Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh City Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
This collection covers records that date from 1870 to 1905.

Record Description
This collection consists of death registrations for the city of Pittsburgh from the Allegheny County Courthouse. The records are arranged in numbered bound volumes and are chronological; month and year.

Record Content
Helpful genealogical facts included in the index are:


 * Name of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Date of death
 * Certificate number
 * Estimated birth year
 * Name of father
 * Name of mother
 * Name of spouse
 * Place of death

How to Use the Record
Use the index to find the death certificates of individuals residing in Pittsburgh at the time of their death. When searching the index it is helpful to know the following:


 * 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. 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 age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find or verify their birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth and parent’s names to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * 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:


 * Search for any alternate names your ancestor might have used, such as a nickname or alias.
 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search for names of their parents, if known.
 * 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 there is some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Record History
The city of Pittsburgh began registering deaths in 1870. The records were house at the Allegheny county courthouse until 2008 when they were transferred to the state department of vital records. The state of Pennsylvania took over recording deaths in 1902.

Why this Record Was Created
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
The information in this index is very reliable. However, keep in mind that it still may contain alternate spellings or misinterpretations.

Related Websites
Allegheny County website: http://www.county.allegheny.pa.us/wo/cert.aspx A guide to online Pennsylvania death records and obituaries: http://www.deathindexes.com/pennsylvania/index.html

Related Wiki Articles
Pennsylvania Vital Records

Style Guide
For guidelines to use in creating wiki articles that describe collections of images and indexes produced by FamilySearch, see: FamilySearch Wiki:Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections pages.

Sources of Information for This Collection
“Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh City Deaths, 1870-1905,” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); the Allegheny Courthouse, Pittsburgh. FHL microfilm, 69 reels, Family History Library Salt Lake City, 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.

The format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records 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