California, Shasta County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection include images of naturalizations, marriage applications, veteran burials and probate records from the Superior Court in Redding, California for the years 1851 to 1950.

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

Record Content
Marriage license applications may include:


 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Names of the parents
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Residences of the bride and groom
 * Age and races of the bride and groom
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

Wills and probate records and estate case files may include:


 * Name of testator or deceased
 * Event year
 * Event place
 * Names of heirs such as spouse, children, and other relatives or friends
 * Sometimes the date of death

Naturalization records may include:


 * Name of the immigrant
 * Country of birth
 * Arrival date
 * Date of Declaration of Intent or Naturalization
 * Names of witnesses
 * Signature of judge or court official

In post-1906 records, you may also find:


 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Age
 * Race
 * Last foreign residence
 * Current residence
 * Arrival place
 * Marital status
 * Name of spouse
 * Maiden name of wife
 * Birth date of spouse
 * Residence of spouse

Veterans’ gravesites may include:


 * Name of deceased
 * Residence of deceased
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of death
 * War in which veteran served
 * Cause of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Next of kin
 * Date and place of enlistment
 * Branch of service, rank and unit of service
 * Discharge date and place
 * Cemetery record includes grave number, book number and page of record
 * Source of information

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Your Ancestor’s name
 * Other identifying information such as their residence, age, names of other family members and relationships.

Search the Collection
To search this collection: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the “Record Category” category ⇒ Select the “Record Type, Record Description, and Year Range” category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the estimated age at death or burial to calculate an approximate birth year.
 * Use the marriage, naturalization, death or burial date to find other records that may provide more information on your ancestor.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Couples were usually married in the locality where one or both parties were from. Search records from that locality for other information about the family such as marriages of siblings or the bride or groom’s birth records.
 * Sometimes marriage records note the names of the bride and groom’s parents. Use this information to extend your pedigree a generation.
 * If your ancestor is found in death or birth records, continue searching those records for other family members who may be in the same record collection.
 * Pay attention to any notes about your ancestor such as occupation or marriage status. This information can be used to locate other records.
 * Remember that a burial date is not always the same as a death date.
 * Sometimes a person is buried in a city or town in which they did not die. Do not assume that a burial place is the same as a death place.
 * If your ancestor had a common name be sure to evaluate all available information to determine the correct individual. This may involve comparing the data from multiple records.
 * When a widow was applying for her deceased husband’s military service, she frequently had to prove that she was married to the soldier. This was often done by sending a copy of the marriage certificate, county marriage register, or page from the family bible. Because marriage records for a locality may be missing, the widow’s pension application may be the best place to locate marriage information.
 * If the bride and groom were from different localities try searching the records of both places for the marriage record. It was common for a couple to be married in the bride’s home town.
 * Use migration records to locate your ancestor’s hometown in their country of origin. Identifying this town will make it easier to research older generations.
 * If your ancestor’s age is recorded on a migration record use it to estimate his birth year.
 * Use immigration records to find emigration records and vice versa. Each record set often contains unique information.
 * Some migration records state whom the migrant is going to visit. This individual may be a relative.
 * Use the date of the will and the date the will was proved in court to estimate the time of your ancestor’s death.
 * Use any relationships provided in the will to reconstruct the family.
 * Heirs listed on your ancestor’s probate by a different surname may be married daughters, grandchildren, nieces or nephews. Research these individuals to determine a family connection.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities. Be aware that boundary changes could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring locality.


 * If a record cannot be found for your ancestor in the locality where it is believed they resided, try searching the records of nearby localities.
 * Try searching newspapers for an obituary, death notice, or notice of your ancestor’s estate to determine when your ancestor died.
 * Look for probate records for the region and time period in which your ancestor supposedly died. These records may give clues about when he or she passed away.
 * Individuals may be difficult to locate because of name changes during migration. Be open to misspellings, variations, or completely new names when searching for an ancestor.
 * Migration records were not kept consistently in early periods. For this reason, it may not be possible to locate your ancestor in these records.
 * Try searching both immigration and emigration records for your ancestor. He or she may be found in one record set but not the other.
 * Not all individuals left a will. A court may have divided the property or the individual may have had nothing to leave behind.
 * Try searching local newspapers to find probate notifications. If found, probate records should exist for your ancestor. Perhaps you are searching in the wrong time period or locality.
 * Perhaps the locality in which you are searching has different sets of probate records such as a book of wills or a book of court appointed administrators. Try searching different record sets within the same county.
 * Sometimes property was divided in land deed records. Try searching those records for evidence of a divided estate.

Related Websites

 * Shasta County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Shasta County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives

Related Wiki Articles

 * Shasta County, California Genealogy
 * California Vital Records
 * California Online Genealogy Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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