Bowdoin, Sagadahoc County, Maine Genealogy

Description
Bowdoin, Maine at Wikipedia

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places:

Adjacent Towns
Adjacent towns: Sagadahoc Co.:  Bath | Georgetown | Phippsburg | Woolwich

Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office

Bowdoin Town Clerk
Bowdoin Town Clerk 23 Cornish Drive Bowdoin, ME 04287 Telephone: (207)353-6949 Fax: (207)353-9126 E-mail:[mailto:townclerkbowdoinme@comcast.net townclerkbowdoinme@comcast.net] Website

Births

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1688-1892 Bowdoin, ME: Vital Records, 1688-1892 at American Ancestors - index & images ($)
 * 1739-1900 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1856-1891 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * to 1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Marriages

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1688-1892 Bowdoin, ME: Vital Records, 1688-1892 at American Ancestors - index & images ($)
 * 1759-1777 Lincoln County, ME: Commissioners Marriage Records, 1759-1777 at American Ancestors — index ($), includes counties: Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Washington.
 * 1771-1907 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1856-1891 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * to 1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Deaths

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1688-1892 Bowdoin, ME: Vital Records, 1688-1892 at American Ancestors - index & images ($)
 * 1841-1910 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1856-1891 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1960-1996 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * to 1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Town Reports
The town of Bowdoin kept annual town reports. These reports often contained birth, marriage, and death information. Below is a list of years when Bowdoin kept town reports. (NOTE: Occasionally, these town reports missed vital statistic information from the end of the year. If you don't find your ancestor's vital information, check the following year's town report to see if your ancestor's information was recorded later.)

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

 * Bowdoin Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Sagadahoc County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places

Church Records
Historically, the largest religious groups in Maine were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page. To see the churches in Bowdoin, visit FamilySearch Places. Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of Bowdoin
 * 1734-1907 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1735-2006 (*) Allen County Public Library at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
 * Maine Church Records

City Directories

 * 1905-1933 Maine, U.S., City Directories, Bowdoin at Ancestry - index & images ($), some years may be missing
 * 1942, 1944 Maine, U.S., City Directories, Bowdoin at Ancestry - index & images ($), some years may be missing
 * Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index & images ($) some towns and years may be missing

Land Records
The following are online land records for the town of Bowdoin:
 * 1826-1856 (*) Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images (Sagadahoc County was part of Lincoln County until 1854)
 * 1824-1861 (*) Manuscript on Film; Maine Land Office at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1824-1964 (*) Manuscript on Digital Images; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
 * 1825-1874 (*) Maine Land Agent; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1832-1853 (*) Maine Land Agent at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1841-1884 (*) Maine Land Agent; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
 * 1854-1869 (*) Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
 * 1855-1902 (*) Manuscript on Digital Images at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * Maine Land and Property

Local Histories
Go to Archive.org to find published materials for this town.

Maps
This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps
 * Boundary Map of Bowdoin at HomeTownLocator
 * Bowdoin at FamilySearch Places
 * Bowdoin at Google Maps
 * Bowdoin at Maine.gov
 * Bowdoin at Mapcarta
 * McConnell's Historical Maps of the United States at Library of Congress
 * Old Maps of Maine at Old-Maps.com
 * Maine Maps State Page

Military
Some Records are Searchable by Town

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:
 * Maine Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 * United States Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Civil War, 1861-1865
For more Civil War Military Records see:
 * Maine Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865
 * United States Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865

World War I, 1917-1918
For more World War I Military Records see:
 * Maine Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918
 * United States Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918

World War II, 1941-1945
For more World War II Military Records see:
 * Maine Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945
 * United States Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945

Newspapers

 * 1784-2023 York County, Maine Newspaper Archive at York Public Library - index & images

Other Town Records
In Maine, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town. These records may include the following: The following are Bowdoin town records available online:

Probate Records
In Maine, most probate records are kept at the town level. The following are online probate records for the town of Bowdoin:
 * 1584-1999 Maine, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1640-1760 (*) Compiled and Edited with Notes by William M. Sargent at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1760-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Maine Probate Records

FamilySearch Centers & Affiliate Libraries

 * Oxford Maine FamilySearch Center
 * Portland Maine FamilySearch Center
 * Randolph New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
 * Rockland Maine FamilySearch Center
 * Wolfeboro New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
 * Camden Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Kennebunk Free Library - an affiliate library
 * Maine State Library - an affiliate library
 * Scarborough Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Springvale Public Library - an affiliate library