California, San Mateo County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in the Collection?
The collection primarily includes land records – deeds, patents, and homesteads. However, the following various county records may also be intermixed within the land records:


 * Marriage intentions (1856 to 1943)
 * Naturalization (1856 to 1930)
 * Military service discharges (1856 to 1965)

The collection includes records from 1851 to 1991.

Image Visibility
Some records, previously available, have been removed from publication to comply with the 1945 year cut-off restriction on all U.S. Army Discharge Records.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The records may include:


 * Dates when the transaction occurred, was written up, and was recorded with the county
 * Names of the grantors (sellers), grantees (buyers), witnesses, and sometimes neighbors
 * Ages are seldom given, but a person might be mentioned as a minor
 * Exact relationships (may be included if property was sold or given to heirs during a person’s lifetime)
 * Residences of the grantor and grantee (usually included)
 * Occupations of the grantor and grantee (usually included)
 * Signature or mark (usually an X) of the grantor
 * Legal description of the parcel
 * Amount of consideration (included until the late 1800s)

Coverage Map
To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of California marriages, click here.

Sample Images
Click on images for a larger view.

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate date of the event.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the County
 * 2) Select the Record Type, Date Range and Volume which takes you to 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.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the California Genealogy Records.

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

 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation below in the Citing This Collection section.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other county or california Vital Records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the United States Census, 1860 (FamilySearch Historical Records) or the United States Census, 1900 (FamilySearch Historical Records). Search the state censuses as well.
 * Use the information found in the record to find [California Probate Records].
 * Use the information found in the record to find [California Land and Property Records].
 * Search for death or burial information in BillionGraves Index.
 * If applicable, search for immigration and naturalization records as well.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the infobox above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying you sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:

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