Step-by-Step Delaware Research, 1850-1910

Delaware Step-by-step research 1880--present

Step 1: Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
 * 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History at ThoughtCo.com
 * Creating Oral Histories at FamilySearch Wiki

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2: Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Example of a census record.
 * A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
 * For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
 * Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
 * Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.



Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
- For more information, see Connecticut Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Try to find additional details in death certificates, Social Security, obituary and cemetery records online.
When a person dies, several records will be created: death certificates, Social Security records, obituaries, and cemetery records.
 * Birth records were not available until 1905. Death certificates can give birth information for people born before then. Death certificates frequently give the birth date and place, parents' names, and birth places of parents.


 * The Social Security Death Index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits. The index entries give the person's full birth date, last known residence, and residence at the time they first enrolled.


 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index provides information filed in the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birth place, and parents’ names.


 * Cemetery records can be as simple as the information on the headstone or, in some FindAGrave records, they can report more thorough information about birth, parents, spouses, children, and siblings.


 * Obituaries can also vary from simple announcement of the death, to '''birth and marriage information, parents, siblings,

Death Indexes

 * 1750-1886 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1815-1955 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1855-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1933 Delaware, U.S., Death Records, 1861-1933 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Writing for Full Death Certificates
The full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc). In the states of New England, records were created and maintained by town clerks. Most are online but can be viewed in person or requested by mail.
 * Where to Write for Delaware Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov

Obituaries

 * 1930-Current U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1980-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Delaware Newspapers and Obituaries at LDS Genealogy — index
 * Find Online Obituaries, Newspapers, Cemetery and Death Records at Archives.com — index & images ($)

Cemeteries

 * 1949-1969 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * BillionGraves — index & images
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
 * FindaGrave — index & images
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * Delaware Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy — index
 * Delaware Death and Cemetery Records at Interment.net — index
 * Delaware Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Tombstones — index

U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at


 * 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($); Picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off by providing information filed in the application or claims process
 * 1962-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index


 * If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

For more information, see Delaware Obituaries and Delaware Cemeteries.

Step 4: Search for birth and marriage records online.
'''Vital records registration of births and marriages at the state level started in 1942. Prior to that the individual towns kept the records. The starting dates and level of compliance of those records vary from town to town.''' The examples shown above are index entries. That means for each of them an actual, original, full certificate exists. In some cases, the image of the original is found online. For others, it is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index.

Online Records
Births Marriages
 * 1697-1886 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1710-1896 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1800-1932 Delaware, U.S., Birth Records, 1800-1932 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1861-1922 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1713-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1744-1912 Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1744-1912 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1806-1933 Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1806-1933 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1850-1900 U.S., Hochheimer Marriage Records, 1850-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1913-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Writing to a Town or City Clerk
Vital records were first kept in Delaware from the earliest permanent settlement, about 1710. All original records are maintained by the town or city and can be viewed at the town or city clerk’s office or requested in writing. The present vital registration law was enacted in 1847. This statute required that all vital events be recorded in the town where they occurred. A centralized registration system was established in 1921.

Order Certificates from Delaware Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).


 * Where to Write for Delaware Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Delaware, see How to Find Delaware Birth Records, How to Find Delaware Marriage Records, and How to Find Delaware Death Records.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information. - Example of a World War I draft card. - Example of a World War II draft card.



'''Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
- For more information and additional collections, see Delaware Military Records.
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Step 6: Look for church records online.
Church records function as vital records. Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
 * An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
 * Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
 * Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.



FamilySearch

 * 1650-1974 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1680-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1697-1886 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1707-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1710-1896 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1713-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1750-1886 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1815-1955 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Ancestry.com

 * 1697-1886 Delaware, U.S., Baptisms, 1697-1886 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1744-1912 Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1744-1912 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1750-1886 Delaware, U.S., Church Deaths, 1750-1886 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1750-1899 U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1750-1954 Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1750-1954 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1800-1932 Delaware, U.S., Birth Records, 1800-1932 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1806-1933 Delaware, U.S., Marriage Records, 1806-1933 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1861-1933 Delaware, U.S., Death Records, 1861-1933 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Baptist

 * 1750-1899 U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Catholic

 * Pre-1900 Sacramental Records for Diocese Of Wilmington Pre-1900 at Lalley.com — index
 * 1750-1888 (*) Carley, Edward B. and Catholic Church Parishes at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1876-2012 Web: Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., Catholic Diocese Cemeteries Index, 1876-2012 at Ancestry — index ($)

Community of Christ, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

 * 1867-1965 (*) Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, New York-Philadelphia District at FamilySearch Catalog — images; includes records for the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut and New Jersey

Presbyterian

 * 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Quaker Society of Friends

 * 1681-1935 U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 at Ancestry — index & images ($)


 * For help with church records kept in Delaware, see Delaware Church Records.
 * To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.

 * County probate records include '''probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
 * In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
 * Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.



Search these indexes and images for probate records.

 * 1600-1850 Mayflower Deeds and Probates, 1600-1850 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1676-1971 Delaware, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1676-1971 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1683-1947 Delaware, U.S., Wills and Administrations, 1683-1947 at Ancestry — images ($)

Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Delaware county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Delaware Counties

For more information, see Delaware Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.



Delaware Immigration Records

 * United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records


 * 1500-1900 U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1820-1874 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Delaware Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * United States Naturalization and Citizenship Online Genealogy Records


 * 1794-1995 U.S., Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1795-1925 U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1796-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1796-1959 Delaware, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1796-1959 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1840-1957 U.S., Naturalization Records, 1840-1957 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * Naturalization Records at Delaware.gov Archives — index

For more information, see Delaware Emigration and Immigration and Delaware Naturalization and Citizenship.

Step 9: Search land records online.
These records will give the They can contain clues to
 * names of the buyer (grantee) and seller (grantor),
 * previous or new residence of the parties to the deed
 * the date they obtained the land,
 * the description of exact location of the land, sometimes mentioning neighbors.
 * family members who shared ownership of the land,
 * sold or gave land to a child, or
 * officially witnessed the sale.

Search for any ancestor's land records.

 * 1600-1850 Mayflower Deeds and Probates, 1600-1850 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

For more information, see Delaware Land and Property and United States Land and Property.

Local Histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories: Delaware; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"


 * Google Books. Use keywords "Delaware" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * County and Town Histories
 * Internet Archive. Use keywords "Delaware" and the county name.
 * Ancestry.com ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Delaware and the name of the county.

FamilySearch Collected Local Histories

 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.
 * If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find local histories by:
 * Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
 * In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
 * A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.

Biography Collections

 * Biographical and Genealogical History of the State of Delaware, Chambersburg, PA: J.M. Ruck and Co., 1899. Online at: Vol. 1 - Internet Archive; Vol. 2 - Internet Archive
 * Biographical Sketches of Prominent Delawareans, by Thomas, Rev. Samuel W. Wilmington: Historical Society of Delaware, 1901. Online at: HathiTrust
 * Historical and Biographical Papers V. II, Wilmington: Historical Society of Delaware, n.d. Online at: HathiTrust

Step 11: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
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 * Historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
 * Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
 * Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the area.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.


 * Find the society on the internet, and they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, one of their members can be hired to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.

Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * Delaware, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * Delaware, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Delaware Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Delaware Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Delaware Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * Delaware Online Genealogy Records

Step 13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Delaware.
This article focused more on Delaware state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Delaware. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.