This database indexes nearly 39,000 deaths recorded in the City of Reading only. In 1906, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took over the recording of all birth and death records in the state. Please note that because in some instances the records are recorded without first names, last name only searches are most likely to produce results. When requesting a record from the Berks County Register of Wills, include the name, year, book volume, page, and line number.
This database is a part of the more than 750,000 records held by the Berks County, Pennsylvania Register of Wills/Clerk of the Orphans' Court whose office is located in the Berks County Services Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The indexes were compiled by the staff of these offices and volunteers over a period of eight (8) years. The records were typed either from the indexes themselves or, for those records not indexed, from the actual documents.
In 1752 Berks County was formed as the seventh Pennsylvania County, from portions of Philadelphia, Lancaster and Chester Counties. At that time, Berks County included parts of the present counties of Schuylkill, Northumberland, Columbia, Montour, Union, Centre and Lycoming. As more settlers populated the frontier, additional counties were formed and Berks was limited to its present boundaries. For this reason, researchers from Berks and neighboring counties often find traces of their family heritage through Berks County's historical records.
To obtain copies of the original records indexed in these records, e-mail your request to "rwills@mail.countyofberks.com" with a list of the records which interest you. You will receive back a listing indicating how much each record will cost. Next, mail a check or money order to the address listed below. In your correspondence, indicate the records you would like to obtain, list your email address, and indicate that you found the records on Ancestry.com. Copies will be forwarded as soon as possible upon receipt of your payment. Your check is not cashed until your order is processed.
Register of Wills
Berks County Courthouse
633 Court Street
2nd Floor
Reading PA, 19601-3581
More information about researching in Berks County is available at www.berksregofwills.com.
