Howard County, Maryland Genealogy
Guide to Howard County, Maryland ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Howard County was named for John Eager Howard. The county is located in the north-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Howard County Courthouse
8360 Court Avenue
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 410-313-2111
Howard County Website
Clerk of the Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, court and land records.
Register of Wills has probate records. [3]
Howard County, Maryland Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1898 | 1839 | 1898 | 1800s | 1839 | 1840 | 1790 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing Howard County, Maryland Genealogy census records online, see: Maryland Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 13,338 | — |
| 1870 | 14,150 | 6.1% |
| 1880 | 16,140 | 14.1% |
| 1890 | 16,269 | 0.8% |
| 1900 | 16,715 | 2.7% |
| 1910 | 16,106 | −3.6% |
| 1920 | 15,826 | −1.7% |
| 1930 | 16,169 | 2.2% |
| 1940 | 17,175 | 6.2% |
| 1950 | 23,119 | 34.6% |
| 1960 | 36,152 | 56.4% |
| 1970 | 61,911 | 71.3% |
| 1980 | 118,572 | 91.5% |
| 1990 | 187,328 | 58.0% |
| 2000 | 247,842 | 32.3% |
| 2010 | 287,085 | 15.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Federal Census reports available 1860-1930.
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1668-1995 Maryland, Church Records, 1668-1995 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
Maryland State Archives' Guide to Maryland Religious Institutions is not intended to be a complete listing of all Religious institutions in Maryland. It was originally based upon the churches recorded by the Federal Works Progress Administration during a records survey conducted from 1935 to 1941. It has been expanded by later acquisitions from religious organizations to the Maryland State Archives. The following records, taken from its collection, have been digitized and made available to view for free online:
- Protestant Episcopal (Church of England), Christ Church, Queen Caroline Parish 1712-1939 (includes parish register 1712-1937 and vestry minutes 1728-1776, 1809-1939)
- 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania ($), free to members of the society; also available at Ancestry ($). This database is incomplete for all counties.
- Contains the church records of:
- Elkridge: Elkridge Methodist Church
- Contains the church records of:
Church of England
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1897-1952 Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists Index, 1897-1952 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Through a Joint eGovernment Service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives, free images and indexes of the complete series of Howard County Deed Books (1840-present) have been uploaded to their website: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
War of 1812[edit | edit source]
- 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. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. See Vol. 5, Maryland, Howard County, p. 151. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- Howard County Maryland in the Civil War - comprehensive site covering all aspects of the Civil War in Howard County.
- 1861-1865 Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
Regiments. Service men in Howard served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Howard:
- - 2nd Regiment, Maryland Cavalry (6 months, 1863-1864), Company C
- - 3rd Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade Company I
- - 7th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Ashby's) (Confederate). Company B (1st) (Howard Dragoons).[7]
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 Maryland, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Howard County newspapers are identified in "Guide to Maryland Newspapers," available online, courtesy: Special Collections, Maryland State Archives.
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- Maryland, Wills and Probate Records at findmypast - index
- 1634-1777 Maryland, Index To Colonial Probate Records, 1634-1777 at findmypast - index
- 1635-1743 Maryland Calendar of Wills 1635-1743 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1635-1777 Maryland Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1796-1940 Maryland Probate Estate and Guardianship Files , 1796-1940 at FamilySearch images - How to Use this Collection
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1658-1940 Maryland County Marriages, 1658-1940 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1666-1970 Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1858 Partial Listing of Howard County Marriages 1858
- 1860-1939 Howard County Marriage Licenses 1860-1939, the Howard County Historical Society
- 1886-1900 Howard County Circuit Court Marriage Records 1886-1900
- Marriage Records, Maryland State Archives
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1898-1944 Maryland Death Index 1898-1944
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Howard County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Maryland Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Baltimore Maryland Inner Harbor Family History Center
- Columbia Maryland Family History Center
- Kuethe Library Historical & Genealogical Research Center - an affiliate library.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Howard County. For state-wide library facilities, see Maryland Archives and Libraries.
Charles E. Miller Branch & Historical Center
Howard County Library System
9421 Frederick Rd
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Phone: 410-313-1950
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Howard County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Maryland Societies.
Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
Central Maryland Chapter
P. O. Box 648
Columbia, MD 21045
Website
Howard County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 274
Columbia, MD 21045
Email: info@hcgsmd.org
Website
Howard County Historical Society
9421 Frederick Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Phone: 410-480-3250
Email: info@hchsmd.org
Website
Sons of Confederate Veterans
Isaac Trimble Camp #1836
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #69
2832 Nine Mile Circle
Catonsville, MD 21228
Email: terrymkl@aol.com
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- The Howard County MDGenWeb Project, a member of The MDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- "Howard Co.," in Genealogical Sources in Periodicals at The Maryland State Archives.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project, Howard County
- Slave owners households
- FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
- Zimmerman, Kenneth E. Guide to Research in Howard County, Maryland. Woodstock, Md.: K. E. Zimmerman, 1997.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Maryland.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Howard," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_County,_Maryland."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Maryland.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Howard County, Maryland. Page 317-318 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 308-309.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Maryland.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Howard County, Maryland," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_County%2C_Maryland, accessed 2 August 2018.
- ↑ Richard L. Armstrong, 7th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1992). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 88.