Maryland Descendancy Research
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As families believe they have researched their pedigrees back in time as far as possible, they sometimes choose to gather information on all the descendants of a particular ancestor or even all of their ancestors. This article explains possible steps to take on such a project in Maryland online records.
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Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked.
Federal Censuses
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State Census
| Year | Type of Census | Links |
|---|---|---|
| 1776 | Colonial, head of household and some household members | at Maryland State Archives
at Ancestry ($) |
For more information on census records, see Maryland Census and United States Census.
Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in Maryland statewide beginning in 1865, although counties may have kept earlier records. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.
- Maryland Records Colonial, Revolutionary, County, and Church from Original Sources Vol. I at Ancestry - index only ($)
Births
- 1650-1995: Maryland Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only
- 1662-1911: Maryland Births and Christenings Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1665-1995: Maryland Births and Baptisms at FamilySearch; index & images
Marriages
- pre 1699: American Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1634-1777: Maryland Compiled Marriage Index at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1655-1850: Maryland Compiled Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1658-1940: Maryland County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1666-1970: Maryland Marriages at FamilySearch; index only
- 1667-1899: Maryland Compiled Marriages at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1761-1947: US Marriages – Maryland at Findmypast - index only ($)
- 1778-1800: Maryland Marriages at Ancestry; images only ($)
- 1801-1820: Maryland Marriages at Ancestry; images only ($)
- 1850-1900: US Hochheimer Marriage Records at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- Maryland Marriage References at Maryland.gov
- Maryland Revolutionary Records at Ancestry; images only ($)
Deaths
- 1697-1800: Maryland State Archives Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1736-1737: Maryland death records as taken from Maryland account book no. 15 at Ancestry; images only ($)
- 1875-1880, 1943-1949: Baltimore City Death Index at Maryland State Archives
- 1877-1992: Maryland Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only
- 1935-2014: US Social Security Death Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
- 1962-2014: US Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; index only
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Maryland, see How to Find Maryland Birth Records, How to Find Maryland Marriage Records, and How to Find Maryland Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1865. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
- Online Maryland Death Indexes, Obituaries and Cemeteries
- Archives.com Obituaries ($)
- ProQuest Obituaries for Maryland($)
- Ancestry.com United States Obituary Collection for Maryland ($)
- Polish Death Notice Index Search, 1926-1946, index.
- GenealogyBuff.com - Maryland Obituary Collection
- ObitsArchive.com - Maryland
- Maryland Obituaries
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- BillionGraves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch – How to Use This Collection
- Maryland Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- Maryland Cemetery Records at Interment
- Maryland Gravestone Photo Project at Maryland Gravestones
- Maryland Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Names in Stone Vol. 1 at Ancestry ($)
- Names in Stone, Maryland, Vol. 2 at Ancestry ($)
- Online Maryland Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- Jewish Cemeteries in Maryland at Find-A-Grave
- Hebrew Cemeteries in Maryland at Find-A-Grave
- Maryland Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see Maryland Obituaries and Maryland Cemeteries.
Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- Maryland, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Maryland, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Maryland Online Genealogy Records.
The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Maryland Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.