Delaware Vital Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of various vital records from the Delaware Public Archives. It includes birth, marriage, death, bible, and tombstone records. Althought the records span various year ranges they generally cover the years 1680 to 1971.

This collection of family Bible pages includes certificates, funeral programs, obituaries and other things found within family Bibles in the state of Delaware. Most of the folders in this waypoint - Delaware, Vital Records 1680-1961, Bible Records, Folder 64-103 contain a name of a family in the center tab of the file folder, with pages and memorabilia taken from that bible. However, a few of these folders do not appear to be from one family Bible and are folders composed entirely of one type of record. These folders do not have family names attached to them and the images within each folder appear to be from more than one family. This can be confusing when the individual search suddenly comes across several folders full of Burial or Removal Permits.

For a list of record categories currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
The following information may be found in the birth records:


 * Child’s name
 * Child’s sex
 * Birth date
 * Birth place
 * Registration date
 * Race
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' address
 * Parents' birth places
 * Father’s occupation

The following information may be found in the marriage records:


 * Full name of bride and groom
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Residence or address of bride and groom
 * Age of bride and groom
 * Groom’s occupation
 * Birth place of bride and groom
 * Parents of bride and groom
 * Number of marriage for bride and groom
 * Officiator

The following information may be found in the death records:


 * Name of deceased
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Age or birth date
 * Marital status
 * Cause of death
 * Occupation
 * Birth place
 * Name of parents
 * Surviving spouse
 * Race
 * Last known address
 * Parents' names
 * Informant’s names
 * Informant’s residence

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it will be helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the individual or individuals, such as the names of the bride and groom, the infant, or the deceased
 * The approximate date and place of the event

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Record Category" ⇒ Select the "Record Type, Year Range, and Volume" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the birth date along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * The father’s occupation can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records.
 * The parents' birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties.
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents. If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile birth entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents. Continue to search the birth records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who were born in the same county or nearby.
 * The information in vital records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from record to record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the appropriate related collection


 * Delaware State Birth Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Delaware State Death Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Delaware State Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities. Records of Delaware residents may also be recorded in adjoining states, such as Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Related Websites

 * Delaware Vital Records
 * Guide to Vital Records
 * Requesting Vital Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Wilmington Delaware Family History Center
 * Delaware
 * Delaware Vital Records
 * Delaware Births and Christenings (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Delaware Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Delaware Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation:  Image Citation