Maryland Census

Portal:United States Census &gt;Maryland

Availability
1790-1930--The Family History Library has copies of the existing U.S. federal censuses of Maryland.

1790--The original schedules for Allegany, Calvert, and Somerset counties are missing.

1800--The census is missing the original schedules for Baltimore County outside of Baltimore City.

1830--The census lacks the original schedules for Montgomery, Prince Georges, Queen Annes, St. Marys, and Somerset counties.

1890--The population schedules were destroyed in a fire in 1921.

Historical Background
1632--A charter was granted to Cecilius Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore. Maryland remained a propietary colony until 1776, except for the years 1691 to 1715 when the colony reverted to the crown.

1653--Baltimore ws founded. It soon became a major port and commercial center.

1763-1767--The Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary was established by the Mason-Dixon Line.

1776--Maryland adopted a Declaration of Rights and a state constitution.

1788--Maryland officially became a state in the Union by ratifying the Constitution.

1791--Maryland ceded sixty square miles for the District of Columbia.

Indexes
1790-1800, 1820-1850--Statewide indexes are available.

1860--The index only includes areas outside Baltimore City, Maryland.

1880, 1900, 1920-- Soundex (phonetic) indexes on microfilm exist.

1910-- The census index lists only heads-of-house and strays born in Poland.

If the person lived in a large city, you can find an address in a city directory for the same year that the census was taken. Then look for that address on the original census schedules.

The following reference tools can help you determine which census schedule microfilm and ward or enumeration district to search for specific addresses:


 * Kirkham, E. Kay. A Handy Guide to Record-Searching in the Larger Cities of the United States. Logan, Utah: Everton, 1974. (FHL book 973 D27kc; fiche 6010059-60.) This work includes ward maps and street indexes for Baltimore for the years 1850-1855 and 1860.


 * Brown, Mary Ross. An Illustrated Genealogy of the Counties of Maryland and the District of Columbia as a Guide to Locating Records . . . Baltimore, Maryland: French-Bray Printing Co., 1967. (FHL book 975.2 E7b.) This has maps showing Baltimore City ward boundaries in 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.

Census Descriptions of Geographic Subdivisions and Enumerations Districts. The United States Census Offices has prepared the following descriptions:

1880--FHL film 1402861                         1900--FHL film 1303022                          1910--FHL film 1374004                          1920--FHL film 1842708                          1930--FHL film 2261284


 * Buckway, G. Eileen. U.S. 1910 Federal Census: Unindexed States: A Guide to Finding Census Enumeration Districts for Unindexed Cities, Towns, and Villages. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1992. (FHL book 973 X2bu 1910; fiche 6101340.) This work lists all Maryland towns (or wards), their 1910 census enumeration district numbers, and their FHL film numbers. The work contains special instructions and information for Baltimore, including the FHL film numbers of city directories.


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. Cross Index to Selected City Streets and Enumeration Districts, 1910 Census. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, [1984]. (On 51 FHL fiche beginning with 6331481.) This reference lists street addresses of Baltimore on fiche numbers two through four and lists corresponding census enumeration districts.

Another index that may be helpful in locating individuals is:


 * Jackson, Ronald Vern. AIS Microfiche Indexes of U.S. Census and Other Records. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1984. (No FHL fiche number but available at many Family History Centers.) In this work, the Maryland censuses for 1790, 1800, and 1810 censuses are combined on Search 1. The 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850 censuses have separate searches.

Special Censuses
Mortality Schedules. Mortality schedules exist for the years 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. The schedules and indexes are available at the Maryland State Archives. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of and the following published mortality schedules:

Dryden, Ruth T. (Ruth Jean Tamm), 1923–. State of Maryland Mortality Schedules, 1850 &amp; 1860. San Diego, California: Dryden, [198-?]. (FHL book 975.2 X28d; fiche 6117599) This work is indexed.

Riley, Janet Wilson. Eastern Shore Mortality Schedule, 1870.Silver Spring, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1985. (FHL book 975.21 X28r.) The Eastern shore area includes nine counties: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Annes, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester.

Riley, Janet Wilson. Mortality Schedule of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, 1880. Silver Spring, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1986. (FHL book 975.2 A1 No. 196) The Eastern Shore area includes nine counties: Caroline, Cecil, Dorcester, Kent, Queen Annes, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester.

Slave Schedules. Slave schedules for 1850 and 1860 list the name of the owner, the numbers of slaves owned, whether the slaves were male or female, and the slaves' age ranges. They do not list the slaves by name. The slave schedules are not indexed.

Veterans Schedules. The Family History Library has the Maryland 1890 Civil War Union veterans schedule and index. The index is:

Dilts, Bryan Lee. 1890 Maryland Census Index of Civil War Veterans or Their Widows. Salt Lake City, Utah: Index Publishing, 1985. (FHL book 975.2 X22d 1890).

State Censuses
Colonial and State Censuses

A colonial census was taken in 1776 for most counties. For some counties it gives the name, age, and race of each family member. The 1776 census has been indexed and published in:

Carothers, Bettie Stirling. 1776 Census of Maryland. Lutherville, Maryland: B.S. Carothers, 1976. (FHL book 975.2 X2p 1776; film 928227 item 2).

In 1778 nearly every male 18 years of age and older (except for Friends and others who objected for religious reasons) took an oath of fidelity to the state. A list of these men has been published in:

Carothers, Bettie Stirling. Maryland Oaths of Fidelity. Two Volumes. Lutherville, Maryland: B.S. Carothers, 1971. (FHL book 975.2 P4c, 1971; film 908753 items 6-7; fiche 6051446.) Names are listed alphabetically within counties.

The "Oath of Fidelity Index" at the Maryland Historical Society is a card index of the 14,000 men who signed the oath. The Family History Library does not have a copy of this index.

A list of adult males was also made in 1778 to determine who had not taken the oath of fidelity. The few surviving records are indexed in:

Carothers, Bettie Stirling. 1778 Census of Maryland. [Chesterfield, Missouri.]: B.S. Carothers, 1975. (FHL book 975.2 X2p 1778; film 908123 item 3.) The parish or hundred is sometimes given.

Maryland did not take state censuses, but the Baltimore City Archives has an 1868 police census for some city wards of Baltimore on one microfilm.

Web Sites
Ancestry: http://www.ancestry.com

Heritage Quest Online: http://www.heritagequestonline.com

Census Online: http://www.census-online.com/links/MD/

Genealogy Today: http://dir.genealogytoday.com/usa/md/census.html

Access Genealogy: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/maryland.htm

Bibliographic Citations
Maryland Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1998, 2001.