Kent County, Maryland Genealogy

United States

Maryland

Kent County

Guide to Kent County, Maryland 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 the state of Maryland. For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation).

Maryland Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Chestertown Organized: December 30, 1637 Parent County(s): Colonial lands Neighboring Counties Anne Arundel  • Baltimore  • Cecil  • Harford  • Queen Anne's  • Kent (DE)  • New Castle (DE) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

Kent County was named for the county of Kent in England. The county is located in the northeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Kent County Courthouse
103 N Cross Street
Chestertown, MD 21620
Phone: 410-778-7460
Kent County Website

Clerk of the Circuit Court has marriage records from 1796; divorce records from 1867, land records from 1656, and court records from early 1800's.

Kent County, Maryland Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1898	1796	1898	early 1800s	1656	1674	1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1898. General compliance by the 1910s.

Record Loss

1720 A courthouse fire in 1720 destroyed some records. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

Created 30 December 1637 from colonial lands. County seat: Chestertown 19 February 1661, Talbot County was set off. For a time much of Cecil County was attached to Kent County until 1659 then attached to Baltimore County. 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

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:

Towns
Betterton Chestertown (county seat)	Galena Millington (partly in Queen Anne's County)	Rock Hall
Unincorporated communities
Lynch	Massey	Still Pond
Census-designated places
Butlertown Edesville Fairlee	Georgetown Golts Kennedyville	Tolchester Worton

History Timeline

• By 1631, William Clayborne was appointed Commander of the settlers of the Isle of Kent which he named for his home, the English County of Kent.

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Kent County, Maryland online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com MDGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project MDInterment Billion Graves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves FamilySearch Places
See Maryland Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

For tips on accessing Kent County, Maryland Genealogy census records online, see: Maryland Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	12,836	—
1800	11,771	−8.3%
1810	11,450	−2.7%
1820	11,453	0.0%
1830	10,501	−8.3%
1840	10,842	3.2%
1850	11,386	5.0%
1860	13,267	16.5%
1870	17,102	28.9%
1880	17,605	2.9%
1890	17,471	−0.8%
1900	18,786	7.5%
1910	16,957	−9.7%
1920	15,026	−11.4%
1930	14,242	−5.2%
1940	13,465	−5.5%
1950	13,677	1.6%
1960	15,481	13.2%
1970	16,146	4.3%
1980	16,695	3.4%
1990	17,842	6.9%
2000	19,197	7.6%
2010	20,197	5.2%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

Church Records

• 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), Shrewsbury Parish (includes parish registers 1699-1882, vestry minutes 1701-1861 (gaps), and communicants 1876-1882)

Church of England

• Chester Parish
• St. Paul's Parish
• St. Peter's Parish
• Shrewsbury Parish

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

Provincial Court

• Residents Appearing at the Provincial Court, 1647-1656
• Residents Appearing at the Provincial Court, 1656-1660
• Residents Appearing at the Provincial Court, 1662-1670
• Residents Appearing at the Provincial Court, 1670-1676

Emigration and 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.

• 1897-1952 - Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists Index, 1897-1952 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
• Act of Naturalization of Several Individuals
• Coldham, Peter Wilson. "Correspondence with the American Colonies 1739-1782," The Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Spring 1998):108-128; Vol. 12, No. 2 (Fall 1998):189-205. Overseas correspondence of residents of Chester Town [Chestertown] and Kent County with the following surnames: Ringold and Wilmore. Available at FHL.
• Kent County Immigration Index 1663-1667
• List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe who served labor terms in Colonial Kent County, Maryland (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database. Includes Richard J. Cox's abstracts of Maryland Gazette runaways.

Genealogies

• 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. [Kent County families appear in Vols. 1-3, 7, and 21.]
• Hanson, George Adolphus. Old Kent: The Eastern Shore of Maryland; Notes Illustrative of the Most Ancient Records of Kent County Maryland, and of the Parishes of St. Paul's, Shrewsbury and I. U. and Genealogical Histories of Land and Distinguished Families of Maryland, and Their Connections by Marriage, etc., with an Introduction. Baltimore: J. P. Des Forges, 1876. Digital versions at Google Books; Internet Archive; FHL Film 908691 Item 11; 1967 reprint: FHL Book 975.21 D2h 1967

• Asbury - Holtzclaw, B.C. "Asbury of Westmoreland County, Virginia," Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jul. 1967):55-65; Vol. 5, No. 4 (Oct. 1967):77-87; Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan. 1968):10-26. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Barry - Bidlack, Russell E. Ann Arbor's First Lady, Events in the Life of Ann I. Allen. Ann Arbor, Mich., n.d.
• Boyer - Wallis, Guy. The Boyer Family of Kent & Cecil County, Maryland and Tompkins County, New York. Bristol, Vt.: G. Wallis, 1997. FHL Film 1750868 Item 10
• Brooke - Brayton, John Anderson. "Madam Esther Pollock of Kent Co., Md., and Chowan Co., N.C., and the Lutens," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Nov. 2000):376-392. FHL Book 975.6 B2j.
• Burchinal - Gans, John Lyons and Frank M. Burchinal. The Burchinal Genealogy: Jeremiah Burchinal of Mt. Harmon, Kent County, Maryland and His Descendants. MSS., Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. Microfilmed 1965: FHL Film 410183
• Burchinal - Burchinal, Beryl Modest and Martin Luther Burchinal. The Burchinal Genealogy, Thomas Burtchnell of Cecil County, Maryland and His Son, Jeremiah "Jeremy" Burchinal of Mount Harmon, Kent Co. Maryland and Their Descendants. Pittsburgh: B.M. Burchinal, 1984. FHL Book 929.273 B893bb; 1988 supplement: FHL Book 929.273 B893bb supp. 1
• Burchinal - Burchinal, Beryl Modest and Donald Lee Robinson. The Burchinal Genealogy: The Descendants of Thomas Burtchnell ca 1670-1709 of Cecil County, Maryland, and His Children Jeremiah Burchinal "Jeremy" and Mary Burchinal, Kent County, Maryland. Apollo, Penn.: Closson Press, 1998. FHL Book 929.273 B893bba
• Caulk - Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210. FHL 973 D25aga v. 54
• Coleman - Coleman, Richard F. and Caroline Coleman Cofrode. A Coleman Family History: De[s]cendants of Charles Coleman, Born 1763, Kent County, Maryland. North Canton, Ohio: R.F. Coleman, 1986. FHL Book 929.273 C677ccc
• Comegys - Moss, Ernestine Parke. Cornelius Comegys of Kent County, Maryland. Memphis, Tenn.: E.P. Moss, 1982. FHL Book 929.273 C734m
• Dabb - Russell, George Ely. "Anicake (Hanson) (Elena) (MacKenny) Dabb of Kent County, Maryland, 1652-1674," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Jul. 1978):159-164. FHL 973 D25aga v. 54
• de Hinojosa - Hoff, Henry B. "Alexander de Hinojosa and His Descendants in Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 79, No. 4 (Oct. 2004):260-273.
• Elena - Russell, George Ely. "Anicake (Hanson) (Elena) (MacKenny) Dabb of Kent County, Maryland, 1652-1674," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Jul. 1978):159-164. FHL 973 D25aga v. 54
• Elena - Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60.
• Elenor - See Elena.
• Elexson - Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210. FHL 973 D25aga v. 54
• Forman - Dandridge, Anne Spottswood and Anne Elizabeth Forman Dismukes. The Forman Genealogy: Descendants of Robert Forman of Kent Co., Maryland, Who Died in 1719-1720: Also Descendants of Robert Forman of Long Island, New York, Who Died in 1671; the Forman Family of Monmouth Co., New Jersey; Together with Notices of Other Families of the Name Forman. Salem, Mass.: Higginson, [2001?]. Digital versions at Google Books; Internet Archive; FHL Book 929.273 F765d; another copy: FHL Film 547060.
• Goodhand - Brayton, John Anderson. "Madam Esther Pollock of Kent Co., Md., and Chowan Co., N.C., and the Lutens," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Nov. 2000):376-392. FHL Book 975.6 B2j.
• Hanson - Russell, George Ely. "Anicake (Hanson) (Elena) (MacKenny) Dabb of Kent County, Maryland, 1652-1674," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Jul. 1978):159-164. FHL 973 D25aga v. 54
• Hanson - Russell, George Ely. "The Swedish Settlement in Maryland, 1654," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):203-210. FHL 973 D25aga v. 54
• Hanson - Hanson, George A. Old Kent. 1876. 159-168.
• Harris - Brayton, John Anderson. "Madam Esther Pollock of Kent Co., Md., and Chowan Co., N.C., and the Lutens," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Nov. 2000):376-392. FHL Book 975.6 B2j.
• Holman - Utermohlen, William J. The Holman Family of Kent County, Maryland and Woodford County, Kentucky: A Preliminary Study. Alexandria, Va.: W.J. Utermohlen, 1993. FHL Book 929.273 H731u
• Holman - Utermohlen, William J. "The Ancestry of Richard Rue and His Holman and Vansant Connections," The American Genealogist, Vol. 69, No. 4 (Oct. 1994):235-245.
• Hosier - Henry Hosier of Kent County, Maryland. Typescript. No date. Microfilmed 1983: FHL Fiche 6018871
• Ingram - Brayton, John Anderson. "Madam Esther Pollock of Kent Co., Md., and Chowan Co., N.C., and the Lutens," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Nov. 2000):376-392. FHL Book 975.6 B2j.
• Jenkins - Brayton, John Anderson. "Madam Esther Pollock of Kent Co., Md., and Chowan Co., N.C., and the Lutens," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Nov. 2000):376-392. FHL Book 975.6 B2j.
• MacKenny - Russell, George Ely. "Anicake (Hanson) (Elena) (MacKenny) Dabb of Kent County, Maryland, 1652-1674," The American Genealogist, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Jul. 1978):159-164. FHL 973 D25aga v. 54
• Pollock - Brayton, John Anderson. "Madam Esther Pollock of Kent Co., Md., and Chowan Co., N.C., and the Lutens," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Nov. 2000):376-392. FHL Book 975.6 B2j.
• Rue - Utermohlen, William J. "The Ancestry of Richard Rue and His Holman and Vansant Connections," The American Genealogist, Vol. 69, No. 4 (Oct. 1994):235-245.
• Strong - Albee, Fredericka Strong (b. 1878). One Branch of the Strong Family of Kent County, Maryland. Typescript, National Library, DAR. Microfilmed 1971: FHL Film 875394 Item 3
• Sweatman - Brayton, John Anderson. "Madam Esther Pollock of Kent Co., Md., and Chowan Co., N.C., and the Lutens," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Nov. 2000):376-392. FHL Book 975.6 B2j.
• Usilton - Stuart, Sarah Elisabeth. William Usilton of Kent County, Maryland (? -1729) and Some of His Descendants. Chestertown, Md.: E.V. Tuttle, 1938. FHL Film 1401461
• Vansant - See Rue.
• Wallis - Wallis, Lucille A. and Guy Wallis. Samuel Wallis of Kent County, Maryland: Some of His Descendants & Allied Families. Multi-volume. Decorah, Iowa: Anundsen, 1991-2000. FHL Book 929.273 W158wL
• Wolcott - Wolcott, John Benjamin and Charles V. Waid. Wolcott Immigrants and Their Early Descendants (the First Six Generations): Henry and Elizabeth Wolcott of Windsor, Connecticut; John and Winifred Wolcott of Watertown, Massachusetts; William and Alice Wolcott of Salem, Massachusetts; John and Sarah Wolcott of Kent County, Maryland; Samuel Wolcott of Shrewsbury, New Jersey. n.p.: Society of the Descendants of Henry Wolcott, 2002. FHL Book 929.273 W83wj

Land and Property Records

Through a Joint eGovernment Service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives, free images and indexes of the complete series of Kent County Deed Books (1648-present) have been uploaded to their website: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)

• Land Records, USGenWeb Archives (scroll down the page)

Local Histories

• History of Kent County, Maryland, 1630-1916. N.d. By Fred G. Usilton. N.p: n.p. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Old Kent : the Eastern Shore of Maryland. 1876. By George A. Hanson. Baltimore : J. P. Des Forges. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat).

Maps and Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Military Records

Revolutionary War

Kent County men served in the 5th Maryland Regiment.

• 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 et. al. 1967 reprint: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Maryland, Kent County on page 127.

War of 1812

• 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, Kent County, pp. 151-152. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Civil War

• 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 Kent 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 Kent:

• 2nd Regiment, Maryland Eastern Shore Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D and E.

World War II

• 1940-1945 - Maryland, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

• Kent 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 ($)

Other Records

• 1853-1898 Maryland, Kent County, Voter Registration Records, 1853-1898 at FamilySearch - index and images
• Coldham, Peter Wilson. "Correspondence with the American Colonies 1739-1782," The Genealogist, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Spring 1998):108-128; Vol. 12, No. 2 (Fall 1998):189-205. Overseas correspondence of residents of Chester Town [Chestertown] and Kent County with the following surnames: Ringold and Wilmore. Available at FHL.

Probate Records

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
• 1629-1999 Maryland Register of Wills Records, an invaluable comprehensive collection of probate records of all types at FamilySearch images. Inexplicably there is a coverage gap in the wills themselves between Wills 1777-1781 Vol 6 and Wills 1827-1835 Vol 11, although Vol 7 is available on Film 14159, which may be viewed at the Family History Library

• 1634–1777 Probate Records, Colonial Index, 1634-1777 online at Maryland State Archives website
• 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
• Wills and Estate Records, USGenWeb (scroll to bottom of page)

Social Security Records

• 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

• 1678, 1681 1678 and 1681 Kent County tax lists, available online, courtesy MDGenWeb.
• 1746-1750 1746-1750 Kent County Tax Lists at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1749 1749 Eastern Neck Hundred at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1749 1749 Chester Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1749 1749 Chestertown Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1749 1749 Lower Langford Bay Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1749 1749 Lower South Sassafras Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, trancription
• 1749 1749 Morgans Creek Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1749 1749 Upper Langsford Bay Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1749 Upper South Sassafras Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1749 1749 Worton Hundred Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1750 1750 Kent County Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1750 1750 (continued) Kent County Tax List at Maryland Genealogical Society, transcription
• 1783 Kent County Tax List of 1783: 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.

Vital Records

Birth

• 1650-1681 Colonial Births 1650-1681

Marriage

• 1654-1676 Colonial Marriages 1654-1676
• 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
• Marriage Records - Maryland State Archives

Death

• 1655-1678 Colonial Deaths 1655-1678
• 1898-1944 Maryland Death Index 1898-1944

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Kent County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Maryland Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

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
• Salisbury Maryland Family History Center
• Cecil County Public Library - Cecilton Branch - an affiliate library (multiple branches).
• Winterthur Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Kent County. For state-wide library facilities, see Maryland Archives and Libraries.

Kent County Public Library
408 High Street
Chestertown, MD 21620
Phone: 410-778-3636
Website

The Historical Society of Kent County Library
301 High Street
P.O. Box 665
Chestertown, MD 21620
Phone: 410-778-3499
Email: library@kentcountyhistory.org
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Kent County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Maryland Societies.

Historical Society of Kent County
301 High Street
P.O. Box 665
Chestertown, MD 21620
Phone: 410-778-3499
Email: Director@kentcountyhistory.org
Website

Upper Shore Genealogical Society of Maryland
P.O. Box 275
Easton, MD 21601
Email: usgsmd@yahoo.com
Website

Websites

• "Kent Co.," in Genealogical Sources in Periodicals at The Maryland State Archives.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Kent County.
• 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

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.