Genealogical Research in Maryland

The Paleo-Indians first inhabited Maryland nearly 10,000 years ago. By the year 1,000 B.C., nearly 8,000 Native Americans comprising approximately 40 tribes lived in the area. The first European to visit the area was the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano who visited the Chesapeake Bay, which Captain John Smith called it a place perfect for man’s habitation. The first trading post was set up on Kent Island in 1631 by the fur trader William Claiborne, and the first official settlement was founded at St. Mary’s City in 1634.

Maryland began as a colony in 1632 when George Calvert, was given permission by Britain's King Charles I to start a colony in the Chesapeake area. The following year the British ships the Dove and the Ark carrying settlers who founded St. Mary's City. In 1649, Puritans fleeing religious prosecution from Great Britain founded Providence. In spite of the highly religious nature of the majority of Maryland residents, slavery was made legal in 1664, binding slaves to their owners for life.

In 1729, as Maryland began to swiftly develop its manufacturing sector, Baltimore was founded to expedite the export of goods. A series of ironworks sprung up, and Maryland also became a major exporter of tobacco and producer of flour. The Native Americans of Maryland were not as organized as tribes elsewhere, and put up little resistance to the European efforts to grab their land. Finally in 1744, the colony purchased the remainder of Native American land holdings of what would become the colony of Maryland.

Resistance to the British taxes began to take hold in the colony during the 1760’s and a Maryland chapter of the Sons of Liberty was organized. Maryland signed the Bush Declaration which called for independence from Great Britain in 1775, and when war broke out in 1776, sent its troops to join the forces of George Washington. Maryland soldiers fought in many of the major battles and contributed greatly to the American victory.

From 1783 until August of 1784, the city of Annapolis was the capital of the new America. It was there that the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Revolutionary War. When Maryland ratified the Constitution on April 28, 1788, it became the seventh state.

As a slave state, Maryland joined the union cause when Civil War broke out, and it was in the state that the first blood shed in the conflict took place during the Baltimore Riot in 1861. Several thousand citizens of Maryland fled to Virginia to fight for the Confederacy after the Baltimore Riot, and many who remained during and after the war continued to support slavery. Many Marylanders opposed the abolition of slavery until the state’s new constitution finally ended the practice when it was passed on October 13, 1864, though by a narrow margin of 30,174 to 29,799. 

Famous Battles Fought in Maryland

The Battle of Portland Harbor was the only Civil War that took place in Maryland, and that was a naval battle that took place off the coast of modern day Portland. Over 80,000 men from however Maryland fought for the Union side in the Civil War. Likewise there were no Revolutionary War land battles fought there, but three was a naval battle fought known as the Burning of Falmouth. The Battle at Moore's Brook was fought in Maryland during King Philip’s War

These battle accounts that do exist can be very effective in uncovering the military records of your ancestor. They can tell you what regiments fought in which battles, and often include the names and ranks of many officers and enlisted men.

Boundary Changes: Boundary changes are a common obstacle when researching Maryland ancestors. You could be searching for an ancestor’s record in one county when in fact it is stored in a different one due to historical county boundary changes. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries can help you to overcome that problem. It provides a chronological listing of every boundary change that has occurred in the history of Maryland.

Name Changes: Surname changes, variations, and misspellings can complicate genealogical research. It is important to check all spelling variations. Soundex, a program that indexes names by sound, is a useful first step, but you can't rely on it completely as some name variations result in different Soundex codes. The surnames could be different, but the first name may be different too. You can also find records filed under initials, middle names, and nicknames as well, so you will need to get creative with surname variations and spellings in order to cover all the possibilities. For help with surname variations read our instructional article on How to Use Soundex.

Genealogical resources include not only records, but the organizations that house them, or can direct you to them. These institutions include: Archives, Libraries, Genealogical Societies, Family History Centers, Universities, Churches, and Museums.

Maryland Archives

Maryland Genealogical and Historical Societies

Genealogical and historical societies have access to extensive catalogues of genealogical data. They are also able to offer expert guidance for genealogical researchers. Many members are professional genealogists who are most willing to share their expertise in finding ancestors. 

Maryland Genealogical Society – census, vital records, religious records, city directories, military records, family histories
6000 Douglas Ave.
P.O. Box 7735
Des Moines, IA 50322
Telephone: 515-276-0287

Old Fort Genealogical Society – cemetery records, township maps, old settlers list
Ft Madison Public Library
1920 Ave E
Ft Madison, IA  52627

Maryland Mailing Lists

Mailing lists are internet based facilities that use email to distribute a single message to all who subscribe to it. When information on a particular surname, new records, or any other important genealogy information related to the mailing list topic becomes available, the subscribers are alerted to it. Joining a mailing list is an excellent way to stay up to date on Maryland genealogy research topics. Rootsweb have an extensive listing of Maryland Mailing Lists on a variety of topics.

Maryland Message Boards

A message board is another internet based facility where people can post questions about a specific genealogy topic and have it answered by other genealogists. If you have questions about a surname, record type, or research topic, you can post your question and other researchers and genealogists will help you with the answer. Be sure to check back regularly, as the answers are not emailed to you. The message boards at the Maryland Genealogy Forum are completely free to use.

Maryland Newspapers and Periodicals

Many genealogy periodicals and historical newspapers contain reprinted copies of family genealogies, transcripts of family Bible records, information about local records and archives, census indexes, church records, queries, land records, obituaries, court records, cemetery records, and wills.

Historical Maryland Maps and Gazetteers

Maps are an integral part of genealogical research. They help us to locate landmarks, towns, cities, parishes, states, provinces, waterways and roads and streets. They also help us to determine when and where boundary changes might have taken place, and give us a visualization of the area we’re researching in.

For locating place names, a gazetteer is the best possible resource for any genealogist. Gazetteers are also sometimes called “place name dictionaries”, and can help you to locate the area in which you need to conduct research.

Maryland City Directories

City directories are similar to telephone directories in that they list the residents of a particular area. The difference though is what is important to genealogists, and that is they pre-date telephone directories. You can find an ancestor’s information such as their street address, place of employment, occupation, or the name of their spouse. A one-stop-shop for finding city directories in Maryland is the Maryland Online Historical Directories which contains a listing of every available city and historical directory related to Maryland.

Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records – Also known as vital records, birth, death, and marriage certificates are the most basic, yet most important records attached to your ancestor. The reason for their importance is that they not only place your ancestor in a specific place at a definite time, but potentially connect the individual to other relatives. Below is a list of repositories and websites where you can find Maryland vital records

Some county clerks kept vital records as early as 1838. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of these documents for many counties which can be accessed at Maryland Family History Centers. Existing originals are found in the county clerk’s office or in the Maryland Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) for that county.

Original copies of Maryland Vital Records for death, birth, marriage, and divorce may be ordered from:

Maryland Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
605 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
Telephone: (217) 782-6553
Fax: 217-785-3209

The Maryland Archives has an Marylandwide Marriage Index, 1763–1900 which contains one million marriages, or two million names.

Census Reports

Census records are among the most important genealogical documents for placing your ancestor in a particular place at a specific time. Like BDM records, they can also lead you to other ancestors, particularly those who were living under the authority of the head of household.

Federal census records for Maryland exist from 1800 to 1990. Unfortunately the 1800 census was lost, and the 1810 census contains only a few names from Randolph County. The 1890 census was destroyed, though a few names from Mound Township in McDonough County remain.

Maryland Church Records

Church and synagogue records are a valuable resource, especially for baptisms, marriages, and burials that took place before 1900. You will need to at least have an idea of your ancestor’s religious denomination, and in most cases you will have to visit a brick and mortar establishment to view them.

Most church records are kept by the individual church, although in some denominations, records are placed in a regional archive or maintained at the diocesan level. Local Historical Societies are sometimes the repository for the state’s older church records. Below are links archives that maintain church records, as well as a few databases that can be viewed online.

The Family History Library contains many church records from a variety of denominations on microfilm.

The Maryland Archives collected some early Maryland church records that are now held by the Maryland Library.

St. Clair County Genealogical Society (SCCGS) has compiled the Index to Bethel Baptist Church Minutes and Membership Lists, 1809 - 1909 for St. Clair County, Maryland

Central Repositories for Denominational Records

Most of the records of individual denominations are kept in central repositories.

Maryland Military Records

More than 40 million Americans have participated in some time of war service since America was colonized. The chance of finding your ancestor amongst those records is exceptionally high. Military records can even reveal individuals who never actually served, such as those who registered for the two World Wars but were never called to duty.

Maryland Cemetery Records

As convenient as it is to search cemetery records online, keep in mind that there are a few disadvantages over visiting a cemetery in person. They are:

• Tombstone information is not always accurately transcribed
• The arrangement of the graves in a cemetery can be crucial as family members are often buried next to each other or in the same grave. This arrangement is not always preserved in the alphabetical indexes that are found online.

Maryland Obituaries

Obituaries can reveal a wealth about our ancestor and other relatives. You can search our Maryland Newspaper Obituaries Listings from hundreds of Maryland newspapers online for free.

Maryland Wills and Probate Records

The documents found in a probate packet may include a complete inventory of a person’s estate, newspaper entries, witness testimony, a copy of a will, list of debtors and creditors, names of executors or trustees, names of heirs. They can not only tell you about the ancestor you’re currently researching, but lead to other ancestors. Most of these records must be accessed at a county court or clerk’s office, but some can be found online as well. You can obtain copies of the original probate records by writing to the county clerk.

Since 1964, the circuit court in each county has custody of the earlier court records including those of the former Cook County Superior Court and a few other Chicago area courts. They can be found at:

Clerk of Circuit CourtArchives Room 1113
Richard J. Daley Center
50 W. Washington St.
Chicago, IL 60602
Telephone: 312- 603-6601
Fax: 312-603-4974

The Maryland Regional Archives has a huge database of court and county records for the entire state of Maryland

Family Search – has an online collection of probate records, which includes will, indexes, dating from 1819-1970

Maryland Immigration and Naturalization Records

The naturalization process generated many types of records, including petitions, declarations of intention, and oaths of allegiance. These records can provide family historians with information such as a person's birth date and place of birth, immigration year, marital status, spouse information, occupation, witnesses' names and addresses, and more.

US National Archives – Immigration and Naturalization records for the entire United States

Family Search has two searchable online indexes, the Maryland, Northern District (Eastern Division), Naturalization Index, 1926-1979, and the Maryland, Northern District Naturalization Index, 1840-1950

Maryland Native American Records

Bibliographies

• Women of Maryland, Lee Agger (Ganner Books, 1982)
• Massachusetts and Maryland Families, Walter Goodwin Davis (Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996)
• Maryland Families in 1790, 5 Vols. Ruth Gray (Picton Press, 1988-96)
• Name Index to Maryland Local Histories, Marie Estes (Maryland Historical Society, 1985)
• Pioneers of Maryland and New Hampshire, Charles Henry pope Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996)

Selected Resources for Maryland Women’s History

University of Maryland, Farmington Library
111 South Street
Farmington, Maryland 04938

Maryland Historical Society
489 Congress St.
Portland, ME 04101
Tel: 207-774-1822

Common Maryland Surnames

The following surnames are among the most common in Maryland and are also being currently researched by other genealogists. If you find your surname here, there is a chance that some research has already been performed on your ancestor.

ABE, ABERNATHY, ADAMS, AKERS, ALT, ANDREWS, APPLE/APPELL, ARNOLDS, ATHY, ATKINSON, AYERS, BABCOCK, BACHTEL, BAINES, BARKER, BARNES, BEACHY, BEALL, BEAVER, BECKMAN, BEEBE, BEEMAN, BENNETT, BIBBY, BIDDLE, BIGGS, BISHOP, BLIZZARD, BLUE, BOWDEN, BOWMAN, BRENNEMAN, BROADWATER, BROWNING, BRYAN, BUCHOLTZ, BUCY, BURKEY, CHAPMAN, CHENEY, CHRISTOPHER, CLARK, COFFEY, COMBS, COMPTON, CONNOR, CORBUS, CRAFT, CRESAP, CREUTZBURG, CRITES, CROFT, CROSS, CROWE, CUNNINGHAM, CURRENCE, CUSTER, DAVIS, DAWSON, DAYTON, DEAN, DENT, DICKEN, DOLAN, DONALDSON, DOUGLAS, DURST, DYE, EASTER, EDENHART, EISENTROUT, ELBIN, EMERICK, ERSKINE, ESHLEMAN, EVERLINE, FAKE, FAZENBAKER, FLEMING, FLETCHER, FOLEY, FOOR, FORTNEY, FULK, FULLER, GARLAND, GARLITZ, GEARY, GEATZ, GILL, GILMORE, GOOD, GOODGE, GRANT, GRAY, GREAVES, GRIERS, GRISWOLD, GROVES, GURLEY, HAMILL, HAMILTON, HAMMER, HARPER, HARRIS, HARVEY, HAST, HENDRICKSON, HENRY, HERPICH, HERSCH, HESSER, HICKLE, HIETTS, HILLEGASS, HOLT, HOOPER, HOTT, HOUSE, HUFF, HUMBERTSON, HUTCHINSON, IIAMS, JACKSON, JACOBS, JENKINS, JINKINS, JOHNSON, JORG, KALBAUGH, KALER, KEENE, KEMP, KERNICK, KESSELS, KIEHM, KIFER, KIGHT, KING, KLAVUHN, KLAWAN, KNIPPENBERG, KOOKEN, KOONTZ, LANTZ, LARGENTS, LASHLEY, LEASE, LEE, LEMON, LENHART, LEPS, LILLER, LINTHICUM, LOGSDON, LOHR, LONG, LOTTIG, LOYS, LYONS, MALONE, MANKAMYER, MCCARTY, MCCLUNE, MCCOOLS, MCCREARY, MCCROBIE, MCKENZIE, MCLAUGHLIN, MCLUCKIE, MENGES, METCALF, METHENY, MEYERS, MICHAEL, MILLER, MINEAR, MOORE, MORELAND, MOWBRAY, MUIR, MURPHY, MURRAY, MUSSELMAN, NEEDHAM, NEFF, NEHRING, NEWELL, NORTH, NORTHCRAFT, NORTON, OATES, ODELL, OFTEN, O'NEAL, ORR, PARKE, PAXTON, PEEBLES, PETERS, PHARES, PORTER, POTTER, PRICE, PRITCHARD, PYNE, RANNELLS, RAVENSCROFT, RICE, RICHARDS, RICHARDSON, RIZER, ROBERTS, ROBESON, ROBEY, ROBINETTE, ROHMAN, ROLAND, ROSS, RYAN, SASS, SAVAGE, SAYLOR, SCHARTIGER, SCHMIDT, SCHRAMM, SCHRIEVER, SCHROCK, SCRUGGS, SEAVER, SEIFARTH, SHADE, SHAFFER, SHANHOLTZER, SHARPLESS, SHAW, SHEPPARD, SHIPLEY, SHOBE, SIGLER, SIMPSON , SISLER, SLAGLE, SMITH, SMOUSE, SPEIR, SPENCER, SPICER, SPRING, STAGGS, STANTON, STEWART, STONER, STORER, STRATFORD, STREET, STRUCKMAN, SULTZER, TEMPLE, TETER, THOMAS, THORPE, TRENTON, TRENUM, TRESSLER, TREZISE, TRIMBLE, TROUTMAN, TRULY, TWIGG, VANMETER, WAGNER, WAGONER, WAGUS, WALLS, WARNICK , WAXLER, WEATHERHOLT, WEISER, WELLS, WENNER, WERNER, WESTFALL, WHALEY, WHEELER, WHETSTONE, WHITE, WHITTINGTON, WILHELM, WILLIAMS, WILLISON, WILSON, WILT, WINTERS , WITMER, WITT, WOLFE, WOTRING, WRIGHTSMAN, YOUNGBLOOD, ZIMMERMAN