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Maryland Research Outline |
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Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
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Maps
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Minorities
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Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
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Probate Records
Public Records
Societies
Taxation
Vital Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions
VITAL RECORDS
A few counties recorded births and deaths before 1720 in the county land records. The information has been indexed and is available at the Maryland State Archives. The Family History Library has film copies of the county land records.
From 1865 to 1899 some county clerks and the Secretary of the Senate maintained birth and death records. These records are incomplete, and the exact dates of the records vary from county to county. These records are available at the Maryland State Archives. You can see one of two sources for lists of birth and death records kept during these years:
Meyer, Mary Keysor. Genealogical Research in Maryland: A Guide. Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1992. (FHL book 975.2 D27m 1992; computer number 701718.) Pages 16 to 17 have a list of birth and death records.
Radoff, Morris Leon. The County Courthouses and Records of Maryland: Part Two: The Records. Annapolis, Md.: Hall of Records Commission, 1963. (FHL book 975.2 B4ma no. 13; fiche 6054101 parts 4-6; computer number 236405.)
An important source of death information taken from court books from 1718 to 1777 is:
Bell, Annie Walker Burns. Maryland Record of Deaths. Annapolis, Md.: A. Bell, 1936. (FHL film 924445 item 2; computer number 263467.)
The counties started recording births and deaths in 1898. Baltimore City began recording births and deaths in 1875. These records and accompanying indexes are at the Division of Vital Records (see address below).
Birth records within the last 100 years may be obtained only by the individual named on the certificate or a parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative. Authorized representatives must submit a court order or a notarized statement signed by either parent or the person named on the certificate. If you write to an archive, a staff member may extract any pertinent genealogical information and send you an unofficial transcript of a restricted record.
Records of deaths within the last 20 years are restricted to surviving relatives or authorized representatives.
The Maryland State Archives has microfilm copies of the records and most of the indexes. For genealogical purposes, you can obtain the information in the restricted records from the Archives. The Family History Library does not have copies of these records.
Official (certified) copies of all birth and death records since 1968 (since 1875 for Baltimore City) can be requested by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope and a fee of $4.00 to:
When writing to the Maryland State Archives, you will need to provide the exact date of birth or death to request copies of birth and death records since 1951 (since 1942 for Baltimore City records).
The current fees for this service are listed in Where to Write for Vital Records: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces (Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, March 1993; FHL book 973 V24wv). Copies of this booklet are at the Family History Library and many Family History Centers. You can also contact the Vital Records Section (address given above) for current information.
Beginning in 1640 the Maryland General Assembly required the clergy to post marriage banns and keep registers of marriages. Since 1777, county clerks have been required to issue marriage licenses and, since 1865, to keep ministers' returns.
For copies of marriage records from 1777 through 1950, write to the Maryland State Archives. There are no restrictions on who may obtain copies of the records. The Maryland State Archives has the following indexes, which are open to the public and which they will search.
The Family History Library has microfilm copies from the Maryland State Archives of the early marriage records to the 1850s but does not have microfilm copies of the indexes.
You can also write to the county clerk or the Baltimore City clerk for marriage records. The records from 1777 to the present are open to the public without restrictions. However, these offices do not have the statewide indexes that are available at the Maryland State Archives. They often have only microfilm copies of the early records. Or you can contact the Division of Vital Records for marriage records after 1950.
Examples of some available published sources of Maryland marriage records are:
Barnes, Robert William. Maryland Marriages. 2 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1975, 1978. (FHL book 975.2 K2bar and 975.2 K2ba; computer numbers 261518 and 5236.) These volumes contain marriages 1634 to 1777 (computer number 261518) and marriages 1778 to 1800 (computer number 5236).
Barnes, Robert, comp. Maryland Marriages, 1801- 1820. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub., 1993. (FHL book 975.2 K2baa; computer number 686990.)
Bell, Annie Walker Burns. Maryland Marriage Records. 23 vols. N.p., 1938-9. (FHL book 975.2 V25b; films 873768-75; fiche 6046950; computer number 264029.) These volumes give marriage information found in pre-1800 wills, deeds, and court records.
Marriage Records: Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1994. (FHL compact disc no. 9 pt. 4; computer number 683379; does not circulate to Family History Centers.) This source indexes marriage records from 1624 to 1919 and lists spouse and marriage date and place.
Marriage Index: Maryland, 1655-1850. [Novato, Cal.]: Brøderbund Software, 1996. (FHL compact disc no. 9 pt. 244; computer number 784065.) Does not circulate to Family History Centers. Index to about 250,000 original marriage records. Shows spouse and marriage date and place. This index is included in:
Records of Births and Deaths Before Statewide Registration
Statewide Registration of Births and Deaths
Division of Vital Records
For a fee the Maryland State Archives will provide:
4201 Patterson Ave.
P.O. Box 13146
Baltimore, MD 21203-3146
Telephone: 800-832-3277 or 410-764-3038
Fax: 410-358-7381
Marriage Records
to the records of 1914 to 1930. (There is no statewide index of marriage records from 1930 to 1950.)
The Maryland legislature had jurisdiction over divorce proceedings until an 1829 law gave some divorce authority to the chancery court and the county courts. Early divorce records have been published in:
Meyer, Mary K. Divorces and Names Changed in Maryland: By Act of the Legislature, 1634-1867. Mt. Airy, Md.: Pipe Creek Publications, Inc. 1991. (FHL book 975.2 V28m; computer number 674027.)
Since 1853, divorce records have been kept by the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the divorce was granted. Baltimore records are kept by the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Baltimore City. Many records from Baltimore City and metropolitan counties have been transferred to the Maryland State Archives.
Since 1950, divorce records have been sent to the Division of Vital Records.
To find birth, marriage, death, and divorce records in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog, search:
These handbooks will give you more detailed information about research and records for Maryland:
Meyer, Mary Keysor. Genealogical Research in Maryland: A Guide. 4th ed. Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1992. (FHL book 975.2 D27m 1992; computer number 701718.)
McCay, Betty L. Sources for Genealogical Searching in Maryland. Indianapolis: B.L. McCay, 1972. (FHL book 975.2 A1 No. 4; film 924043 item 9; computer number 203523.)
Eichholz, Alice, ed. Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992. (FHL book 973 D27rb 1992; computer number 594021.) Contains bibliographies and background information on history and ethnic groups. Also contains maps and tables showing when each county was created.
The Family History Library welcomes additions and corrections that will improve future editions of this outline. Please send your suggestions to:
Paper publication: Second edition October 1997. English approval: 10/97.
©1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Divorce Records
MARYLAND - VITAL RECORDSMARYLAND, [COUNTY] - VITAL RECORDSMARYLAND, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS
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