New Hampshire Death Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The "New Hampshire, Death Certificates, 1938-1959" collection consists of images of death certificates from the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records in Concord. The Collection is arranged by year, by certificate number, or by surname letter.

To Browse this Collection
The "New Hampshire, Death Records, 1654-1947" collection consists of a name index and images of New Hampshire death records. Records consist of index cards that give the name of the deceased, date and place of death, plus often much more information, such as age, place of birth and names of parents. With the town and date of death, the original records can usually be located.

General Information About These Records
Town clerks began recording deaths as early as 1640. However, the earlier records do not give much information and the information varies depending upon the clerk.

In 1866, the state passed laws requiring the registration of vital events. It is estimated that by 1883 almost half of the population was listed in the vital records with 90 percent coverage by the end of the decade.

The Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics was created in 1905. They have copies of records made by the town clerks dating from about 1640 to the present.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
Information found in New Hampshire statewide death records may include:


 * Name of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Age in year, months and days
 * Length of residence in community
 * Institution where died
 * Date and place of birth
 * Gender, race, marital status, and occupation
 * Cause of death
 * Parents names, including maiden name of mother
 * Parents' birth place
 * Father's occupation
 * Name of spouse, if married
 * Name of physician or person reporting death and their residence
 * Place and date of interment

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:
 * The place where the death occurred
 * The name of the person at the time of death
 * The approximate death date

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Year category
 * 2) Select the Name Range or Certificate Number Range category which takes you to the images.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page:
 * 1) Select the "Film" category which takes you to the images

With either search 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.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s death 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:

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find or verify their birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents (if the deceased is a child) to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parent’s birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery 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 died or been buried in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. 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.
 * The information in these 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 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, plea se email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


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