Delaware Orphan Court Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection contains records for the years 1720 to 1978 from the Delaware Public Archives. The Orphan Court deals with guardianship of minors, real estate left intestate, partition of real estate, and appeals from the Register of Wills. This collection is being published as images become available.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The records generally contain the following information:


 * Names of interested parties
 * Date of court proceeding or transaction
 * Details of the case
 * Amount of money exchanged or paid
 * Names of family members, heirs, and witnesses

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The place of residence
 * The court date
 * The names of interested individuals

Search the Collection
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "County" ⇒ Select the "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you find in the probate records to what you already know about your ancestors to determine which record is about your ancestor. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the date and locality to search for census and church records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.
 * Witnesses in court cases may be close relatives.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local historical and genealogical groups also compile indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites
Delaware Public Archives

Related Wiki Articles
Delaware Court Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
“Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the “Show Citation” box: Delaware Orphan Court Records, 1720-1975

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.