Kent County, Delaware Genealogy


 * This article is about a county in state of Delaware. For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation)

Guide to Kent County, Delaware ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Kent County Courthouse 414 Federal Street Dover, De 19901 Phone: 302-744-2347

Clerk of Peace has marriage records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce and court records. Recorder of Deeds has land records from 1680. Register of Wills has probate records.

http://www.co.kent.de.us/] Kent County Levy Court Administrative Complex 555 Bay Road Dover, DE 19901

Kent County, Delaware Historical Facts

 * Renamed from St. Johns County, 17 December 1682.
 * Interesting note - Kent County is one of few counties bordering another county with same same across state line, Kent County, Maryland

Parent County
Kent County was created 8 August 1673 from St. Jones County.

Description
The county was named for Kent, an English county. The county seat is Dover and the county was created August 8, 1683. The County is located in the central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Delaware County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Delaware County Boundary Maps" (1673-1841) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
Cities:

Towns:

Communities:

Hundreds: More information can be found at Delaware Hundreds.

Military:


 * Dover Air Force Base

Cemeteries
The following web sites may have additional information on Kent  County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Delaware cemetery records by County.

Gazetteers

 * USGS GNIS

Revolutionary War

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Delaware, Kent County on page 126.]

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Probate
Index and Images

Kent County, Delaware Probate records, 1680-1800 on line at Ancestry.com $ original data: Valinger, Leon de, com/ Calendar of Kent County, Delaware Probate Records, 1680-1800.


 * DeValinger, Leon. A Calendar of Kent County, Delaware Probate Records, 1680-1800. Dover, Delaware: Public Archives Commission, 1944. (Family History Library .) Facsimile reproduction of the original (Family History Library .)
 * Indexes to probate records 1801-1833, in three volumes by Mary Marshall Brewer (Lewes,Del.: Delmarva Roots, 2002.)

Vital Records
See also How to order Delaware Vital Records, order electronically online$ or download an application for Delaware Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate to mail.
 * 1784-2007 - Delaware, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1650 - 1974 at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies and Libraries
Downstate Delaware Genealogical Society P.O. Box 1787 Dover, DE 19903-1787 E-Mail: [mailto:info@downstatedegenealogists.org info@downstatedegenealogists.org] Website Facebook

The Delaware Public Archives 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Dover, Delaware. 302) 744-5016 E-Mail: [mailto:sarah.denison@state.de.us sarah.denison@state.de.us] Website

The Greater Harrington Historical Society 108-110 Fleming St Harrington DE 19952 302-398-3698 E-Mail: [mailto:Harringtonhistoricalsocietymuseum@verizon.net Harringtonhistoricalsocietymuseum@verizon.net]

Milford Historical Society 501 Northwest Front Street Milford, DE 19963 302 422-4222 Twitter Facebook

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Dover Delaware Family History Center

Websites

 * Kent County, DE History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Delaware Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Delaware Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Kent County DEGenWeb Project, an member of The DEGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Kent County
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Kent County. (Backup site)
 * FamilySearch Catalog for Kent County
 * Kent County, Delaware Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)