Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, City Death Certificates, 1803-1915

What is in This Collection?

The format of the records varies:

• Registration of deaths, Board of Health, 1803–1915, exist in four formats: 1) Cemetery returns, 1803–1860, filed alphabetically by cemetery for each year (1803–1824), for each quarter (1825–1847), and for each week (1848–1860); 2) Death returns, 1860–June 30, 1890, filed alphabetically by cemetery name for each week; 3) Death certificates, July 1890–1903, filed by certificate number; 4) Death certificates, arranged by year and then by certificate number within each year
  
• Death registers, Board of Health, 1860–1903, are bound volumes with preprinted pages. The entries are filed chronologically
  
• Death records, Department of Public Health, 1834–1860, are bound volumes. The entries are filed by year and then by month
  
• Burial records, Department of Public Health, 1807–1840, are loose papers filed by death date
  
• Death records, General Hospital, 1866–1902, are bound volumes of preprinted forms and bound volumes of certificates, four to a page. The entries are filed chronologically
  
• Death registers, City Hospital, 1840-1896, are bound volumes with entries filed chronologically
  
• Death registers, Inspectors of the Jail and Penitentiary House, 1819–1914, are bound volumes

Be aware that not every name in this collection is the name of someone who died. Some of the hospital registers provide date of discharge of living patients and those names are mingled in with the names of those who died.

By Act of April 1, 1803, Philadelphia established its Board of Health, which began to record deaths and burials. In 1860 the city passed a law requiring that all births, marriages, and deaths within the city be recorded in a systematic way. The board became the Bureau of Health in 1899 and was placed under the Department of Public Health in 1903. In accordance with a new state law, the bureau began sending copies of death records to the state in 1906. The various collections cover those buried in the city of Philadelphia, including some out-of-city deaths. The same individual may be found in more than one collection.

Original images for the Philadelphia City Death Certificates are available on Historical Records (free) and also through the Philadelphia City Archives (fee).

Photocopies of Philadelphia death records 1803-1915, are available by writing to:

• Philadelphia City Archives, 3101 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
• Enclose $10.00 payment, check or money order, payable to CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, for each death record photocopy requested.

With your request include this information, found on the FamilySearch.org web pages for “Philadelphia City Civil Death and Burial Records.”

If the death occurred:

• 1803-June 1860 - Name of Deceased and date of death
• July 1860-June 30, 1890 - Name of Deceased, date of death and cemetery name, if known
• July 1890–1915 – Name of deceased, date of death, and certificate number (cn number)

You can access Pennsylvania death records, if available, prior to 1906 through the courthouse in the county where the person died. A list of courthouses is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Vital Records Web site. Cemetery and church records are more likely sources to be available for 18th and 19th century deaths and burials.

Deaths were recorded to better serve public health needs. They were also used in connection with the probate of wills and the administration of estates.

Philadelphia has recorded deaths since 1803.

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The information varies by record.

An Undertaker's Certificate included: Occupation of deceased Place of birth Birthplace of father Birthplace of mother Place of death Date and place of burial Name and address of undertaker

Death certificates, Bureau of Health, 1904–1915 Date and place of burial Name, age and gender of deceased Occupation of deceased Place of birth Place of death Parents' place of birth Attending physician, and undertaker Ethnic group Former residence of the deceased

Death registers, Board of Health, 1860–1903 Death and burial dates Place of death Place of burial Name and age of deceased Name of parents if the deceased was a minor Former residence Race Cause of death

Death records, Dept of Public Health, 1834–1860 Death date Death place Name and age of deceased and attending physician

 

Registration of deaths, Board of Health, 1803–1903 Death and burial dates Name and age of deceased and attending physician Age, gender and race of deceased Names of parents if deceased was a minor Place of death and burial Place of birth Residence of deceased Cause of death

Burial Records, Dept of Public Health, 1807–1840 Death date Burial place Name and age of deceased

Death records, general hospital, 1866–1902, death registers Name and age of deceased Death date Color (W for White and B for Black) Country of birth Cause of death

Death records, general hospital, 1866–1902, death certificates Name of deceased Age, gender and marital status of deceased Color (White or Black) Death date Cause of death

 

Death registers, prison, 1819–1914

• Name and age of deceased
• Death date
• Prison where died
• Cause of death

Collection Content

Sample Image

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  Death Record

Digital Folder Number List

This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. The list does not contain any description of the DGS folder's content. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates Digital Folder Number List.