Maine, Knox County Cemetery Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1800 to 2007.

Record Description
The collection consists of images of records from several cemeteries in Knox County, Maine. The collection currently includes cemeteries from the follwing:


 * Town of Thomaston

Record Content
The records may contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Name of cemetery
 * Location of grave
 * Birth and death dates (usually year only)
 * Names of close family members such as spouse, parents, or children
 * Undertaker or mortuary

How to Use the Record
When you have located your ancestor’s burial record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Burial records are often brief so it can be easy confuse individuals. Compare what is information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the burial record for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the birth date or year to search for birth records.
 * Use the birth date along with your relative’s names to find the family in census records.
 * Use the locality and relative's name to locate church and land records.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person with the same surname. This is especially helpful for rural areas or unusual surnames.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.

Record History
Cemeteries begin keeping records as soon as they are opened. The purchase of a burial plot is a land transaction and is recorded with a deed.

Why this Record Was Created
Cemetery records are kept as a permanent record of who was buried and usually who purchased the burial plot.

Record Reliability
The information in these records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of information for This Collection
"Maine, Knox County Cemetery Records." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). Town of Thomaston Town Clerk, Thomaston, Maine. FHL digital images, 4 digital folders. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections