San Mateo County, California Genealogy

Guide to San Mateo County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

California Online Genealogy Records

County Courthouse
San Mateo County Courthouse 400 County Center Redwood City, CA 94603 Ph. 650.363.4712

County Clerk Recorder has birth, marriage and death record from 1866, divorce, court and land records from 1880 and probate from 1856

Parent County
18 February 1856: San Mateo County was created from San Francisco County, with additional territory added in 1868 from Santa Cruz County. County seat: Redwood City

Description
The county was named for Saint Louis of Toulouse. The county seat Redwood City and the county was created 1856. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
1868 - Land from Santa Cruz County

"Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Resources

 * San Mateo County Places SMCGS
 * San Mateo County - Wikipedia
 * San Mateo County Places sfgenealogy

History

 * Atherton town 1923
 * Belmont town 1926
 * Brisbane
 * Broadmoor unincorporated
 * Burlingame
 * Camp Fremont World War I Training Camp
 * Colma town 1924
 * Crystal Springs
 * Daly City
 * East Palo Alto City 1983/1987
 * El Granada Unincorporated
 * Fair Oaks (Menlo Park / Atherton)
 * Foster City City 1971
 * Hillsborough City 1910
 * Half Moon Bay City 1959
 * La Honda unincorporated
 * Menlo Park 1874-1876/ 1923
 * Millbrae City 1948
 * Miramar unincorporated
 * Montara unincorporated 1908
 * Moss Beach - unincorporated 1881
 * Pacifica City 1957
 * Pescadero Unincorporated
 * Portola Valley Town 1964
 * Princeton by the Sea
 * Purissima abandoned
 * Redwood City City 1868 - County seat
 * Ravenswood (East Palo Alto)
 * San Benito (Half Moon Bay / Spanishtown), 1841
 * San Bruno City 1914
 * San Carlos City 1926
 * San Gregorio
 * San Mateo 1894
 * Searsville Abandoned 1891 when Searsville Dam was built
 * South San Francisco 1908
 * Spanishtown (Half Moon Bay)
 * Westlake
 * Woodside

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties

 * Alameda
 * San Francisco
 * Santa Clara
 * Santa Cruz

FamilySearch Historical Record Collections

 * California, San Mateo County Records, 1851-1991

Biography

 * San Mateo County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to San Mateo County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Schellens Collection of Historical Materials - Names
 * Schellens Collection of Historical Materials - Businesses

Cemeteries
The following web sites may have additional information on San Mateo  County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net California cemetery records by County.


 * SF GenealogyCemetery


 * 1850 - 1960 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Census

 * 1860 - San Mateo Township - Partial (Genealogy Trails)

Church History and Records

 * 1864-1985 - at FamilySearch — index

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Ward and Branch Records


 * Burlingame
 * Redwood City
 * San Mateo

Roman Catholic


 * Archdiocese of San Francisco

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Archives 320 Middlefield Road Menlo Park, CA 94063 email: [mailto:sfarchiv@concentric.net sfarchiv@concentric.net] telephone: (650) 328-6502
 * San Mateo County Parishes
 * History of Diocese on Wikipedia
 * FamilySearch Places

County Records

 * 1851-1991 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Court Records

 * Superior Court of San Mateo
 * Index to Early San Mateo County Court Records

Crime and Criminals
Index to Sheriff's Office Booking Registers

Directories

 * 1881 - Directory of the Grape Growers and Wine Makers of California (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1898 - List of Subscribers of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. and Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Co. (USGenWeb Archives)

Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

History

 * San Mateo History.
 * San Mateo History Museum
 * WorldCat

Land and Property
The Spanish and Mexican Governments distributed the bulk of San Mateo County lands to those who had served the government or military. Most of the Rancho owners also had residences around Mission Dolores in the current San Francisco.

Patents were recorded in San Mateo County in Patent Books 1-3. SMCGS has Indexed the records and images are available in the San Mateo County Record collection on FamilySearch.

are free to browse at FamilySearch Historical Records. For a description of the records, see the wiki article titled, California, San Mateo County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

Current Records and microfilms of old deeds are available in the County Recorder's Office in Redwood City. Start by searching for the current address at one of the available computers. You will find the current owner and also links to maps related to the property including original rancho maps and maps showing the first subdivision of the land. There are more maps available in the record repository, some show the early landowners in various areas throughout the county.


 * Index to San Luis Obispo County Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps
County of San Mateo - Mappery
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * 1929-1954 - at FamilySearch — index

Military History and Records

 * 1856-1965 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * 1883 - San Mateo County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)

Civil War

 * 1886 - San Mateo County Civil War Veterans Roster, Fred. Steele Post No. 70, G. A. R. 1886 (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I

 * 1914-1918 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * Index to San Mateo County World War II Army Enlistments (USGenWeb Archives)
 * San Mateo County Wworld War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship Records
All naturalization records produced by San Mateo County Courts are held by the San Mateo County Recorders Office. This appears to be a complete set of all the Declarations of Intention to become a citizen and Petitions for the entire time the local courts handled naturalizations. The last record is from the year 1983. The earliest records are in an envelope file, and many records have Declarations attached which were filed elsewhere.

The San Mateo County Genealogical Society has indexed these volumes through 1945.

SMC Naturalization Indexes


 * Prior to 1906
 * 1907-1925
 * 1926-1945
 * post 1945

There are references to early naturalizations in the Court Docket books which are located in the San Mateo County Historical Society Archives. All names found in these volumes are also found in the Records office records.

The Naturalizations for Camp Fremont are contained in volumes dated May 1917 to March 1918. The special military naturalization required no Declaration of Intention, therefore the complete record will be contained in one volume. Naturalized soldiers were from all over the United States. Originals are located in the SMC Recorder's Office offsite storage facility. SMCGS has also indexed those volumes.

Camp Fremont Naturalization Index Naturalizations filed by San Mateo County in the California Northern District court are located at the National Archives in San Bruno.

SMCGS also transcribed a card file of naturalized voters, which is also located in the Recorders Office.

Naturalized Voter Card File All Naturalization Records after 1906 can be ordered from USCIS

Online Records

 * 1852-1989 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research

Obituaries

 * San Mateo County Obituaries, from various sources: USGenWeb Archives, Genealogy Trails, San Mateo County Genealogical Society (SMCGS), GenealogyBank, and others (CAGenWeb Project).
 * SMCGS Obituary Collection. Thousands of indexed obituaries from local newspapers and other sources. Copies of obituaries may be obtained from SMCGS for a small fee (refer to website).
 * San Mateo County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * San Mateo County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Probate
Unfortunately, FamilySearch has no probate files for San Mateo County. Some early probate ledgers are available in the San Mateo County Historical Association Archives, the rest are available from the Superior Court not the County Recorder.

Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — images

Archives, Libraries and Museums

 * San Mateo County Genealogy

County Courthouse

 * San Mateo County Superior Court

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Menlo Park Family History Center
 * San Francisco California Family History Center (San Bruno)
 * San Francisco California West Family History Center (Pacifica)

Schools
Sequoia High School - Redwood City - 1st High School in County

Societies
Belmont Historical Society 1225 Ralston Avenue Belmont, CA 94002-1902 Website

Burlingame Historical Society PO Box 144 Burlingame CA 94011 Website Facebook

Millbrae Historical Society P.O. Box 511 420 Poplar Avenue Millbrae, CA 94030 Phone: 650-692-5786 Website Facebook

San Mateo County Genealogical Society PO Box 5569 Redwood City, CA 94063-5569 Phone: 650.306.3423 Website

San Mateo County Historical Association 777 Hamilton Street Redwood City, CA 94063 Website South San Francisco Historical Society, Inc Website

Vital Records
You can get informational copies of birth and death certificates from the San Mateo County Clerk. Print and complete an Application for Certified Copy of Vital Record. As with other California counties, requests for an Official Certified Copy of either birth or death records must be notarized. Requests for an Informational Certified Copy do not need to be notarized.

Birth

 * 1812 - 1988 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1905 - 1995 - at FamilySearch — index; Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * San Mateo County Birth Index to 1965
 * San Mateo Vital Record notice

Marriage

 * 1800 - 2007 - California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1850 - 1945 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1850 - 1952 - at FamilySearch — index and images; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1853 - 1948 - San Mateo County Marriage Index
 * 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 - at FamilySearch — index and images; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Research Guide - San Mateo County Birth and Marriage Records

Divorce

 * 1966 - 1984 - at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1776 - 2000 - at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1880 - 1920's - San Mateo County Death Records 1880-1920s (James Crowe's Book)
 * 1905 - 1939 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1940 - 1997 - at FamilySearch — index; Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * San Mateo County Coroner's Record Index
 * Finding Aid to Coroner's Records on Family Search

Voting Registers

 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Websites

 * San Mateo County Genealogical Society
 * San Mateo County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * San Mateo County, California Genealogy Trails
 * San Mateo County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)