Guam Judicial, Land, Obituaries, and Census Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Guam

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of images of census records, judicial records, land records, and obituaries. The original records are located at the Micronesia Area Research Center, University of Guam. Only the obituaries (1970-2000) are currently included in the index for this collection.

This collection includes an index to and images of the following records:
 * Court records from 1901-1935
 * Land records 1896-1902
 * Obituaries 1970-1999
 * 1897 Guam Census

Reading These Records
These records are written in English and Spanish. For help reading them see: FamilySearch Learning Center videos: If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Brigham Young University Spanish Script Tutorial
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Census
 * Name of head of household
 * Gender
 * Occupation
 * Residence
 * Race

Land records
 * Name of resident
 * Date and place of purchase
 * Location of land

Obituary
 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Name of father or husband
 * Name of mother or wife
 * Place of burial
 * Names of children

How Do I Search This Collection?
You can either search the index or view record images. Before using either method, it is best to know the following: As you search, look for a record which matches this information.
 * Name of the person
 * Date of the record

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Do not forget to cite the record. See below for help citing this collection
 * If possible, use what you know to find an image of the original record. The index contains only basic identifying information for a person; the original record therefore may contain more information not found in the index
 * Continue to search the index for family members

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

 * Check for variants of given names and surnames. It was not uncommon for an individual to be listed under a nickname, middle name, or abbreviation of their given name
 * Search the records of nearby locations. In the period of this collection, few individuals ever lived more than 20 miles from their place pf birth, though smaller moves were common

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Guam.
 * Guam Record Finder
 * Guam Research Tips and Strategies

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