Charles County, Maryland Genealogy

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



Description
Calvert County was named for Charles Calvert. The county is located in the southwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Charles County Courthouse 200 Charles Street La Plata, MD 20646 Phone: 301-932-3201 Phone: 301-870-2659 Charles County Website

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cemeteries
Vol. 21 Vol. 24
 * New Saint Peters Cemetery - page 85
 * Old Saint Peters Cemetery - page 97
 * Trinity Parish Episcopal Church Cemetery - page 100

Census Records
Constable's Census of Charles County, 1775-1778 (1800 Persons): Including Durham Parish; Benedict Hundred; Port Tobacco; West Hundred; Upper Hundred; East Hundred, Newport; Port Tobacco, Upper Hundred; Port Tobacco, Town Hundred; Port Tobacco, East Hundred; Pomonkey; Newport, West Hundred; William and Mary, Lower Hundred; Bryan Town Hundred, is available online, see pages 297-312 and index in:


 * Maryland Records: Colonial, Revolutionary, County and Church from Original Sources. Vol. 1. By Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh. 1915. Baltimore, Md.: Williams & Wilkins Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Federal Census reports available 1790-1940 including slave and veterans schedules.

Church Records

 * 1668-1995 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
 * Guide to Maryland Religious Institutions is not intended to be a complete listing of all Religious institutions in Maryland. It was originally based upon the churches recorded by the Federal Works Progress Administration during a records survey conducted from 1935 to 1941. It has been expanded by later acquisitions from religious organizations to the Maryland State Archives.
 * Protestant Episcopal (Church of England), Trinity Church, Trinity Parish (includes parish register 1729-1797, vestry minutes 1750-1795, 1840-1922, and various treasurer's accounts 1790s-1860s)

Church of England See the following parishes: List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Durham Parish
 * Piccawaxen Parish
 * Port Tobacco Parish
 * Trinity Parish
 * William and Mary Parish
 * FamilySearch Places

Emigration and Immigration
The New Early Settlers of Maryland database is a great place to start searching for immigrants who had arrived in the colony by the 1680s. The database "comprises 34,326 entries from Gust Skordas' Early Settlers of Maryland and Carson Gibb's Supplement to the Early Settlers of Maryland." Available online, courtesy: Maryland State Archives.

Other Charles County immigration resources include:
 * 1897-1952 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * [http://www.pricegen.com/immigrantservants/search/advancedResults.php?surname=&givenName=&varientSurnameSpellings=&gender=&dateOfBirthDay=&dateOfBirthMonth=&dateOfBirthQuantifier=&dateOfBirthYear=&placeOfBirthParish=&placeOfBirthTown=&placeOfBirthCity=&placeOfBirthCounty=&placeOfBirthColony=&placeOfBirthNation=&occupations=&religions=&orphan=&familyPosition=&immigrationYearQualifier=&immigrationYear=&portOfDepartureTown=&portOfDepartureCity=&portOfDepartureCounty=&portOfDepartureNation=&placeOfArrivalTown=&placeOfArrivalCounty=&placeOfArrivalColony=&shipName=&convict=&yearOfIndentureQualifier=&yearOfIndenture=&lengthOfIndentureYears=&lengthOfIndentureMonths=&yearOfFreedomQualifier=&yearOfFreedom=&placeOfIndentureTown=&placeOfIndentureCity=&placeOfIndentureCounty=Charles&placeOfIndentureColony=Maryland&agentSurname=&agentGivenName=&agentTitle=&masterSurname=&masterGivenName=&masterTitle=&residenceParish=&residenceTown=&residenceCity=&residenceCounty=&residenceColony=&residenceNation=&landowner=&literate=&spouseSurname=&spouseGivenName=&spouseMarriageDateDay=&spouseMarriageDateMonth=&spouseMarriageDateQualifier=&spouseMarriageDateYear=&spouseMarriageLocationParish=&spouseMarriageLocationCounty=&spouseMarriageLocationColony=&spouseMarriageLocationNation=&deathDateDay=&deathDateMonth=&deathDateQualifier=&deathDateYear=&deathLocality=&deathCounty=&deathColony=&deathState=&testate=&proofServantStatus=&proofConvictStatus=&headright=&preServitudeSources=&postServitudeSources=&comments=&family=&sourceCitations=&interestedResearchers= List of imported servants and convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Charles County, Maryland (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database. [Includes Richard J. Cox's abstracts of Maryland Gazette runaways.]

Genealogies

 * A'Gambra - Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60; Vol. 77, No. 1 (Apr. 2001):138-147. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Addison - Kennedy, Mary Selden. Seldens of Virginia and Allied Families. New York: Frank Allaben Genealogical Co., c1911. . Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 2 - Internet Archive; Vols. 1 & 2 - Ancestry ($).
 * Baptista - Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60; Vol. 77, No. 1 (Apr. 2001):138-147.
 * Boarman - Thomas, C.F. and Emily Emerson Lentz. The Boarmans. Washington, D.C.: C.F. Thomas, 1934..
 * Boughton - Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2005. See Volume 2..
 * Brown - Horner, Frederick. The History of the Blair, Banister and Braxton Families Before and After the Revolution: With a Brief Sketch of Their Descendants. Philadelphia: J.P. Lippincott, 1898. . Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * Brown - Kennedy, Mary Selden. Seldens of Virginia and Allied Families. New York: Frank Allaben Genealogical Co., c1911. . Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 2 - Internet Archive; Vols. 1 & 2 - Ancestry ($).
 * Brown - Copeland, Pamela C. and Richard K. MacMaster. The Five George Masons: Patriots and Planters of Virginia and Maryland. Lorton, Va.: The Board of Regents of Gunston Hall, 1989..
 * Burford - Lomax, E.L. Genealogy of the Virginia Family of Lomax. Chicago: Rand McNally and Co., 1913. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
 * Chilton - Dorman, John Frederick. "The Chilton Families of Virginia and Maryland," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1967):71-78; Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1967):121-125; Vol. 11, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1967):167-174; Vol. 12, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1968):15-18; Vol. 12, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1968):83-86; Vol. 12, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1968):109-113; Vol. 12, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1968):169-175; Vol. 13, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1969):32-36; Vol. 13, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1969):65-71; Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1969):177-180; Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1970):15-22; Vol. 14, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1970):75-82; Vol. 14, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1970):123-128; Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1970):165-168; Vol. 15, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1971):32-41; Vol. 15, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1971):122-124; Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1971):259-264; Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1972):301-306. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Compton - King, Larry. Blue Ridge Mountain Kinfolks: A Record of Ancestors, Descendants and Relatives of the Author and Wife, Including Fisher - Gilbert - Hall - Hartley - Hill - King - Kirby - Lawson Families. Manchester, Tenn.: King, 1976..
 * Covert - King, George Harrison Sanford. "Maryland Coverts Become Virginia Colverts, Colberts and Calverts," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1970):3-10; Vol. 14, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1970):65-70. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Doughty - Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2005. See Volume 2..
 * Douglass - Thompson, Neil D. "The Douglass Family of Charles County, Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 49, No. 4 (Oct. 1973):193-202; Vol. 50, No. 1 (Jan. 1974):45-51. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Douglass - Thompson, Neil D. "The Douglass Family of Charles County, Maryland: Some Further Observations," The American Genealogist, Vol. 53, No. 2 (Apr. 1977):76-78..
 * Eaton - Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2005. See Volume 2..
 * Fernando - Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60;  Vol. 77, No. 1 (Apr. 2001):138-147.
 * Forbes - Gordon, John Steele. "Who Was the Wife of James Forbes, Member of the Continental Congress from Maryland?," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (Jan. 2001):29-35.
 * Fowke - Copeland, Pamela C. and Richard K. MacMaster. The Five George Masons: Patriots and Planters of Virginia and Maryland. Lorton, Va.: The Board of Regents of Gunston Hall, 1989..
 * Gambra - See A'Gambra.
 * Glaze - Harris, Gale Ion. "John Glaze, Planter, of Charles County, Maryland: With Notes on Other Early Glaze Families in America," The Genealogist, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 2003):37-60.
 * Hawley - Hawley, Laura. Hawley, Halley, Holley and Families of Similar Surnames Found in Early Records of England, Maryland and Virginia. Bowie, Md.: Willow Bend Books, 2003.
 * Higdon - Coone, Lucille Barco and Robert S. Higdon. Colonial Higdons and Some of Their Descendants. Rev. ed. Manassas, Va.: L.B. Coone, 1978..
 * Hoskins - Russell, George Ely. "Colonel Philip Hoskins (c1650-1718) of Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 51, No. 1 (Mar. 1963):26-31, 248. 973 B2ng v. 51
 * Hoskins - "Colonel Philip Hoskins of Charles County, Maryland Addenda," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 51, No. 4 (Dec. 1963):248..
 * Lamar - Lamar, William Harmong, "Thomas Lamar of the Province of Maryland, and a Part of His Descendants," Publications of the Southern History Association, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jul. 1897):203-210. Digitized by Internet Archive.
 * Lewis - Cook, Michael L. "Major William Lewis," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1984):243-250. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Lomax - Thompson, Neil D. "English Origins of the Lomax Family of Charles County, Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Jul. 1969):153-156. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Lumbrozo - Russell, George Ely. "Elizabeth (Wiles) (Lumbrozo) (Browne) Robinson of Charles Co., Maryland, 1662," The American Genealogist, Vol. 55 (1979):174-177. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Lumbrozo - Russell, George Ely. "John Lumbroso Jr. (1666-1744) of Pasquotank County, North Carolina," The American Genealogist, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jan. 1983):32.
 * Lumbrozo - Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60; Vol. 77, No. 1 (Apr. 2001):138-147..
 * Mills - Hackett, John Davis and Kathryn Dickerson Shannon. "Mills Families of Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1991):215-228; Vol. 35, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1991):284-296; Vol. 36, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1992):34-48; Vol. 36, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1992):109-119. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Render - Smith, Pearl O. Renders and Their Relatives; Joshua Render of Charles County, Maryland, and Orange County, Virginia, and His Descendants, 1720-1985. Arlington, Va.: P.O. Smith, 1985..
 * Stonestreet - Newman, Harry Wright. Stonestreet Family of Maryland, 1538-1958. Typescript, 1953..
 * Stonestreet -' Skidmore, Warren. Thomas Stonestreet of Birchden, Withyham, East Sussex, and of "Birchden" in Charles County, Maryland, with His Posterity Down to the Sixth Generation. Akron, Ohio: W. Skidmore, 1983..
 * Story - Thompson, Neil D. "Walter Story of Charles County, Maryland, Father and Son," The American Genealogist, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Jul. 1975):147-150. . Online at: American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * Swann - Joy, Charles Austin. "Descendants of Jonathan Swann of Charles County, Maryland, and Caroline County, Virginia," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 70 (1982):271-281.
 * Wheeler - Ball, Walter V. The Wheeler Family of Charles County, Maryland. Chevy Chase, Md.: W.V. Ball, 1966..

Land and Property Records
Through a Joint eGovernment Service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives, free images and indexes of the complete series of Charles County Deed Books (1658-present) have been uploaded to their website: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * The History of Charles County, Maryland. N.d. By Margaret Brown Klapthor and Paul Dennis Brown. La Plata, Maryland : Charles County Tercentenary. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Revolutionary War

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840.Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Maryland, Charles County on page 127.

War of 1812

 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Maryland, Charles County, p. 145. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection

World War II

 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

 * Charles County newspapers are identified in "Guide to Maryland Newspapers," available online, courtesy: Special Collections, Maryland State Archives.
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * Maryland, Wills and Probate Records at findmypast - index
 * 1634-1777 Maryland, Index To Colonial Probate Records, 1634-1777 at findmypast - index
 * 1634-1777 Probate Records, Colonial Index, 1634-1777 online at Maryland State Archives website - free
 * 1635–1743 Maryland Calendar of Wills 1635-1743 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1635–1777 Maryland Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1796–1940 at FamilySearch images - How to Use this Collection
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * 1642-1673 Rent Rolls Index, Charles County, Maryland 1642-1673. Digital version at The USGenWeb Archives - free.
 * 1678, 1681 1678 and 1681 Charles County tax lists, available online, courtesy: MDGenWeb.
 * 1733 1733 Charles County Tax Lists, available online, courtesy: The Combs-Coombs &amp;c. Research Group.
 * 1734 1734 Charles County Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1754 1754 Charles Town Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1755 1755 Lower Durham Parish Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1758 1758 West Portobacco Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1758 1758 Upper Trinity Parish Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1758 1758 Pomonkey Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1758 1758 Lower William and Mary Parish Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1758 1758 Lower Durham Parish Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1758 1758 East Newport Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
 * 1758 1758 Charles County Tax Lists, available online, courtesy: The Combs-Coombs &amp;c. Research Group. [Not all lists for 1758 survive.]
 * 1783 Charles County Tax List of 1783: This is an alphabetical index to names to all property owners assessed. The index cards at the Maryland State Archives include county, hundred, names of tracts of land and whether individuals were paupers or single males as provided in the law.

Marriage

 * 1658-1940 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1666-1970 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * Maryland Marriage References by Robert Barnes - free.
 * Marriage Records - Maryland State Archives

Death

 * 1898-1944 Maryland Death Index 1898-1944.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Lexington Park Maryland FamilySearch Center
 * White Plains Maryland FamilySearch Center
 * Kuethe Library Historical & Genealogical Research Center - an affiliate library.
 * National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Charles County Public Library Website Multiple locations

Societies
Historical Society of Charles County, Inc. P.O. Box 2806 La Plata, MD 20646 Website

Websites

 * The Charles County MD GenWeb Project, a member of The MDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * "Charles Co.," in Genealogical Sources in Periodicals at The Maryland State Archives.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Charles County.
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records