Cecil County, Maryland Genealogy

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

Courthouse
Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1777, divorce, court, and land records from 1674; Register of Wills has probate records; Clerk Court has indexes from 1674.

Maryland State Archives - Guide to Government Records - Cecil County Information

Register of Wills Circuit Courthouse 129 East Main Street - Suite 102 Elkton, Maryland 21921 (410) 996-5330 (888) 398-0301 Fax (410) 996-1039

Mailing Address: Register of Wills, Cecil County P O Box 468 Elkton, MD 21922-0468 Business Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday through Friday

History


Though Cecil County was not established by Lord Baltimore and his colonists until 1674, a small settlement came prior to that time. In 1633, twenty five years after John Smith sailed the tributaries of the Upper Chesapeake Bay, Englishman William Claiborne opened a trading post on Palmers Island at the mouth of the Susquehanna. He traded beavers and furs with the Susquehannocks, and sold them to the French in Canada. A small settlement and a plantation surrounded the first white man's post in the area.

There are two names that will forever be linked to the establishment of Cecil County. The first is the Second Lord Baltimore, Cecilius Calvert (1605-1675), for whom the County was named. He ruled the land called Maryland, after his father -The First Lord Baltimore died. He was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675.

The second name is that of Augustine Herman, one of Cecil's first land owners. Herman offered his masterful map making skills to create a map of Maryland, and in exchange received a large tract of land that spread out from the Bohemia River. Because of his skills he was considered an important man, and it was Herman who was able to convince Charles Calvert, the second Proprietary Governorof the Province of Maryland, to divide Cecil County out of Baltimore County. In 1674 Herman's wish was granted, and by proclamation, the boundaries for the new county of Cecil were established. The first courthouse was located on the Sassafras River.

The County seat is Elkton. The newspaper of record is the Cecil Whig.

Maryland Historic Trust's Inventory of Historic Propertiesfor Cecil County

Parent County

 * 1674--Cecil County was created 6 June 1674 from Baltimore County by a proclamation by the Proprietary Governor Cecil Calvert. County seat: Elkton.

Boundary Changes

 * 1659 - Much of what is now Cecil County was originally attached to Kent County until Baltimore County was created 12 January 1659. [[Image:Province of Maryland Boundaries.PNG|thumb|right|300px|Province of Maryland Boundaries.PNG]]
 * 1674 - Cecil County was erected by proclamation on June 6, 1674. The original boundaries of Cecil County, as created in 1674, by proclamation of Governor Charles Calvert, are described as follows: "From the mouth of the Susquehanna River down the eastern side of the bay to Swan Point, thence to Hell Point, and so up Chester River to the head thereof." Nothing appears to have been said about the eastern or northern bounds of the county, because they were in dispute, nevertheless the lord proprietary still claimed to the Delaware and to the fortieth degree of north latitude. These bounds were slightly varied by another proclamation issued a few days afterwards, which there is reason to believe threw a small part of what is now the extreme southwestern part of Kent County under the jurisdiction of the authorities of Kent Island.
 * The present county of Kent was in the original bounds of Cecil County for two weeks, until the inhabitants of Kent demanded their territory be returned.
 *  1732  - In 1732 John, Richard and Thomas Penn, who by will of their father had become joint proprietors of Pennsylvania, entered into a written agreement with Charles Calvert, the fifth Lord Baltimore, for the adjustment of the boundaries of the two provinces. trans-peninsular line
 * 1767 - The Mason-Dixon linewas established to end a boundary dispute between the British colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania/Delaware.
 *  1829  - The Legislature appointed commisioners to locate the boundary line between Cecil and Harford counties. They finished their work in 1832. Their report shows that they began at the State line, at a rock called Long Rock, in the middle of the Susquehanna River, and continued the line southwardly by various islands and rocks in the river until they reached a large rock at the lower part of Watson's Island.
 * 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

 * Caecill

Record Loss
Many early court records have disappeared.

Time Lines
Cecil County Chronology

Neighboring Counties
Harford | Kent | New Castle County, Delaware | Pennsylvania counties: Chester | Lancaster | York

Bible Records



 * Family Bible Records at the Historical Society of Cecil County
 * Bible Recordscontributed to USGenWeb

Cemeteries
There is a Cemetery Survey for Cecil county at the Maryland State Archives. The survey contains information about the cemetery at the time of the survey in the 1930s. The survey files DO NOT contain actual cemetery records. MSA S 1512-2777 00/59/06/55

Transcriptions of various cemeteries in Cecil County can be found at the following websites:


 * Findagrave
 * Interment
 * USGenWeb's Tombstone Transcription Project
 * Cecil County Cemetery Records from the Historical Society of Cecil County. On this page, you will find links to PDF files containing an inventory of Cecil County tombstone transcriptions. One of their most experienced family history researchers and a past president of the Genealogical Society of Cecil County, Gary Burns, has worked several years compiling this detailed spreadsheet. It is still a work in progress and only goes to the letter P right now, but you will find over 29,000 entries for Cecil County Tombstones thus far.
 * The Political Graveyard is a great resource for Politicians that were born, lived and died in Cecil County.

Published Transcriptions:


 * Dunn, Mary DeVine and Lillian DeVine. St. Francis Xavier Church, Warwick, Maryland, "Old Bohemia" : its history, the burial register : historical notes. Newtown, Pa. : Will-Britt Books. 1987.
 * Genealogical Society of Cecil County. Cecil County, MD, Tombstone Inscriptions, Districts 7, 8 &amp; 9, Volume I. Publisher [S.l.] : Genealogical Society of Cecil County, c1992. Includes 18 area graveyards; Districts 7, 8, &amp; 9
 * Cemeteries listed in District 7: Asbury, Baptist, Cokesbury United Methodist, Harmony Chapel Methodist, Jones Memorial, Patterson Private, Principio, Sterrett Private, St. Mark's Episcopal, Taylor's Private
 * Cemeteries listed in District 8: Bethesda, Conowingo Baptist, Mt. Zoar, Success Farm, St. Patrick's Catholic
 * Cemeteries listed in District 9: Brick Meeting House Quaker, Trinity Church, Zion Methodist, Zion Presbyterian
 * Robertson, Donna J.. Tombstone inscriptions of Cecil County. D.J. Robertson.1995.
 * Robertson, Donna J.. Tombstone inscriptions of Hopewell United Methodist Church Cemetery, Cecil County, Maryland. D.J. Robertson. 1995.
 * Williams, Mildred C. and Janet R. Brittingham. Cecil County, Maryland cemetery records: Elkton Presbyterian Churchyard, Bethel Methodist Churchyard, Leeds Church cemetery. Newtown, Pa.: Will-Britt Books. 1987.
 * search results for Cemeteries in Cecil County

For more information about Cemeteries in Maryland please refer to the Maryland Cemeteries page.

Census

 * The 1693 census of the Swedes on the Delaware : family histories of the Swedish Lutheran Church members residing in Pennsylvania, Delaware, west New Jersey and Cecil County, Md., 1638-1693, by Peter Stebbins Craig. Available through the, as well as other places.

Federal Census reports available 1790-1930 including slave and veterans schedules.


 * 1790 - 1840 Census Transcripts for Cecil County from the USGenWeb Census Project
 * 1850 Census Searchable index from FamilySearch
 * 1860 Census Searchable index from FamilySearch
 * 1870 Census Searchable index from FamilySearch
 * 1880 Census Searchable index from FamilySearch (no images)
 * FamilySearch Searchable index from FamilySearch.

Churches

 * Maryland State Archives' has a list of churches in Cecil County, compiled at the time of the WPA survey in the 1930s, MSA S 1512-2113 00/59/06/48. It covers all denominations and includes record descriptions. Note that Maryland State Archives WPA Survey files listed contain information about the church and records found at the church at the time of the survey in the 1930s. The survey files DO NOT contain actual parish registers or similar church records.
 * Nottingham, Cecil County, Maryland Quaker Records at Ancestry.com (subscription required). This database contains records for the Quaker Monthly Meeting for the city of Nottingham, which lies in Cecil County. Researchers may find records of birth, marriage and death for their nineteenth- century Quaker ancestors listed in this database.
 * 1668-1995 at FamilySearch — index
 * Church, and  in the FamilySearch Catalog
 * 1708-1985 - Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry.com – $; 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties.


 * Contains the church records of:
 * Earleville: St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

Church of England
See also North Elk Parish See also North Sassafras Parish

Court

 * Cecil County Orphans' Court
 * results in the FamilySearch Catalog
 * results for Cecil County in the FamilySearch Catalog

Before 1776, information may be found in any one of the following types of courts:


 * The Admiralty Court - Following the restoration of the Proprietary government, no Admiralty Court sat in Maryland until a Vice Admiral was commissioned in 1756. The court's jurisdiction included contracts, accounts, wages, treason, piracy, felonies, fugitives, mayhem, and bottomry (cases in which a shipowner put the ship up as security for a loan). The Constitution of 1776 established an Admiralty Court to try capture and seizures made and brought into Maryland ports. The court functioned until 1789, when the U.S. Constitution assigned admiralty jurisdiction to the federal courts.
 * The Provincial Court - The exact date of the creation of the Provincial Court is unknown; it is likely that it dates from Leonard Calvert's commission as Lieutenant General of the colony in 1637, which gave him the authority to try all cases except those concerning life, member, or freehold. Originally called the County Court, the Provincial Court was modeled after the English county courts. The name change probably occurred sometime between 1640 and 1642, when St. Mary's and Kent counties were created, each with a county court. The Provincial Court had concurrent jurisdiction with the county courts in most matters, served as an appellate court to the county courts, and had original jurisdiction in criminal cases involving life or member and in civil cases with value above a given sum or poundage of tobacco, which varied throughout the court's history. The Provincial Court also heard chancery, testamentary, and guardianship cases until the Chancery and Prerogative Courts were established and guardianship matters were transferred to the county courts. In addition, the Provincial Court had concurrent jurisdiction with the county courts in recording conveyances of land, which was compulsory after 1663.
 * The Prerogative Court - The probate court of Maryland for the greater part of the colonial period was called the Prerogative Court which was responsible for overseeing the administration of all the records related to the estate of a deceased person.
 * The Chancery Court

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. [Cecil County families appear in Vol. 6]
 * Biographies contributed to USGenWeb
 * section of the FamilySearch Catalog

Bibliography


 * [Anderson] Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210.
 * [Baker] White, Miles. "Henry Baker and Descendants," The Southern History Association, Vol. 5, No. 5 (Sep. 1901):388-400; Vol. 5, No. 6 (Nov. 1901):477-496. Digitized by Internet Archive - free.
 * [Campbell] Campbell, Donald H. The Campbell Family of Virginia. 1990s. Digital version at - free.
 * [Caulk] Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210.
 * [Clements] Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210.
 * [Cornelius] Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210.
 * [Creswell] Russell, George Ely. "David Creswell of Cecil County, Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Apr. 1970):65-73.
 * [Dunbar] Plummer, Judith M. Bald Friar Ferry in 1781 : across the Susquehanna River between Hartford and Cecil Counties in Maryland. Westbrook, Maine : J.M. Plummer, 2004. Digital version
 * [Eliason] Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210.
 * [Frist] Frist, William H. and Shirley Wilson. "Good people beget good people": a genealogy of the Frist family. Maryland:Rowman &amp; Littlefield. 2003.
 * [Hendrickson] Bendler, Bruce A. "The Hendrickson Family in Cecil County, Maryland: The First Three Generations," The Maryland and Delaware Genealogist, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Winter 1990):20-22..
 * [Janney] White, Miles. "Janney Genealogy," The Southern History Association, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Mar. 1904):119-128; Vol. 8, No. 3 (May 1904):196-211; Vol. 8, No. 4 (Jul. 1904):275-286. Digitized by Internet Archive - free.
 * [Lawson] Brayton, John A. The Complete Ancestry of Tennessee Williams. Winston-Salem, N.C.: J.A. Brayton, 1993..
 * [Mathews] Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210.
 * [Matthias] Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210.

Surname Files


 * Cecil County Surname Files at the Historical Society of Cecil County

Gazetteers
Gazetteer of the state of Maryland By Richard Swainson Fisher, pages 61-63 are about Cecil County.

A Gazetteer of Maryland and Delaware By Henry Gannett

A new and complete gazetteer of the United States: ... By Thomas Baldwin, J. Thomas

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 Cecil 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=Cecil&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 Cecil County, Maryland (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database. [Includes Richard J. Cox's abstracts of Maryland Gazette runaways.]
 * Burns, Gary L., compiler. Naturalization records, Cecil County, Maryland. Charlestown, Md (Box 11, Charlestown 21914) : Genealogical Society of Cecil County, 1997.

Land

 * Cecil County was created in 1674 from Baltimore County and Kent County however land patents and certificates date from 1649 in the area that now comprises Cecil County. The earliest land deed for Cecil County itself was recorded in 1674.
 * Through a Joint eGovernment Service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives, free images and indexes of the complete series of Cecil County Deed Books (1674-present) have been uploaded to their website: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)
 * Maryland State Archives Cecil County Land Survey, Subdivision, and Condominium Plats
 * Land Patents and Certificates in Cecil County, 1649-1774
 * Unpatented Certificates and Leases
 * Lot Holders in 1702 in the Township of Nottingham
 * Debt Books
 * FamilySearch Catalog results for, , and

Local Histories

 * Chesapeake City, People, Places and Events Remembered - Lee Collins has digitized an outstanding collection of photos, ephemera, and other materials of interest to those researching or studying the past in Chesapeake City.
 * An Introduction to the area history provided by Cecil County Tourism
 * The Nottingham Lots and the Early Quaker Families A Paper Presented by Robert Warwick Day, Ph.D. Spartanburg, South Carolina in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding in 1701 of the Nottingham Lots by William Penn and early Quaker settlers of Chester County, PA.
 * History of Cecil County, Maryland, and the early settlements around the head of Chesapeake Bay and on the Delaware River, with sketches of some of the old families of Cecil County by George Johnston.
 * in the FamilySearch Catalog

Maps

 * Catalog of Sanborn Mapsin the Collection of the Historical Society of Cecil County
 * Online maps available from the Historical Society of Cecil County
 * Cecil County. Simon J. Martenet, Martenet's Atlas of Maryland, 1865, Huntingfield Collection, MSA SC 1339-1-75
 * Cecil County GIS- Online Mapping. An interactive geographic information systems (GIS) website of Cecil County.
 * Map of the upper part of the peninsula, showing the locations of Indian Forts, Early Land Grants and Boundary Lines drawn by Geo. M. Reese under the direction of George Johnston, the author of History of Cecil County, Maryland and designed to illustrate the history of Cecil County.
 * USGS Quad Topographic Features in Cecil County
 * Cecil County Historical Markers
 * Province of Pennsylvania, 1681-1776
 * Maryland County Department of Transportation (D.O.T.) Maps - These maps are downloadable and are in PDF format. The main use of these are the locations of all known cemeteries in a county and of course the various roads and church locations

Military

 * Military Officers in 1696.
 * Colonial Militia of Cecil County in 1740.
 * John F. DeWitt Military Museum at the Historical Society of Cecil County 135 E. Main Street, Elkton 410-398-1790 Impressive display of military memorabilia from the Revolutionary War through Desert Storm.

Revolutionary War
Cecil County men served in the 6th 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. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Maryland, Cecil County on page 127.]
 * Cecil County Bicentennial Committee. Cecil County in the Revolutionary War : being an account of some of the experiences, events and locations prominent to Cecil County and it's [sic] citizens during the period of 1776 to 1783.  Elkton, Md. : The Cecil County Bicentennial Committee, 1976.
 * Revolutionary Patriots of Cecil County, Maryland by Henry C. Peden, Jr.

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, Cecil County, pp. 142-145. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Civil War History for Cecil County, Maryland - Muffled drums and mustard spoons: Cecil County, Maryland, 1860-1865


 * - 5th Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Companies A and I.
 * - 6th Regiment, Maryland Infantry Companies B, E and G.
 * - 8th Regiment, Maryland Infantry Company A.
 * - Purnell Legion, Maryland Infantry, Company E.

Newspapers

 * Cecil County newspapers are identified in "Guide to Maryland Newspapers," available online, courtesy: Special Collections, Maryland State Archives.
 * Cecil County Newspapers, as held at the Historical Society of Cecil County. Bound and microfilmed volumes of newspapers, as well as single issues, published in Cecil County since 1823 and the present, constitute a valuable portion of the Society's library.
 * Cecil Whig- P.O. Box 429, Elkton, MD 21922; (410) 398-3311
 * Rising Sun Herald - 303 E. Main St., Rising Sun, MD 21911; (410) 658-5740
 * Cecil Soil Magazine- P.O. Box 645, Rising Sun, MD 21911; (410) 658-3244
 * Newspaper articlestranscribed for USGenWeb
 * Obituary/Death Notice Index (Surnames A-L)for Cecil County, Maryland
 * Obituary/Death Notice Index (Surnames M-Z)for Cecil County, Maryland
 * Obituaries contributed to USGenWeb
 * results in the FamilySearch Catalog

Probate

 * Probate Records, Colonial Index, 1634-1777 online at Maryland State Archives website - free
 * Cecil County Probate Estate and Guardianship Files from 1796 to 1940 are searchable.The site will let you view and save.
 * Wills and Estate Recordscontributed to USGenWeb

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

Societies and Libraries
The Historical Society of Cecil County The Eva M. Muse Library 135 E. Main Street Elkton, MD 21921 Phone: 410-398-1790 E-Mail: [mailto:history@cchistory.org history@cchistory.org] Website Facebook

Cecil County Public Library 301 Newark Avenue Elkton, MD 21921 Phone: 410-996-5600 Website

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Taxation

 * [1678, 1681] 1678 and 1681 Caecill County tax lists, available online, courtesy: MDGenWeb.
 * [1752] Taxable persons in Cecil county for the year, 1752. Charlestown, Md.: Genealogical Society of Cecil County, 19uu.
 * [1752] Taxable Persons in 1752.
 * [1759] Taxables in 1759.
 * [1760-1765] Batchelor Tax Lists in St. Mary Anne's P.E. Parish 1760-1765.
 * [1761] Cecil County Tax Lists of August, 1761.
 * [1762] Taxables Belonging to Elk Forge in 1762.
 * [1763] Batchelor Tax List in St. Stephen's P.E. Parish, July 10, 1763.
 * [1766] Taxables in 1766.
 * [1783] Cecil County Tax List of 1783 : First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Districts. 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] Direct tax
 * results in the FamilySearch Catalog

Vital Records

 * Cecil County Vital Records Order records from Vitalrec.com
 * Vital records for Cecil County from USGenWeb
 * for Cecil County in the FamilySearch Catalog

Birth
In 1898, the General Assembly passed a law that initiated the registration of births in the 23 counties (Chapter 312, Acts of 1898). At first, compliance with the law on the local level was incomplete. As the State Board of Health gradually increased its control over the local boards, registration became more reliable. Researchers should keep in mind, however, that as late as 1914 the Board of Health was still working to increase compliance with the law, and some births went unrecorded.

The 1898 law dictated that "the record of a birth shall state the date and place of its occurrence, name in full, sex and color, and the number of the child, whether living or still born, and the names, color, occupation, birth place and residence of parents, name and address of the physician, midwife or attendant at the birth".

The Maryland State Archives also has indexing from 1875 through 1950. The early index (1875-1919) is arranged alphabetically by the surname of the child (or by the parents' surname if the child's name is not given). The index provides the child's name (if given), the names of the parents, the date of birth, and the county. The later index (1920-1950) is in Soundex order by the surname of the child; within the Soundex classification it is alphabetical by the father's first name. When no father's name is given, the card is filed at the beginning of the Soundex class. Children of unmarried couples are listed twice, under the names of both parents. This later index provides the names of the child and the parents, the date and county of birth, and the child's race and birth order. Although these indexes are open to the public, please note that the birth certificates themselves are restricted for 100 years after the date of birth.


 * 1898 - 1927 CECIL COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH (Birth Record) 1898-1927 at the Maryland State Archives

Marriage

 * USGenWeb Marriages Project for Cecil County Maryland
 * 1658 - 1940 at | FamilySearch — index
 * 1666 - 1970 at | FamilySearch — index
 * 1865 - 1775 Hovermill, Harry A. Indices to Cecil County, Maryland marriage licenses, 1865-1885. Charlestown, Maryland : Cecil County Genealogical Society, c1982. Available in the.
 * Marriage Records - Maryland State Archives

Death

 * 1898 - 1944 Maryland Death Index 1898-1944
 * 1920s - 1940s Death Certificates 1920s-1940s, 1940s-1950s, available online, courtesy: Historical Society of Cecil County
 * 1906 - 1962 Burial Permits, 1906-1912, 1912-1962; available online, courtesy: Historical Society of Cecil County
 * Social Security Death Index
 * How do I find a death notice or obituary in a newspaper?

Websites

 * Cecil County, Maryland Genealogy, History and Facts (Genealogy Inc)
 * Cecil County MDGenWeb Project, a member of The MDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project


 * Cecil County Public Library


 * , Cecil County


 * GoogleBooks results for Cecil County, Maryland
 * Heritage Booksresults for Cecil County


 * Historical Society of Cecil County


 * Maryland State Archives results for Cecil County Records


 * "Cecil Co.," in Genealogical Sources in Periodicals at The Maryland State Archives.


 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Cecil County and Backup site
 * Wikipedia results for Cecil County


 * WorldCat results for Cecil County

Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:


 * Maryland, Probate Estate and Guardianship Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Maryland, Register of Wills Books (FamilySearch Historical Records)