Subject: 1821-1926 Death Records of Charleston, SC
Resent-Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 17:55:38 -0700 (PDT)
Resent-From: [email protected]
Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 20:56:31 -0400
From: "Steven J. Coker" 
Reply-To: [email protected]
Organization: http://members.tripod.com/~SCROOTS/index.html
To: [email protected]

Charleston County Main Library, South Carolina Room
68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Tel: 843-805-6956  Web: http://www.ccpl.org/scr.html

Death Records and City of Charleston Death Certificates.

The Charleston County Death Records Card File in the South Carolina Room is a
transcription of entries from the Charleston Death Record Volumes, 1821-1926.
These volumes were kept according to the date of death. If the date of death was
unknown, the entry could be difficult to locate. Because of this the Works
Progress Administration completed an alphabetized card file of these records.
The cards were never secured by rods running through them so the cards are
frequently out of order or lost. The WPA occasionally made mistakes or misread
the original handwriting.

If you are fairly certain of a death in Charleston within this time period and
do not find a card in the card file, also check the microfilm of the original
volumes, although if you don't have an idea of date of death it is a lot to look
through.

The death records had their origin in the desire of city officials to promote
public health and to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. By 1820 the
Board of Health became a permanent body and began to maintain records. Officials
were concerned with the rate of death in the city. Those deaths beyond city
boundaries could result in unfavorable statistics and were not recorded in the
early records.

Information on the Death Records varies over time, but includes if known the
name, sex, race, date of death, place of burial, age, place of birth, attending
physician and cause of death. During the late antebellum period through the
1880's, the occupation of the deceased is occasionally recorded. Beginning in
1850 the street on which the deceased lived is included. In 1891 the registrar
stopped listing residential addresses and identified the place of death. From
1861 to 1890 the time of residence (how long the deceased lived in the city) is
included.

The City of Charleston Death Certificates cover the period 1866-1914. For deaths
after 1914 contact the Charleston County Health Department or the Bureau of
Vital Statistics of the S.C. Dept. of Health & Environmental Control. The card
file serves somewhat as an index to the death certificates. In the upper right
hand corner of the cards is a number which corresponds to the death certificate
number for that year of death. Again, since there may be problems with the
cards, you can also check the microfilm which is arranged by date.  O.T. stands
for out of town. These certificates are filed at the end of the year.

Sextons and coroners supplied information at times, but state law required that
the death certificates be completed by physicians. Beginning in 1905 the death
certificate lists the date of birth, the name of the mother and the name of the
father if known.

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