Title: San Diego County Recorder Historic Death records

Dates: 1850-1977, bulk 1873-1956

Collection Number: RCC/VRS02

Creator/Collector: San Diego County (Calif.). Office of County Recorder

Extent: 33.5 cubic feet (25 manuscript boxes and 47 oversize boxes)

Repository: San Diego County Archives

Abstract: Historic Death records consists of indexes to death certificates issued in San Diego County. Some indexes are specific to the City of San Diego, National City, North County, and Coronado.

Language of Material: English

Please contact the San Diego County Archives staff at archives@sdcounty.ca.gov for access information.

[Identification of item]. San Diego County Recorder Historic Death records. Collection Number: RCC/VRS02. San Diego County Archives

Historic Death records consist of 72 bound and unbound volumes of historic death and related records recorded in San Diego County dating from 1873. It also includes ancillary death records that include information regarding deaths at Campo-Santo and Old [Town] San Diego dating from 1849. In addition to volumes covering the full county, specific indexes and certificate books exist for the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado, Escondido, and National City as well as North County. Note that the original geographic boundaries of San Diego County include territory encompassing present day Imperial, Riverside and San Bernadino Counties. Starting in July 1905, a California state agency was designated the primary record holders of death records and any copies maintained locally by the County Recorder or Health and Human Services were designated secondary copies. Currently the designated state agency is the California Department of Public Health – Vital Records Division. The bulk of early death records in San Diego County date from the early 1870s, which coincides with early standardized recording in California, making the content fairly consistent. However, the collection is not inclusive. Early records are predominately hand-written while later records are fully typed or utilize standardized, printed forms. Materials are divided into four series, Indexes to Death Certificates (1873-1954), Death Certificates (1872-1947), Affidavits of Correction (1913-1977, bulk 1913-1941), and Ancillary Death Records (1849-1961.) Series 1, Indexes to Death Certificates, consists of indexes of deaths required from the County Recorder starting in 1873. Indexes provide access points to locate individual death certificates and vary in the data points available. Common index entries include decedent’s full name, date and cause of death, and information on race, sex, and marital status. Additional information includes data on the decedent’s place of birth and occupation. Early records are hand-written in ledger books with later indexes being type-written. Disbound volumes have been removed from their bindings and placed in folders. Bound volumes are wrapped in tissue and placed in boxes. Note that the Archives may not have certificates for each indexed entry. Volumes are arranged chronologically by location. Within each volume, names are predominately arranged alphabetically by last name. Series 2, Death Certificates, consists of individual certificates that relate the details of deaths recorded in San Diego County. These documents provide information on the decedent’s full name, date and cause of death, and information on race, sex, and marital status. Additional information includes information on the decedent’s place of birth and occupation. Certificates also include information on the physician or coroner completing the certificate, as well as information on the decedent’s parents and their places of birth. If a death certificate was amended or corrected, it may have an Affidavit of Correction attached to it or the correction may be found in Series 3 depending on the practices of the Office of the Recorder at the time of filing. Some volumes, especially those from Coronado, also contain their own indexes. Certificates in this series may not be all-inclusive as the Office of the County Recorder is the secondary holder for these records. Materials are arranged chronologically by location. The internal arrangement within each volume varies. Boxes 1-10 and 24 are arranged sequentially by page number although the pages were arranged alphabetically prior to being numbered. Boxes 11-17, 23 and 31 are also alphabetical by last name. Boxes 18-22 are arranged sequentially by Registration Number. Boxes 25-29 and 32-34 are arranged chronologically. Box 30 is a sub-set of certificates duplicated from another volume and arranged thematically. Series 3, Affidavits of Correction, consists of documentation utilized to update, correct, and amend previously registered certificates of death. A copy of the original certificate may be filed with the affidavit, particularly in bound volumes in this series. Typical corrections include spelling corrections and the inclusion of additional details that were not recorded at the time of the death. Individual volumes and boxes are arranged differently to preserve original order and arrangement. Box 1 is arranged alphabetically while Boxes 2-3 are arranged by recording number. Box 4 contains two folders of loose affidavits including a single document from 1945 and a series of affidavits to amend death records from 1950-1957 that were recorded between 1966 and 1977. Series 4, Ancillary Death Records, consists of summary reports of deaths, permits for removal of remains, burial permits, and other records related to deaths in the County of San Diego that are not encompassed by certificates, indexes, or affidavits of correction. This series is arranged chronologically.