Kent County, Delaware Genealogy
Guide to Kent County, Delaware ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
- This article is about a county in state of Delaware. For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation)
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Kent, an English county. The county seat is Dover and the county was created August 8, 1683. The County is located in the central area of the state. Kent County is one of few counties bordering another county with same name across state line, Kent (MD) County, Maryland.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Kent County Courthouse
414 Federal Street
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: 302-735-1900
Kent County Courthouse
Clerk of Peace has marriage records.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce and court records.
Recorder of Deeds has land records from 1680.
Register of Wills has probate records. [2]
Kent County, Delaware 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 |
1676 | 1676 | 1676 | 1680 | 1680 | 1680 | 1782 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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:[4]
Cities | ||
Towns | ||
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 census records online, see: Delaware Census.
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1790 | 18,920 | — |
1800 | 19,554 | 3.4% |
1810 | 20,495 | 4.8% |
1820 | 20,793 | 1.5% |
1830 | 19,913 | −4.2% |
1840 | 19,872 | −0.2% |
1850 | 22,816 | 14.8% |
1860 | 27,804 | 21.9% |
1870 | 29,804 | 7.2% |
1880 | 32,874 | 10.3% |
1890 | 32,664 | −0.6% |
1900 | 32,762 | 0.3% |
1910 | 32,721 | −0.1% |
1920 | 31,023 | −5.2% |
1930 | 31,841 | 2.6% |
1940 | 34,441 | 8.2% |
1950 | 37,870 | 10.0% |
1960 | 65,651 | 73.4% |
1970 | 81,892 | 24.7% |
1980 | 98,219 | 19.9% |
1990 | 110,993 | 13.0% |
2000 | 126,697 | 14.1% |
2010 | 162,310 | 28.1% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
Church Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
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]
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- USGS GNIS
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
American Revolution
- 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: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. [See Delaware, Kent County on page 126.]
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Delaware Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; images available through FamilySearch Catalog
World War I
- 1917-1919 Delaware, World War I Servicemen Records, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
World War II
- 1940-1945 Delaware, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1802-1943 Delaware, Federal Naturalization Records, 1802-1943 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- Kent County, Delaware Probate records, 1680-1800 on line at Ancestry.com ($) original data: Valinger, Leon de, com/ Calendar of Kent County, Delaware Probate Records, 1680-1800.
- DeValinger, Leon. A Calendar of Kent County, Delaware Probate Records, 1680-1800. Dover, Delaware: Public Archives Commission, 1944. (Family History Library film 1035860 item 4; fiche 6051248.) Facsimile reproduction of the original (Family History Library book 975.14 P28d.)
- Indexes to probate records 1801-1833, in three volumes by Mary Marshall Brewer (Lewes,Del.: Delmarva Roots, 2002.)
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1650-1974 Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1650-1974 Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1784-2007 Delaware, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index, ($)
- Marriage Certificate
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1650-1974 Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Kent County. For state-wide facilities, see Delaware 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
- Dover Delaware Family History Center
- Newark Delaware Family History Center
- Cecil County Public Library - Cecilton Branch - an affiliate library
- Cecil County Public Library - Chesapeake City Branch - an affiliate library
- Winterthur Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Kent County. For state-wide library facilities, see Delaware Archives and Libraries.
- The Delaware Public Archives
121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Dover, Delaware.
(302) 744-5016
Email: sarah.denison@state.de.us
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Kent County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Delaware Societies.
- Downstate Delaware Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1787
Dover, DE 19903-1787
Email: info@downstatedegenealogists.org
Website
Facebook - The Greater Harrington Historical Society
108 Fleming St
Harrington DE 19952
302-398-3698
Email: info@ghhsociety.org
Website
Facebook - Milford Historical Society
501 Northwest Front Street
Milford, DE 19963
Email: parsonthorne@gmail.com
Twitter
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- The Kent County DEGenWeb Project, an member of The DEGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Kent County
- Kent County, Delaware Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- 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]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Kent County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County,_Delaware 04/27/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), New Castle, Delaware Page 121 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kent County, Delaware. Page 121 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), 118.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Kent County, Delaware," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County%2C_Delaware, accessed 23 October 2018.