Somerset County, Maryland Genealogy

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

Courthouse
Clerk of the Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, court and land records from 1666. Register of Wills has probate records. 1830 Census missing.

History

 * Named for Mary, Lady Somerset, wife of Sir John Somerset and daughter of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour, sister of Anne (Arundell) Calvert, Baroness Baltimore, wife of Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore.

Parent County

 * Created 22 August 1666 from the Colonial lands.

Boundary Changes

 * 22 October 1742, Worcester County set off
 * 17 August 1867, Wicomico County set off
 * For animated maps illustrating Maryland county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Maryland County Boundary Maps" (1637-1997) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Variant Spellings

 * Somersett

Record Loss
In 1831 the courthouse burned, but the records were saved.


 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1890

City

 * Crisfield

Town

 * Princess Anne

Neighboring Counties
Maryland counties:


 * Dorchester
 * St. Mary's
 * Wicomico
 * Worcester

Virginia county:


 * Accomack

Cemetery Transcriptions

 * Findagrave Transcriptions
 * Histories and Transcriptions of Cemeteries in Somerset County.
 * Interment
 * Tombstone Transcription Project

Census

 * 1800 Somerset County Census Images
 * 1850 Somerset County Census Transcriptions

Federal Census reports available 1800-1930 including slave and veterans schedules. Exception-1830 Federal Census is missing.

Church

 * 1668-1995 at FamilySearch — index

The following records, taken from its collection, have been digitized and made available to view for free online:
 * Maryland State Archives' Maryland State Archives' 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.


 * Methodist, 1856-1968 (includes membership, minutes, and other registers for various congregations)
 * Methodist, Smith Island Charge 1884-1967 (includes membership and church records for various congregations)
 * Methodist Episcopal, 1875-1967 (includes registers, minutes, and records for various congregations)
 * Methodist Protestant, 1820s-1960s (covers various congregations)
 * Presbyterian, Manokin Church, Princess Anne, Md. 1737-1964 (includes church history, register, session records, committee proceedings, treasurer's accounts, and Woman's Society Minutes)
 * Protestant Episcopal (Church of England), St. Mark's Church, Coventry Parish, Kingston, Md. (includes parish registers 1745-1911 (some gaps) and vestry minutes 1772-1915)

Family Histories
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General


 * Barnes, Robert W., F. Edward Wright, Vernon L. Skinner and Henry C. Peden. Colonial Families of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. 23 vols. Westminster, Md.: Family Line, 1996-2003; Lewes, Del.: Delmarva Roots and Colonial Roots, 2007. ff. [Somerset County families appear in Vols. 7-10, 12, 15, 17-18, 20, and 22.]

Bibliography


 * [Bell] Bell, John B. "Four Early Thomas Bells on the Eastern Shore of Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1985):278-288; Vol. 30, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1986):3-16. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number..
 * [Chancellor] Wroe, William Clarke. The Wroe and Chancellor Families, with Special Attention to the Descendants of Chancellor Wroe (1782-1818) and His Wife, Elizabeth Monroe Chancellor (1793-1872). Edgewater, Md.: W.C. Wroe, 1992. Digital version at Family History Archives;.
 * [Covington] Covington, Elbert E. Covington and Kin. DeSoto, Illinois: E.E. Covington, 1973?. Available at ; digital version at.
 * [Delaymos] Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60.
 * [Elzey] Boddie, Mrs. John Boddie. Historical Southern Families. Volume XIV. Baltimore, 1970..
 * [Gadd] Russell, George Ely. "John Lumbroso Jr. (1666-1744) of Pasquotank County, North Carolina," The American Genealogist, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jan. 1983):32.
 * [Gibbons] Dryden, Ruth T. The Gibbons Family of Somerset County, Maryland. San Diego, California: R.T. Dryden, 1991. Available at.
 * [Gordy] See Melson.
 * [Hayman] Gordon, Evelyn Hayman and Gilbert Gordon. The James Alderman Hayman Family and Their Ancestral Florida Pioneers. Tampa, Fla.: privately published, 1986..
 * [Hayman] Brayton, John Anderson. "The Hayman Family of Somerset Co., Md., and Pasquotank Co., N.C.," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Aug. 2005):248-254.
 * [Layfield] Hatcher, Patricia Law. "'Mother Nottle': A Correction to the Ancestry of George and Samuel Layfield of Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 77, No. 1 (Jan. 2002):18-24.
 * [London] Richardson, Douglas. "Ambrose London of New York, Virginia and Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 58, No. 3 (Jul. 1982):160-163.
 * [London] Richardson, Douglas. "Major Ambrose London of New York, Virginia, and Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 64, No. 2 (April 1989):75-78.
 * [Manlove] Russell, George Ely. "The Migrations of Mark Manlove (ca.1617-1666) in New England, Virginia, and Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 61, No. 2 (Jul./Oct. 1985):71-76.
 * [Melson] Melson, Lewis B. The Melson Family in America: With Special Emphasis on the John-John-Daniel-Daniel-Benjamin-Samson Branch that Originated on the Eastern Shore of the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia Peninsula. 2 vols. Annapolis: L.B. Melson, 1996. Available at.
 * [Parramore] Bell, John Barr. "Another Adventurer John Parramore (1607-1676)," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1991):3-17. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number..
 * [Parramore] Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004-2007. Volume 2..
 * [Pilcher] Uhrbrock, Richard S. "Pilchers (Pilchards) and Reddens of Delmarva," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Jul.-Sepl 1974):187-195. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number..
 * [Roades] Redden, Robert J. "The Roades Family of Colonial Sussex County Delaware," Delaware Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Apr. 1994):49-53; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1994):73-75.
 * [Robins] Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004-2007. Volume 2..
 * [Russell] Russell, George Ely. "John Russell from Somerset County, Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Jul. 1980):144-147.
 * [Smith] Smith, Wesley. A Family History and Fifty-two Years of Preacher Life in Mississippi and Texas. Nashville, Tenn.: University Press, 1898. Available at . [Discusses seventeenth-century Smith immigrants.]
 * [Standbridge] Brayton, John Anderson. "The Hayman Family of Somerset Co., Md., and Pasquotank Co., N.C.," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Aug. 2005):248-254.
 * [Townsend] Bayles, John J. and James L. Taylor. Some Descendants of John Townsend of Snow Hill, Maryland, 1640-1698, Accomack Co., Va., and Somerset Co., Md. Oxnard, California: J.J. Bayles, 1989. Available at.
 * [Vaughan] "The Vaughan Family of Sussex County," Delaware Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct. 2006):91-95.
 * [Waggaman] "The Ennalls and Waggaman Families of Maryland," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Oct. 1893):98-105. Digital version at JSTOR - free.
 * [Waggaman] Edwards, Thomas Clarke. The Waggamans and Their Allied Families. Paramus, New Jersey: T.C. Edwards, 1983. Available at.
 * [Wright] Wright, Charles W. The Wright Ancestry of Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset and Wicomico Counties Maryland. Baltimore: Baltimore City Printing and Binding Co., 1907. Available at ; digital versions at and Google Books (full-view).

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 Somerset County immigration resources include:


 * [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=Somerset&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 transported convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Somerset County, Maryland, courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database. [Includes Richard J. Cox's abstracts of Maryland Gazette runaways.]

Land
Through a Joint eGovernment Service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives, free images and indexes of the complete series of Somerset County Deed Books (1665-present) have been uploaded to their website: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)

Revolutionary War
Somerset County men served in the 3rd Maryland Regiment and the 4th Maryland Regiment.


 * 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 et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Maryland, Somerset County on page 128.]

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; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Maryland, Somerset County, p. 155. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index


 * - 1st Regiment, Maryland Eastern Shore Infantry, Company K.
 * - Purnell Legion, Maryland Infantry, Companies D and G.

Newspapers

 * Somerset County newspapers are identified in "Guide to Maryland Newspapers," available online, courtesy: Special Collections, Maryland State Archives.

Probate

 * Probate Records, Colonial Index, 1634-1777 online at Maryland State Archives website - free

Online Probate Records
 * 1604 – 1878 Maryland Wills and Probate Records 1604-1878 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1635 – 1743 Maryland Calendar of Wills 1635-1743 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1796 – 1940 at FamilySearch images

Taxation

 * 1723-1759 - Online access to 31 of the tax lists between 1723 and 1759 are available from the Maryland State Archives: 1723-1759 Tax Lists
 * 1678, 1681 - 1678 and 1681 Som[e]rsett County tax list, available online, courtesy: MDGenWeb.
 * 1724 - Jacob, John E. "Somerset County, Maryland, 1724 Tax Lists," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Sep. 1973):195-200; Vol. 61, No. 4 (Dec. 1973):285-294..
 * 1727 - Miller, Rebecca Furniss. 1727 Tax List. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice Genealogy, 1992..
 * 1730, 1733, 1744, 1748 - Miller, Rebecca Furniss. 1730, 1733, 1744 &amp; 1748 Tax Lists, Somerset County, Maryland. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice, 1992..
 * 1730-1740 - Russo, J. Elliott. Tax Lists of Somerset County, 1730-1740. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1992..
 * 1733 - Lankford, Wilmer O. 1733 Tax List, Somerset County, Maryland. Princess Anne, Md.: Manokin Press, 1992..
 * 1739 - Powell, Judy. Somerset County, Maryland, 1739 Tax List. Roanoke, Tex.: J. Powell, 1990..
 * 1753 - Miller, Rebecca Furniss. Somerset County, State of Maryland, 1753 Tax List. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice Genealogy, 1990s..
 * 1757 - Miller, Rebecca Furniss. 1757 Tax List. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice Genealogy, 1992..
 * 1759 - Miller, Rebecca Furniss. 1759 Tax List. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice Genealogy, 1994..
 * 1783 - Somerset 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.
 * 1798 - Reedy, Tom. The 1798 Federal Direct Tax of Somerset County, Maryland. Westminster, Md.: Willow Bend Books, 1999..
 * 1798-1803 - Powell, Judy. Somerset County, Maryland Tax Lists, 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803. Roanoke, Tex.: J. Powell, 1992..

Marriage

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

Death

 * 1898 - 1944 Maryland Death Index 1898-1944

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * Somerset County, Maryland Genealogy, History and Facts (Genealogy Inc)
 * Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History &amp; Culture includes bibliographies of sources, family history guides, biographies, etc.
 * "Somerset Co.," in Genealogical Sources in Periodicals at The Maryland State Archives.
 * , Somerset County.
 * Genealogy Trails
 * The Somerset County MDGenWeb Project, a member of The MDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Somerset County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Somerset County. (Backup site)
 * Somerset Links