Delaware Church Records

United States   Delaware    Church Records



Many religious groups have kept records of Delaware families. Before 1900 the largest denominations were the Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Quakers (Society of Friends).

A transcription of the registers and minutes of nearly 100 church records from the 1680s to the 1930s was made by the Delaware Historical Records Survey. These are at the Delaware Public Archives and are on microfilm at the Family History Library.

Delaware Church Records: A Research Guide is a free online guide created by the University of Delaware Library.

An old list of church addresses and ministers is:


 * Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations in Delaware. Dover, Delaware: Historical Records Survey, 1942. ; digital version at Ancestry ($). To find the nearest library that has this book, use WorldCat.

There is an index to many baptisms, 1759-1890, on microfilm under: Delaware. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Index Cards of Delaware Marriages, Baptisms, Births, and Death, 1689-1913, located in the. The following publications contain information concerning church members and groups:


 * Raymond B. Clark's, Delaware Church Records, contains baptisms, marriages, deaths, and tombstone inscriptions from several churches including Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Quaker churches for the period 1686-1880. A copy of the book can be found in the . Publisher's bookstore. For a copy nearest you, check WorldCat.
 * Frederick Lewis Weis's The Colonial Clergy of Maryland, Delaware, and Georgia, is an alphabetical listing of the clergy in Delaware from 1638-1776, and includes names, dates, and places. A copy of the book is located in the . For a copy nearest you, check WorldCat.

Many denominations have collected their records into central repositories. The following are addresses of regional archives:

Amish
Allen B. Clark's, This Is Good Country: A History of the Amish of Delaware, 1915-1988, has information about the European beginnings of the Mennonite and Amish groups, their migration, and settlement in Delaware. It also includes traditions, names and dates. A copy of the book can be found in the. To locate the copy nearest you, try WorldCat.

Baptist
American Baptist Historical Society 3001 Mercer University Dr. Atlanta, GA 30341 Phone: (678) 547-6680

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)
Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for Delaware Wards and Branches can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers, for each ward, can be locate through the Family History Library Catalog. Or by refering to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. (FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507). These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

Lutheran
Horace Burr's, The Records of Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church, Wilmington, Delaware, from 1697-1773, contains English translations and abstracts from the original church records. It also includes traditions, names, and dates. A copy can be found in the. Digital versions at Google Books; Internet Archives. To find the nearest library that has this book use WorldCat.

Methodist
United Methodist Archives Center Drew University 36 Madison Ave. Madison, NJ 07940-4007 Telephone: (973) 408-3125 Fax: (973) 408-3770

Presbyterian
The Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 Telephone: (215) 627-1852 Fax: (215) 627-0509

Roman Catholic
Diocese of Wilmington Archives P.O. Box 2030 Greenville, DE 19899 Telephone: (302) 655-0597

The Diocese of Wilmington consists of the Delaware counties of Kent, New Castle and Sussex. The diocese also covers the following counties in Maryland: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester.

Society of Friends (Quaker)
Friends Historical Library Swarthmore College 500 College Avenue Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399 Telephone: (610) 328-8496 Fax: (610) 690-5728 E-mail: [mailto:friends@swarthmore.edu friends@swarthmore.edu]

Websites

 * Awesome Genealogy has a few transcribed church records for Delaware.

Wiki articles describing these collections are found at:


 * Delaware Births and Christenings (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Delaware Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Delaware Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)