Virginia Deaths and Burials - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection is an electronic index of deaths and burials for the years 1853 to 1912 taken from the following sources:


 * Indexed church records
 * Civil registrations
 * The Internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church

Church records and civil registration were official sources and are some of the most reliable sources of family history information.

This index is not complete for any particular place, region or time period. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The records in this collection usually contain the following information:
 * Name
 * Gender
 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Age
 * Date of birth
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

The records may also include the following information:
 * Marital status
 * Names of parents
 * Name of spouse
 * Race
 * Occupation
 * Burial date and place
 * Birthplace of parents

Coverage Table
A Coverage table for this collection is available is the wiki article Virginia Deaths and Burials, Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records)

How Do I Search This Collection?
To search the collection it is helpful to know the following:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of death
 * The residence of your ancestor

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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the death date or age along with the place of death to find or verify their birth records and parents' names
 * Use the death date or age along with the place of death to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents (if the deceased is a child) to locate church and land records
 * The name of the informant may be a relative. This can be helpful in identifying your ancestor
 * 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 who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have died or been buried in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Record Finder
Consult the Virginia Research Tips and Strategies and its Record Finder to search other records

Known Issues With This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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:

"Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City.

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