California, San Mateo County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection primarily includes land records – deeds, patents, and homesteads (1856 to 1967). 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)

For a list of records by date or locality currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content


The records contain the following information:


 * 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)

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the County ⇒Select the Record Type, Date Range and Volume which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The names of the primary individuals
 * The approximate date of the transaction
 * Other identifying information such as the location of the property or names of other interested individuals

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s 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 residence and names of the individuals to locate church and census records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * For each parcel of land owned, you should obtain two documents:


 * 1) The deed that documents when ownership transferred to the individual or the family
 * 2) The deed that documents when ownership was transferred to someone else


 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Search for the land transactions of a couple and their children. The parents may have sold or given property to a son or daughter. Such transactions confirm relationships that might not be found in other records.
 * Search for records of people in the county who shared a surname. These may have been the couple’s parents, uncles, or other relatives. Your ancestor may have been an heir who sold inherited land that had belonged to parents or grandparents.
 * To find later generations, search the land records a few years before and after a person’s death. Your ancestor may have sold or given land to his or her heirs before death, or the heirs may have sold the land after the individual died. For daughters, the names of their husbands are often provided. For sons, the given names of their wives may be included. Heirs may have sold their interest in the land to another heir even though the record may not indicate this. Continue this process for identifying each succeeding generation.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Land transactions can indicate either a move or death of the owner.
 * One deed does not usually give sufficient information about a couple and their children. A careful study of all deeds for the person or the family will yield a richer return of information.
 * Witnesses and neighbors, even those with a different surname, may have been relatives, in-laws, or even a widowed mother who has remarried. You may want to check the records of these witnesses and neighbors, especially if they are frequently found in your ancestor’s land records.
 * The information in the 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 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. Local historical and genealogical groups often have indexes to local records. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned. In addition, some entries from earlier years may have been missed.
 * Check the land records of the people mentioned in your ancestor’s deeds to see if a different residence was ever mentioned for them.
 * Make a list of all residences mentioned in the records within a year or two of when your ancestors came to the county—regardless of surname. Then search the records of places that seem likely or that occur frequently.
 * Create a database for other people with the same surname who lived in the county. Doing this may help you identify which individuals were related. If your ancestor’s records do not contain the information you need, a county database might give you a more complete picture.
 * Some counties were subdivided or the boundaries may have changed. Consider searching the “parent” county to find the original purchase of a parcel of land. You may also need to search a neighboring county since that courthouse may have been more convenient for the person to record the deed.

General Information About Land Records
Soon after they were formed, counties began recording deeds and other land transaction records. The county recorder transcribed the documents to the registers, and the original documents usually remained with the owners or their families. Records of land transactions are generally well preserved, but some may have been lost in fires or other disasters. Some deeds were not recorded in earlier years.

Counties recorded land transactions to document the transfer of land ownership, thereby establishing legal rights to the land. The documents also helped track tax revenue responsibilities and helped designate persons to serve in various county functions, such as maintaining public roads in earlier times.

Related Websites

 * San Mateo County, Free Public Records
 * Free Public Records Directory

Related Wiki Articles

 * California
 * California Land and Property
 * San Mateo County, California

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.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"California, San Mateo County Records, 1856-1967," images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 April 2012), San Mateo &gt; Deed records 1949 vol 1640 &gt; image 5 of 751, entry for Lee T. Ross and Hall C. Ross, Trustees, purchased land 23 March 1949; citing California, San Mateo County Records, 1856-1967, San Meteo County Accessor-Recorder-Clerks Office, Redwood City, California.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.