Benin, Civil Registration of Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes death records from Benin, 1891-2014. The original records are located in the National Archives of Benin in Porto-Novo. Records from six of the twelve departments are represented in this collection.

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The collection may also contain some marriage records.

Reading These Records
These records are in French; see the section For Help Reading these Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Death records may contain the following information:
 * Province and district
 * The signer
 * Name
 * Gender
 * Date and place of birth
 * Name of mother and father
 * Spouse’s name
 * Profession
 * Home
 * Name and address of the declarant
 * Date and place of death
 * Date of declaration

Sample Images
Click on images for a larger view.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person you are looking for
 * Approximate date of death

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Department
 * 2) Select Commune
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

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.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in French. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * French Genealogical Word List
 * Reading French Handwritten Records
 * French Handwriting
 * French Letter Writing Guide

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

 * Use birth information and names of parents, if identified, that would help you find birth records.
 * Use spouse's name, if identified, to find a marriage record.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have died in the same area.
 * Use the death or burial date to find other records that may provide more information on your ancestor. These include obituaries, grave markers, sexton’s records, or religious death records.
 * Pay attention to any notes about your ancestor such as occupation or marriage status. This information can be used to locate other records.

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

 * Prior to 1999 Benin was divided into six departments. In 1999, those departments were split into twelve. If a death or burial record cannot be found for your ancestor in the locality where it is believed they died, try searching the records of nearby localities.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Look for probate records for the region and time period in which your ancestor supposedly died. These records may give clues about when he or she passed away.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. There also may be variations in the spelling of names. Try variations while browsing through images.

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:

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