California, Collections of the California Genealogical Society - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States California

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes records from 1700 to 1942. The digital images may only be used by registered users of FamilySearch.

The records consist of genealogical collections located at the California Genealogical Society in Oakland. They include:


 * Original ledger listing burials in the San Francisco Odd Fellows (IOOF) cemetery, 1866-1905. The cemetery no longer exists.
 * Records of the San Francisco IOOF crematory and columbarium, 1865-1932. Includes records for individual cremations and inurnments as well as papers pertaining to the organization.
 * San Francisco Probate Register of Actions, 1906-1942. Ledgers listing all actions pertaining to each probate case in the period covered.
 * Surname index to vital records appearing in the Alta California and other Northern California newspapers, 1860-1861.
 * Records of the Phillips family in America, compiled by Henry Byron Phillips, former President of the California Genealogical Society. Each index card contains information on a specific individual related to the Phillips family.
 * Papers and index cards pertaining to the descendants and ancestors of Humphrey Griffin of Ipswich, Massachusetts, covering the period from 1600 to 1943.Compiled by Charles Frances Griffin, MD, former President of the California Genealogical Society.

The collection is arranged by sub-collection and then date.

The California Genealogical Society (CGS) was the first genealogical society formed in California, organized in San Francisco on February 12, 1898. One of the premier genealogical resources in Northern California, the society maintains a library in downtown Oakland in the historic Breuner Building.

The CGS Library is rich in genealogy reference materials, both standard and unique. California is the major focus with special emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area; however, the library is also particularly strong in other geographical areas such as New England, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The library has titles representing all fifty states.

Each type of record was created for a different purpose. Cemetery records are kept as a permanent record of who was buried and usually who purchased the burial plot. Indexes were created as a rapid access to specific records or pieces of information.

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

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
This collection may include the following information:
 * Names
 * Birth, marriage, or death dates
 * Relationships
 * Residencies
 * Family groupings
 * Burial information

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know at least some of the following:
 * The name of your ancestor.
 * The approximate birth date of your ancestor.
 * The birth place of your ancestor.
 * The names of relatives and other known associates.

Compare the information on the image to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if it is the correct family or person. You may need to compare several images before you find your ancestor. Many of these volumes have indexes at the beginning or end. You should search these first. If your ancestor is in the index download a copy or write down the page numbers listed for your ancestor. You can then quickly turn to those pages.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Pagethen: ⇒ Select the appropriate "County" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Town" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Record Type, Date Range and Volume"

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

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the locator information in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to find the event record you are looking for in the collection.
 * Use the names, dates, and places to locate other records such as census, church, and land records.
 * Use the information in each record to find additional family members. Burial information may lead you to mortuary or funeral records, which could include names and addresses of family members. Be aware that many mortuary and funeral records did not survive the earthquake and fire in 1906.
 * Repeat this process with additional family member’s records to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of California, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the California Archives and Libraries.

Citing 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.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation