Somerset County, Maryland Genealogy

United States

Maryland

Somerset County

Guide to Somerset County, Maryland ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Maryland Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Princess Anne Organized: August 22, 1666 Parent County(s): Colonial lands Variant Spellings: Somersett Neighboring Counties Dorchester  • St. Mary's  • Wicomico  • Worcester  • Accomack (VA) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

Somerset County was named for Mary, Lady Somerset. The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Somerset County Courthouse
30512 Prince William Street
Princess Anne, MD 21853
Phone: 410-221-7651
Somerset County Website

Clerk of the Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, court and land records from 1666.
Register of Wills has probate records.

Somerset 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	1666	1898	1666	1666	1664	1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1898. General compliance by the 1910s.

Record Loss

In 1831 the courthouse burned, but the records were saved. Lost censuses: 1790, 1830, 1890

Boundary Changes

Created 22 August 1666 from Colonial lands. County seat: Princess Anne 22 October 1742, Worcester County set off 17 August 1867, Wicomico County set off 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:

Cities
Crisfield
Towns
Princess Anne (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
Ewell Kingston Manokin Marion Station	Oriole Rehobeth Rhodes Point Shelltown	Tylerton Upper Fairmount Wenona Westover
Census-designated places
Chance Dames Quarter Deal Island Eden	Fairmount Frenchtown-Rumbly Mount Vernon (historically known as Hog's Neck, Cow Island or Jason)	Smith Island West Pocomoke

Resources

Cemeteries

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

Census Records

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

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	15,310	—
1800	17,358	13.4%
1810	17,195	−0.9%
1820	19,579	13.9%
1830	20,166	3.0%
1840	19,508	−3.3%
1850	22,456	15.1%
1860	24,992	11.3%
1870	18,190	−27.2%
1880	21,668	19.1%
1890	24,155	11.5%
1900	25,923	7.3%
1910	26,455	2.1%
1920	24,602	−7.0%
1930	23,382	−5.0%
1940	20,965	−10.3%
1950	20,745	−1.0%
1960	19,623	−5.4%
1970	18,924	−3.6%
1980	19,188	1.4%
1990	23,440	22.2%
2000	24,747	5.6%
2010	26,470	7.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

• 1800 Somerset County Census Images
• 1850 Somerset County Census Transcriptions

Federal Census reports available 1800-1930 including slave and veterans schedules. Exception-1830 Federal Census is missing.

Church Records

• 1668-1995 Maryland, Church Records, 1668-1995 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
• Maryland State Archives' 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:

• Methodist, 1856-1968 (includes membership, minutes, and other registers for various congregations)
• Methodist, Smith Island Charge 1884-1967 (includes membership and church records for various congregations)
• Methodist Episcopal, 1875-1967 (includes registers, minutes, and records for various congregations)
• Methodist Protestant, 1820s-1960s (covers various congregations)
• Presbyterian, Manokin Church, Princess Anne, Md. 1737-1964 (includes church history, register, session records, committee proceedings, treasurer's accounts, and Woman's Society Minutes)
• Protestant Episcopal (Church of England), St. Mark's Church, Coventry Parish, Kingston, Md. (includes parish registers 1745-1911 (some gaps) and vestry minutes 1772-1915)

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

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. Contains "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.

Other Somerset County immigration resources include:

• 1897-1952 Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists Index, 1897-1952 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
• List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe who served labor terms in Colonial Somerset County, Maryland, 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. [Somerset County families appear in Vols. 7-10, 12, 15, 17-18, 20, and 22.]

• Bell - Bell, John B. "Four Early Thomas Bells on the Eastern Shore of Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1985):278-288; Vol. 30, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1986):3-16. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 29 (1985)-v. 30 (1986).
• Chancellor - Wroe, William Clarke. The Wroe and Chancellor Families, with Special Attention to the Descendants of Chancellor Wroe (1782-1818) and His Wife, Elizabeth Monroe Chancellor (1793-1872). Edgewater, Md.: W.C. Wroe, 1992. Digital version at Family History Archives; FHL Films 1697721 Item 1, 1698019 Item 11.
• Covington - Covington, Elbert E. Covington and Kin. DeSoto, Illinois: E.E. Covington, 1973?. Available at FHL; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• Delaymos - Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60.
• Elzey - Boddie, Mrs. John Boddie. Historical Southern Families. Volume XIV. Baltimore, 1970. FHL Book 975 D2b v. 14.
• Gadd - Russell, George Ely. "John Lumbroso Jr. (1666-1744) of Pasquotank County, North Carolina," The American Genealogist, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jan. 1983):32. FHL 973 D25aga v. 59
• Gibbons - Dryden, Ruth T. The Gibbons Family of Somerset County, Maryland. San Diego, California: R.T. Dryden, 1991. Available at FHL.
• Gordy - See Melson.
• Hayman - Gordon, Evelyn Hayman and Gilbert Gordon. The James Alderman Hayman Family and Their Ancestral Florida Pioneers. Tampa, Fla.: privately published, 1986. FHL Book 929.273 H332g.
• Hayman - Brayton, John Anderson. "The Hayman Family of Somerset Co., Md., and Pasquotank Co., N.C.," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Aug. 2005):248-254.
• Layfield - Hatcher, Patricia Law. "'Mother Nottle': A Correction to the Ancestry of George and Samuel Layfield of Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 77, No. 1 (Jan. 2002):18-24.
• London - Richardson, Douglas. "Ambrose London of New York, Virginia and Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 58, No. 3 (Jul. 1982):160-163. FHL 973 D25aga v. 58
• London - Richardson, Douglas. "Major Ambrose London of New York, Virginia, and Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 64, No. 2 (April 1989):75-78. FHL 973 D25aga
• Manlove - Russell, George Ely. "The Migrations of Mark Manlove (ca.1617-1666) in New England, Virginia, and Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 61, No. 2 (Jul./Oct. 1985):71-76. FHL 973 D25aga v. 61
• Melson - Melson, Lewis B. The Melson Family in America: With Special Emphasis on the John-John-Daniel-Daniel-Benjamin-Samson Branch that Originated on the Eastern Shore of the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia Peninsula. 2 vols. Annapolis: L.B. Melson, 1996. Available at FHL.
• Parramore - Bell, John Barr. "Another Adventurer John Parramore (1607-1676)," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 35, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1991):3-17. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 35 (1991).
• Parramore - Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004-2007. Volume 2. FHL Book 975.5 H2j v. 2.
• Pilcher - Uhrbrock, Richard S. "Pilchers (Pilchards) and Reddens of Delmarva," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Jul.-Sepl 1974):187-195. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 18 (1974).
• Roades - Redden, Robert J. "The Roades Family of Colonial Sussex County Delaware," Delaware Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Apr. 1994):49-53; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1994):73-75.
• Robins - Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004-2007. Volume 2. FHL Book 975.5 H2j v. 2.
• Russell - Russell, George Ely. "John Russell from Somerset County, Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 56, No. 3 (Jul. 1980):144-147. FHL 973 D25aga v. 55-56
• Smith - Smith, Wesley. A Family History and Fifty-two Years of Preacher Life in Mississippi and Texas. Nashville, Tenn.: University Press, 1898. Available at FHL. [Discusses seventeenth-century Smith immigrants.]
• Standbridge - Brayton, John Anderson. "The Hayman Family of Somerset Co., Md., and Pasquotank Co., N.C.," North Carolina Genealogical Journal, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Aug. 2005):248-254.
• Townsend - Bayles, John J. and James L. Taylor. Some Descendants of John Townsend of Snow Hill, Maryland, 1640-1698, Accomack Co., Va., and Somerset Co., Md. Oxnard, California: J.J. Bayles, 1989. Available at FHL.
• Vaughan - "The Vaughan Family of Sussex County," Delaware Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct. 2006):91-95.
• Waggaman - "The Ennalls and Waggaman Families of Maryland," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Oct. 1893):98-105. Digital version at JSTOR - free.
• Waggaman - Edwards, Thomas Clarke. The Waggamans and Their Allied Families. Paramus, New Jersey: T.C. Edwards, 1983. Available at FHL.
• Wright - Wright, Charles W. The Wright Ancestry of Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset and Wicomico Counties Maryland. Baltimore: Baltimore City Printing and Binding Co., 1907. Available at FHL. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books.

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 Somerset County Deed Books (1665-present) have been uploaded to their website: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)
• Abstracts of Early Somerset County Land Records online at Salisbury University website. Includes 1670-1683 Land Surveys and 1685 Rent Rolls - free.

Local Histories

• Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. c1935. By Clayton Torrence. Richmond, Virginia : Whittet & Shepperson. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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

1877 Atlas of Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester Counties, MD is available online from Johns Hopkins' Library.

Military Records

Revolutionary War

Somerset County men served in the 3rd Maryland Regiment and the 4th 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, Somerset County on page 128.

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, Somerset County, p. 155. 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 Somerset 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 Somerset:

- 1st Regiment, Maryland Eastern Shore Infantry, Company K.

- Purnell Legion, Maryland Infantry, Companies D and G.

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

• Somerset 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 ($)

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
• 1634-1777 Probate Records, Colonial Index, 1634-1777, Maryland State Archives
• 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

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 Som[e]rsett County tax list, available online, courtesy: MDGenWeb.
• 1723-1759 Online access to 31 of the tax lists between 1723 and 1759 are available from the Maryland State Archives: 1723-1759 Tax Lists
• 1724 Jacob, John E. "Somerset County, Maryland, 1724 Tax Lists," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Sep. 1973):195-200; Vol. 61, No. 4 (Dec. 1973):285-294. FHL Book 973 B2ng v. 61.
• 1727 Miller, Rebecca Furniss. 1727 Tax List. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice Genealogy, 1992. FHL Book 975.2 A1 no. 204.
• 1730, 1733, 1744, 1748 Miller, Rebecca Furniss. 1730, 1733, 1744 & 1748 Tax Lists, Somerset County, Maryland. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice, 1992. FHL Book 975.223 R48m.
• 1730-1740 Russo, J. Elliott. Tax Lists of Somerset County, 1730-1740. Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1992. FHL Book 975.223 R48r.
• 1733 Lankford, Wilmer O. 1733 Tax List, Somerset County, Maryland. Princess Anne, Md.: Manokin Press, 1992. FHL Book 75.223 R48L.
• 1739 Powell, Judy. Somerset County, Maryland, 1739 Tax List. Roanoke, Tex.: J. Powell, 1990. FHL Book 975.223 R48p.
• 1753 Miller, Rebecca Furniss. Somerset County, State of Maryland, 1753 Tax List. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice Genealogy, 1990s. FHL Book 975.2 A1 no. 192.
• 1757 Miller, Rebecca Furniss. 1757 Tax List. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice Genealogy, 1992. FHL Book 975.2 A1 no. 205.
• 1759 Miller, Rebecca Furniss. 1759 Tax List. Princess Anne, Md.: Miller's Choice Genealogy, 1994. FHL Book 975.223 R4m.
• 1783 Somerset 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.
• 1798 Reedy, Tom. The 1798 Federal Direct Tax of Somerset County, Maryland. Westminster, Md.: Willow Bend Books, 1999. FHL Book 975.223 R48rt.
• 1798-1803 Powell, Judy. Somerset County, Maryland Tax Lists, 1798, 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803. Roanoke, Tex.: J. Powell, 1992. FHL Book 975.223 R48po.

Vital Records

Marriage

• 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
• Maryland Marriage References by Robert Barnes.
• Marriage Records - Maryland State Archives

Death

• 1898-1944 Maryland Death Index 1898-1944

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Somerset 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

• Eastern Shore Virginia Family History Center
• Salisbury Maryland Family History Center
• Eastern Shore Public Library - Virginia - an affiliate library.
• Eastern Shore Public Library - Chincoteague Island Branch - an affiliate library.

Libraries

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

Somerset County Public Library System
11767 Beechwood Street
Princess Anne, MD 21822
Phone: 410-651-0852
Website
(Multiple locations)

Societies

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

Somerset County Historical Society
Website

Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society
Box 3602
Salisbury, MD 21802-3602
Phone: 410-742-4059
Email: lowerdelmarva@yahoo.com
Website
Includes material for Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester Counties.

Websites

• Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture includes bibliographies of sources, family history guides, biographies, etc.
• "Somerset Co.," in Genealogical Sources in Periodicals at The Maryland State Archives.
• Genealogy Trails
• The Somerset County MDGenWeb Project, a member of The MDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Somerset County.
• Somerset Links
• 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.