Chile, Santiago, Cemetery Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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

Record Description
These records are in Spanish. This collection will include records from 1821 to 2011.

This is a collection of burial records from the General Cemetery of Recoleta, Santiago, Chile. It includes cemetery registers and a variety of documents which were needed for the burial. The work orders correspond to transfers or reductions of cadavers. The judicial declarations give family relationships with the buried person and sometimes include birth or marriage records. The authorization document is a legal approval to give burial to an individual; and receipts (comprobantes) include the burial service payment. The daily log register includes the name of all cadavers entering the cemetery through a specific door and includes the service requested.

This collection only includes a portion of the images in the complete collection. Additional images will be published as they become available.

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

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 Content
Burial records may include the following information:


 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date, place and time of death
 * Gender of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Purchaser's name and spouse who purchased grave plot
 * Purchaser's residence
 * Contract of sale including date and location
 * Name of person requesting transfer of remains
 * Destination for transfer of remains
 * Original place and burial date of remains

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

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.

Search the Collection
To search by image, follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Record Type and dates" 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 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.

Using the Information
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, you could do the following:
 * Use the birth date or year to search for birth records.
 * Use the locality and relative’s names to locate church 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.

Unable to Locate Your Ancestors?

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

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Chile Language and Languages

Related Websites

 * Cementerio General de Recoleta
 * Memorica Chilena, Biblioteca Nacional de Chile

Maps

 * Chile in 2013
 * Drawing of General Cemetery layout in 1990
 * South America with insert of Santiago area in 1891
 * Chile in 1884
 * Chile in 1809

Histories

 * English wiki entry on General Cemetery
 * Spanish wiki entry on Cementerio General
 * Los cementerios en el siglo XIX, un sitio web que incluye documentos, imágenes, y otras cosas
 * "Memoria del Administrador del Cementerio Jeneral," an archived book, published in 1893
 * "Historia i Tradiciones del Cementerio Jeneral de Santiago," an archived book, published in 1890

Other Genealogical Resources

 * Chile GenForum
 * Recopilación de Genealogía Chilena

Related Wiki Articles

 * Chile
 * Chile Cemeteries
 * Chile History

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