Chile, Santiago, Cemetery Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Cementerio General de Santiago, Chile

Record Description
This collection is made up of burial registers, authorizations for the burial of individuals, records of payment of the right to use the grave, and other relative records. In some cases other records such as a birth or marriage certificate or/and a notary public document is added to the burial registration file. This collection only includes a portion of the images in the complete collection. Additional images will be published as they become available.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in burial records may include:


 * Place and date of burial
 * Name of deceased
 * Date and time of death
 * Age at time of death
 * Cause of death
 * Sex of deceased
 * Location of the grave

They may also provide clues about:


 * Military service
 * Religion
 * Occupation
 * Place of residence at time of death
 * Membership in an organization

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the following:


 * The person’s name
 * The approximate burial or death date

Once you have located your ancestor’s burial record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Burial records are often brief so it can be easy confuse individuals. Compare what information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the burial record for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * Use the birth date or year to search for birth records.
 * Use the birth date along with relative’s names to find the family in census records.
 * Use the locality and relative’s names to locate church and land records.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * 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:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby public cemeteries and church cemeteries.

Record History
The General Cemetery of Santiago was founded in 1821 in the commune (comuna) of Recoleta. The cemetery office keeps a record file for each burial. Various documents are included in a burial file such as the municipality permission for burial, the cemetery plot and location, purchase information, copies of source of identification, and more.

Record Reliability
Cemetery records are a reliable source for doing family history in Chile.

Related Websites
Cementerio General de Recoleta, Chile

Related Wiki Articles
Chile Cemeteries

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.

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

Examples of Source Citations for a Record Found in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of Information for This Collection
Chile. General Cemetery. Cemetery burials, 1821-2010. Cementerio General, Santiago, Chile.

Detailed instructions for adding citations are also listed in the wiki article How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.