Maine Descendancy Research

Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked.

For more information on census records, see Maine Census and United States Census.

Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in Maine statewide beginning in 1892, although counties may have kept earlier records. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.

Births
 * 1670-1921: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1695-1954: US French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection) at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1715-1922: Maine Birth Records at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1739-1900: at FamilySearch; index only

Marriages
 * pre-1700: US New England Marriages at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 17thc-20thc: US Marriages at Findmypast; index only ($)
 * 1670-1921: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1670-1921: Maine Marriage Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1695-1954: US French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection) at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1713-1922: Maine Marriage Records at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1748-1875: Maine, U.S., Compiled Marriages for Belfast, Hallowell and Pittsdon at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1771-1907: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1849-1870: Maine: Marriages and Marriage Intentions at American Ancestors; index & images ($)
 * 1892-1966,1977-2009: Maine Marriage Records at Maine Genealogy; index only ($); Also at: American Ancestors ($)
 * 1892-1996: Maine Marriages Index at Ancestry; index only ($); Also at MyHeritage ($)
 * Maine Marriages and Marriage Intentions at American Ancestors; index only ($)

Deaths 
 * 1670-1921: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1695-1954: US French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection) at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1761-1922: Maine Death Records at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1841-1910: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1935-2014: US Social Security Death Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1960-1996: at FamilySearch; index only; Also at MyHeritage ($), 
 * 1960-1997: Maine Death Index at Ancestry; index only ($); Also at RootsWeb($)
 * 1962-2014: at FamilySearch; index only

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Maine, see How to Find Maine Birth Records, How to Find Maine Marriage Records, and How to Find Maine Death Records.

Step 3: '''Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1892. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers. - Obituaries Cemeteries
 * 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 2003-2011 Newspaper Obituary collection for Maine: starts about 2003 to 2011 ($)
 * Maine Obituaries at ObitsArchive
 * Maine Obituaries at LDS Genealogy
 * Maine State Library Obituary Search at Maine.gov; index
 * Obituaries for Maine at Archives.com($)
 * Obituaries for Maine at ProQuest($)
 * Online Maine Death Indexes, Cemeteries and Obituaries at Deathindexes.com; index
 * United States Obituary Collection for Maine at Ancestry($)
 * Find-A-Grave
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
 * Billion Graves
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
 * at FamilySearch – How to Use This Collection
 * A Few Cemeteries in Maine at RootsWeb
 * Maine Cemetery Records at Interment
 * Cemetery Transcriptions from the NEHGS Manuscript Collections, 1650-2000 at American Ancestors ($)
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * Maine, Faylene Hutton Cemetery Collection, 1780-1990 at Ancestry ($)
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * Maine, J. Gary Nichols Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * Maine, Nathan Hale Cemetery Collection, 1780-1980 at Ancestry ($)
 * Maine Gravestone Project at EarlyMaine.org
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Maine, Tombstone Inscriptions, Surname Index, 1718-2014 at Ancestry ($)
 * Maine Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
 * Online Maine Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
 * Maine Cemeteries at A Very Grave Matter – after Massachusetts
 * Jewish Cemetery in Maine at Find-A-Grave
 * Maine Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project

For more information, see Maine Obituaries and Maine Cemeteries.

Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * Maine, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * Maine, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Maine Online Genealogy Records.
The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Maine Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * Maine Online Genealogy Records