Search Pennsylvania Cemetery & Burial 1700-1950 Browse

Pennsylvania Cemetery & Burial collection can be searched by parish, diocese, county, or denominations. The cemetery records are brought to you in partnership with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Cemetery and monumental records are a valuable part of your family history and can provide you with vital facts for your family here. Below are some of the facts that you may discover about your ancestors:

• Name
• Birth year
• Death date
• Spouse, parents, and/or children’s names
• Burial place
• In some cases, notes about the person’s life or achievements

The cemetery and burial records have been captured by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Numerous denominations are represented in the collection including Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, Lutheran, Mennonite, Friends (Quakers), and Presbyterian. The records range from the 17th to 21st centuries. Amongst the names in these records you will find signers of the Declaration of Independence and others who were influential in shaping the United States into a new nation.

Within the records from Laurel Hill Cemetery you will discover the name of Commodore John Barry, who is known as the Father of the American Navy. In the same cemetery records is the monumental inscription of General George Meade, a General of the Union army and victorious leader at the Battle of Gettysburg. Later he became the Major General under President Ulysses S Grant.

You can search the monumental inscriptions from Christ Church, one of Philadelphia’s oldest cemeteries. Among those buried at Christ Church is Benjamin Franklin, an influential American patriot during the American Revolution as well as an inventor, philanthropist, and author. He is well known for writing and publishing the Poor Richard’s Almanac. He also inventor a wide range of items which are used across the globe today including, bifocals, swim fins, the Franklin stove, the rocking chair, urinary catheter and more. His monumental inscription describes his character and influence, ‘Next to the tomb of Washington this grave has probably more general interest than any in the country. The great Benjamin Franklin rests here, side by side with the partner of his life. The plain stone that covers their resting-place reflects his character better than any epitaph, and the simple inscription affords abundant scope for meditation.’