California, San Mateo County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records (2024)

What is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]

The collection primarily includes land records – deeds, patents, and homesteads. However, the following various county records may also be intermixed within the land records:

• Marriage intentions (1856 to 1943)
• Naturalization (1856 to 1930)
• Military service discharges (1856 to 1965)

The collection includes records from 1851 to 1991.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility[edit | edit source]

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

To Browse This Collection[edit | edit source]

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for California, San Mateo County Records, 1851-1991.

What Can These Records Tell Me?[edit | edit source]

The following information may be found in these records:

• Dates when the transaction occurred, was written up, and was recorded with the county
• Names of the grantors (sellers), grantees (buyers), witnesses, and sometimes neighbors
• Ages are seldom given, but a person might be mentioned as a minor
• Exact relationships (may be included if property was sold or given to heirs during a person’s lifetime)
• Residences of the grantor and grantee (usually included)
• Occupations of the grantor and grantee (usually included)
• Signature or mark (usually an X) of the grantor
• Legal description of the parcel
• Amount of consideration (included until the late 1800s)

Collection Content[edit | edit source]

Sample Images[edit | edit source]

• Deed Record 1955

• 1913-27 Naturalization Record

• Intent to Marry 1942

Coverage Table[edit | edit source]

How Do I Search This Collection?[edit | edit source]

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

• The name of your ancestor
• The approximate date of the event

Search the Index[edit | edit source]

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.

1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images[edit | edit source]

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:

1. Select County
2. Select Record Type, Date Range and Volume to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?[edit | edit source]

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.

What Do I Do Next?[edit | edit source]

If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

• Add any new information to your records
• Use the age or estimated birth date to find vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death
• Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records
• Use the information found in the record to find probate records
• Use the information found in the record to find land and property records
• Search for death or burial information in BillionGraves Index
• If applicable, search for immigration and naturalization records as well

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

• If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
• If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality
• Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
• Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps[edit | edit source]

The following articles will help you research your family in the state of California.

• California Guided Research
• California Research Tips and Strategies
• Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections[edit | edit source]

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog[edit | edit source]

• compiled and written sic by Philip W. Alexander, Charles P. Hamm. History of San Mateo County: from the earliest times with a description of its resources and advantages; and the biographies of its representative men. Burlingame, California: Burlingame Publishing Co., 1916. FS Library 979.469 H2a
• County Clerk. coroners' reports, 1865-1991
• County Clerk. deed records, 1856-1967
• County Clerk. patents, homesteads, etc. 1851-1924
• County Clerk. marriage records, 1927-1943
• Superior Court. naturalization records, 1856-1947
• Camp Fremont naturalization index, 1918-1919

FamilySearch Historical Records[edit | edit source]

• California, San Mateo County, Colma, Italian Cemetery Records, 1899-2011
• California Great Registers, 1850-1920

FamilySearch Digital Library[edit | edit source]

• Northern California Historical Records Survey Project, Division of Professional and Service Projects, W.P.A. Inventory of the county archives of California, San Mateo County (Redwood City).San Francisco, California: Northern California Historical Records Survey, 1938

Known Issues[edit | edit source]

Click here for a list of known issues with this collection.

Citing This Collection[edit | edit source]

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

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.

Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.

Image Citation:
When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.