District of Columbia Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection covers the years 1874 to 1959.

Record Description
The records were recorded by hand on pre-printed forms.

Registration of vital statistics began in 1874 for the District of Columbia and was generally complied with by 1880 for deaths. Some earlier records of deaths exist from 1855-1860, and 1865-1949. They can be obtained from the following address:

Department of Health Department of Human Services Vital Records Division 800 9th Street S.W. Washington, DC 20024 Telephone: 202-645-5962

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in most death records are:


 * Name
 * Sex
 * Age
 * Estimated birth year
 * Names of parents
 * Name of Spouse
 * Death date
 * Death place

How to Use the Record
Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes to deaths 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 death occurred
 * The name of the person at the time of death
 * The approximate death date

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestor in the death records. Some on-line indexes, such as indexes to FamilySearch Historical Records, will take you directly to an image. Compare the information in the death record to what you already know about your ancestor 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 death 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 the birth year or age along with the place of birth to find or verify their birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth year or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the place and names of the parents (if the deceased is a child) to locate church and land records.
 * 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.
 * When looking for a person who had 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.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Keep in mind:


 * The information in these 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 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Why the Record Was Created
Birth and deaths were recorded to better serve public health needs. Death records were used in connection with the probate of wills and the administration of estates.

Record Reliability
Deaths were recorded to better serve public health needs. Death certificates were also used in connection with the probate of wills and the administration of estates.

Related Websites

 * District of Columbia Databases listed on Rootsweb.org _Free
 * USGenweb.orgsite for Washington D.C. or District of Columbia - Free
 * Progenealogists Links for the United States. Press Ctrl + F on the keyboard to search for District of Columbia or DC - Free/ ($)
 * Vitalcheck.com ($) Express ordering of vital record certificates

Related Wiki Articles

 * District of Columbia
 * District of Columbia Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should 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 Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1959." database and digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 20 May 2011). Anna Christina Jensen, 12 Apr 1931; citing Death Records, FHL microfilm 2,116,832; Washington, District of Columbia, Office of Public Records.