Utah, Davis County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1869 to 1946.

Record Description
The collection contains images of these types of records from the county courthouse in Farmington:
 * Births (1898-1905)
 * Deaths (1898-1953, dates vary by registration district)
 * Marriages (1887-1907)
 * Land records (1869-1946)
 * Land record indexes (various years)
 * Naturalization and citizenship papers (1932-1938)
 * Cemetery records (Lakewood Cemetery, no dates)
 * Wills (1877-1968)
 * Mining claims (1871-1918)

Many of the record types have indexes which are included in this collection. Most of the indexes and records are handwritten.

Record Content
The details in each record may vary depending upon the record type, but generally contains the following information:
 * Names of interested parties
 * Event or recording date
 * Event place
 * Names of witnesses

Depending on the record, it may also contain
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Names of family members and their relationships
 * Names of heirs
 * Name of the executor, administrator, or guardian

How to Use the Record
Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

When searching the index it is helpful to know the following:
 * The place where the event occurred.
 * The approximate date the event occurred.
 * The name of the individual or individuals such as the names of the bride and groom, the guarantor, or the deceased.

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:
 * Use probate records to identify heirs and relatives.
 * You may be able to use the probate record to learn about adoptions or guardianship of any minor children and dependents.
 * Use the information in the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records since the probates exist for an earlier time period.
 * You may be able to use the probate record to learn about land transactions.
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate census, church, and land records.
 * Use the occupations listed to find employment records or other types of records such as military records.
 * Use the parent’s birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of the officiator at the event may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * Use a marriage number to identify previous marriages.
 * 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 as the bride or groom, 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 who may have been born, married, or died 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.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Keep in mind:
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:
 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary

Record History
County officials began keeping records from the time the county was formed or shortly thereafter.

Why this Record Was Created
Each type of record within the county was created for a different purpose, but most were created to keep track of the vital events happening in the lives of the citizens and to safeguard their legal interests as well as those of their heirs.

Record Reliability
The records are generally reliable, but may not contain complete information.

Related Websites
[Davis County, Utah Free Public Records Directory]

Related Wiki Articles
Davis County, Utah

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

 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

Sources of Information for This Collection
Utah. Davis County Records, 1869-1920. Davis County Clerk’s Office. Farmington, Utah.