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.

Delaware Online Genealogy Records

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.


 * 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 name across state line, Kent County, Maryland

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

 * Kent County, Delaware Record Dates

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

Boundary Changes

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

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.

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:

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Maps and Gazetteers

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

American Revolution

 * 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 - How to Use this Collection

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

World War II

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1802-1943 - Delaware, Federal Naturalization Records, 1802-1943 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Probate Records
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

 * 1650-1974 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * See also How to order Delaware Vital Records, * order electronically online$ or download an application for Delaware

Birth
Birth Certificate

Marriage

 * 1784-2007 Delaware, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * Marriage Certificate

Death
Death Certificate to mail

Family History Centers

 * Dover Delaware Family History Center
 * Newark Delaware Family History Center


 * Cecil County Public Library - Cecilton Branch - an affiliate library
 * Cecil County Public Library - Chesapeake City Branch - an affiliate library
 * Winterthur Library - an affiliate library

Societies, Libraries, and Museums

 * Downstate Delaware Genealogical Society P.O. Box 1787 Dover, DE 19903-1787 Email: [mailto:info@downstatedegenealogists.org info@downstatedegenealogists.org] Website Facebook


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


 * The Greater Harrington Historical Society 108 Fleming St Harrington DE 19952 302-398-3698 Email: [mailto:info@ghhsociety.org info@ghhsociety.org] Website Facebook


 * Milford Historical Society 501 Northwest Front Street Milford, DE 19963 Email: [mailto:parsonthorne@gmail.com parsonthorne@gmail.com] Twitter Facebook

Websites

 * Kent County, DE History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * 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)