florida probate records The Family History Library has copies of some probate records for Florida, such as the 75 microfilms from Hillsborough County that include:
Tax lists can be an important supplement to early census and land records. The Family History Library has 66 microfilms of tax rolls for 43 counties from as early as 1839 and as late as 1891 for some counties (FHL films 06888-953). Copies of these microfilms can also be borrowed from the Florida State Archives.
The offices of some county and city health departments have records from 1890 to 1916. The records of Jacksonville, Key West, Ocala, Orlando, Pensacola, St. Augustine, and Tampa have been collected by the state. These are on film and open to the public at the Florida State Archives. Individual counties have records of delayed birth registrations The Family History Library has copies of original birth and death records for some counties as well as an extensive collection of delayed birth records dating to the 1960s. For example, there are 22 microfilms of delayed birth records for Leon County, 1874 to 1948, and 2 films of Pensacola birth and death records, 1891 to 1910.
Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899 and was generally complied with by 1920. Some earlier city and county records have been deposited with the state office. They include incomplete records of births from 1865 to 1917 and incomplete records of deaths from 1877 to 1917. The Family History Library has 143 microfiche of the Florida Combined Death Index, 1877-1969 (FHL fiche 6081769-817). You can obtain copies of the state's records by writing to:
You can also write to the Office of Vital Statistics for current information. State your relationship to the individual about whom you want information and the reason you want the information.
State records are closed to the general public. Birth records are restricted to the individual or his parent or legal guardian. Death information is available to anyone (except for the cause of death, which is given only to immediate family members).
Marriage records have been kept by each county, usually from the date the county was created. The Family History Library has a large collection of county marriage records. For example, the marriage licenses of the county judge for Hillsborough County are on 93 microfilms for the years 1849 to 1951, 1853 to 1927, and 1940 to 1956, with an index for 1846 to 1980.
Statewide registration of marriages began in June 1927. The Family History Library has 471 microfiche of the Florida Combined Marriage Index, 1927-1969 (FHL fiche 6081726-68). These records are in the Office of Vital Statistics.
Records of divorce proceedings are kept by the clerk of the circuit court in each county. You can write to the clerk for records up to June 1927. For records since then, write to the Office of Vital Statistics. The Family History Library has 305 microfiche of the Florida Combined Divorce and Annulment Index, 1927-1969 (FHL fiche 6081683-725).
An explanation of the history and availability of vital records is in Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.: Florida Historical Records Survey, 1941; FHL book 975.9 A5h; film 1036590 item 3; fiche 6019962).
These handbooks will give you more detailed information about research and records of Florida.
Florida State Archives. Public Records Unit. Microfilmed Records of Florida Counties. Tallahassee, Fla.: Florida State Archives, 1975-1977. (FHL book 975.9 A3f.) This includes the microfilm numbers and descriptions of records at the Family History Library.
Robie, Diane C. Searching in Florida: A Reference Guide to Public and Private Records. Costa Mesa, Calif.: Independent Search Consultants, Inc., 1982. (FHL book 975.9 D24r; FHL film 1698289 item 5.)
Bodziony, Gill T. Genealogy and Local History: A Bibliography. Revised. Tallahassee, Fla.: State Library of Florida, 1978. (FHL book 975.9 D23b 1978.) Also use the fifth cumulative supplement by Beverly P. Byrd, issued in 1983. (FHL book 975.9 D23b 1983.)
Eichholz, Alice, ed. Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992. (FHL book 973 D27rb 1992; computer number 594021.) Contains bibliographies and background information on history and ethnic groups. Also contains maps and tables showing when each county was created.
The Family History Library welcomes additions and corrections that will improve future editions of this outline. Please send your suggestions to:
Paper publication: Second edition July 1997. English approval: 7/97.
©1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
have been kept by county judges and county clerks in each courthouse. Since 1968 they have been under the jurisdiction of the clerk of the circuit court in each county. The files may include wills, bonds, letters, petitions, order books, inventories, and settlements. You may obtain copies of the records from the clerk of the circuit court.
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TAXATION
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VITAL RECORDS
City and County Records of Births and Deaths
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State Records of Births and Deaths
Office of Vital Statistics
The current fees for obtaining copies of the state's records are listed in Where to Write for Vital Records: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces (Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, March 1993). Copies of this booklet are at the Family History Library and the Family History Centers (FHL book 973 V24wv).
P.O. Box 210
Jacksonville, FL 32206
Telephone: 904-359-6911 or 6912
Marriage and Divorce Records
Guide to Vital Records
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FOR FURTHER READING
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COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Publications Coordination
We appreciate the archivists, librarians, and others who have reviewed this outline and shared helpful information.
Family History Library
35 N. West Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400
USA
[FamilySearchTM: Research Guidance
Version of Data: 6/8/2001]