Cecil County, Maryland Genealogy

United States &gt; Maryland &gt; Cecil County



County Courthouse


County Commissioners County Administrative Building 200 Chesapeake Blvd., Suite 2100 Elkton, MD 21921 Ph: (410) 996-5201

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]]
 * 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.

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.
 * An alphabetical list of Cecil County Cemeteries
 * 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.
 * Family History Library catalog 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 Family History Library, as well as other places.

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


 * 1790 - 1830 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)
 * 1900 Census Searchable index from FamilySearch

For more information about the using the census in Maryland please refer to the Maryland Census page.

Churches

 * Maryland State Archives' Guide to Maryland Religious Institutions identifies all churches known to have existed in Cecil County, Maryland. It covers all denominations and includes record descriptions. Maryland Archives' List of Churches in Cecil County. They also have 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. Note that Maryland State Archives WPA Survey files listed below 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.
 * An alphabetical listing of churches in Cecil County
 * Church records, histories and indexes in the Family History Library catalog
 * Church records for St. Stephens church (North Sassafras Parish)

Court

 * Cecil County Orphans' Court
 * Cecil County Court recordresults in the Family History Library catalog
 * Guardianship results for Cecil County in the Family History Library catalog

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


 * The Admiralty Court
 * The Provincial Court
 * 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. FHL US/CAN Book 975.21 D2b v. 1 ff. [Cecil County families appear in Vol. 6]
 * Biographies contributed to USGenWeb
 * Maryland, Cecil - Biography section of the Family History Library catalog

Bibliography


 * [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
 * [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. FHL US/CAN Book 975 B2m.

Surname Files


 * Cecil County Surname Filesat 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.immigrantservants.com/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: MDLandRec.Net: 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
 * Family History Library catalog results for Land and Property, Land and property Indexes, and Land and Property Maps

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.
 * Maryland, Cecil - Historyin the Family History Library catalog

Maps

 * Catalog of Sanborn Mapsin the Collection of the Historical Society of Cecil County
 * Online mapsavailable 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
 * County formation maps - Maps made with the use AniMap Plus County Boundary Historical AniMap 3.0. This shows all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.

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.
 * 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.
 * Civil War History for Cecil County, Maryland - Muffled drums and mustard spoons : Cecil County, Maryland, 1860-1865

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
 * Newspaper results in the Family History Library catalog

Probate

 * Cecil County Probate Estate Files from 1851 to 1940are searchable.The site will let you view and save.
 * Wills and Estate Recordscontributed to USGenWeb
 * Probate records and probate record indexes in the Family History Library catalog

Cecil County Public Library

 * Cecil County Public Library Website
 * Elkton Central Branch 301 Newark Avenue, Elkton, MD 21921; phone- 410-996-5600; TDD- 410-996-5609. Monday through Thursday - 10 am - 9 pm. Friday and Saturday - 10 am - 5 pm
 * Cecilton Branch 215 East Main Street Cecilton, Maryland 21913 phone- 410-275-1091. Monday and Tuesday - 10 am - 8 pm Wednesday and Thursday - 10 am - 6 pm Friday - closed Saturday - 10 am - 5 pm
 * Chesapeake City Branch 2527 Augustine Herman Highway Chesapeake City, Maryland 21915 phone- 410-996-1134. Monday and Tuesday - 10 am - 8 pm Wednesday and Thursday - 10 am - 6 pm Friday and Saturday - 10 am - 5 pm.
 * North East Branch106 West Cecil Avenue North East, Maryland 21901 phone- 410-996-6269. Monday and Tuesday - 10 am - 8 pm Wednesday and Thursday - 10 am - 6 pm Friday and Saturday - 10 am - 5 pm
 * Perryville Branch500 Coudon Blvd. Perryville, Maryland 21903 phone- 410-996-6070. Monday through Thursday - 10 am - 9 pm Friday and Saturday - 10 am - 5 pm
 * Port Deposit Branch13 South Main Street Port Deposit, MD 21904 phone- 410-996-6055. Monday through Wednesday - 12 pm - 6 pm Thursday and Friday - closed Saturday - 10 am - 5 pm
 * Rising Sun Branch111 Colonial Way Rising Sun, MD 21911 phone- 410-658-4025 alternate phone- 410-398-2706. Monday through Thursday - 10 am - 8 pm Friday and Saturday - 10 am - 5 pm.

Genealogical Society of Cecil County
P.O. Box 11 Charlestown, MD 21914. (410) 287-8793

The Historical Society of Cecil County
The library has the largest collection of books, manuscripts, maps, government documents and newspapers pertaining to Cecil County in existence. The constantly expanding collection contains over 2,000 books and 12,000 issues of newspapers (starting in 1827). The library preserves newspaper clippings, obituaries, souvenir booklets, pamphlets, and other memorabilia related to county families, businesses, organizations, churches, schools, towns, industries, and important events in vertical files. Photographic collections include an impressive array of postcards, slides, prints, glass plates, negatives, lantern slides, stereo cards and daguerreotypes. Wills, land records, correspondence, receipt, business and organization records and much more comprise the manuscript collection.

135 E. Main Street Elkton, MD 21921; email: history@cchistory.org The Historical Society of Cecil Countyis open to the public at the following times. They are closed on all major holidays. Monday ………………………………………………….. 10:00 a.m.— 4:00 p.m. Tuesday………………………………………………….. 6:00 p.m.— 8:30 p.m. Thursday…………………………………………………. 10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. 1st and 4th Saturday of Each Month…………………….. 10:00 a.m.— 2:00 p.m. List of closings

Maryland Historical Society
201 West Monument Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201-4674. 410- 685-3750

Maryland Historical Society Website

Maryland Historical Society Library Library hours are Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m to 5 p.m.

Museum and Library Admission: $6 for all non-member visitors; members are free. Please note that picture identification and the completion of a one-time registration form is required for all library patrons. Please visit the library’s visitor information pages for complete information. Library Visitor Information

Maryland State Archives
350 Rowe Boulevard - Annapolis, MD 21401 - toll free: (800) 235-4045 - (410) 260-6400

The use of any username and password on our site is for personal and educational purposes only, and constitutes agreement to abide by any and all copyright restrictions. In most instances the username aaco and password aaco# will work. Contact ref@mdsa.net if you have any questions or have difficulty accessing files.

Directions/HoursThe public search room is open Tuesday through Friday and most Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Archives is CLOSED ON SUNDAYS, MONDAYS, the FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH, and SATURDAYS OF HOLIDAY WEEKENDS. Check website for annual closings.

Records are pulled every half hour starting at 8:45 with the last pull of the day at 3:45. On Saturdays, due to limited staffing, the Searchroom and Microfilm Rooms remain open to the public between 11:30 and 1:30, but record pulls are not performed at 11:45, 12:15, 12:45 and 1:15.

Maryland State Archives - Combined List of Archived Records for Cecil County

The Maryland State Law Library
The Maryland State Law Libraryprovides legal information to the State's appellate courts and other branches of State government and serves as a resource center for Circuit Court libraries throughout the State. We are open to the public, and we encourage the use of the Library's many resources, including laws, general reference materials, state and federal government documents, and state and local histories.

List of genealogy titles for Cecil County in the catalog of the Maryland State Law Library

Hours- Check this Maryland State Law Library Holiday Closures Calendar for all holiday closures. Visitors should check the Judiciary Information Line for delays and closings due to inclement weather or emergencies. All visitors are required to go through a metal detector.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm           Tuesday and Thursday 8:00am to 9:00pm            Saturday 9:00am to 4:00pm

Directions - The Maryland State Law Library is located just outside of downtown Annapolis at 361 Rowe Blvd just one block south the Navy Stadium. We are in the first floor the Courts of Appeal Building.

Upper Shore Genealogical Society of Maryland
P.O. Box 275 Easton, MD 21601. (410) 745-3050

Taxation

 * Taxable persons in Cecil county for the year, 1752. Charlestown, Md.: Genealogical Society of Cecil County, 19uu.
 * Taxable Persons in 1752.
 * Taxables in 1759.
 * Taxables Belonging to Elk Forge in 1762.
 * Batchelor Tax Lists in St. Mary Anne's P.E. Parish 1760-1765.
 * Batchelor Tax List in St. Stephen's P.E. Parish, July 10, 1763.
 * Cecil County Tax Lists of August, 1761.
 * Taxables in 1766.
 * 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.
 * Maryland, Cecil - Taxation results in the Family History Library catalog

Vital Records
Cecil County Vital Records Order records from Vitalrec.com

Vital records for Cecil County from USGenWeb

Vital recordsfor Cecil County in the Family History Library 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.


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

Marriage


 * USGenWeb Marriages Project for Cecil County Maryland


 * Hovermill, Harry A. Indices to Cecil County, Maryland marriage licenses, 1865-1885. Charlestown, Maryland : Cecil County Genealogical Society, c1982. Available in the Family History Library.

Death


 * Maryland Death Certificate Index 1898-1944, available online, courtesy: Vital Records Indexing Project, Maryland State Archives.
 * Death Certificates 1920s-1940s, 1940s-1950s, available online, courtesy: Historical Society of Cecil County
 * 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?

Web Sites

 * Cecil County MDGenWeb Project, a member of The MDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.


 * Cecil County Public Library


 * Family History Library Catalog for Cecil County.


 * FamilySearch Record Search


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


 * Historical Society of Cecil County


 * Maryland State Archives results for Cecil County Records.


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


 * WorldCat results for Cecil County