New Castle County, Delaware Genealogy
Guide to New Castle County, Delaware ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
New Castle County was created on 8 August 1673[1] and named for the English city of Newcastle. Its county seat is Wilmington.[2] It is located in the Northern part of the state.
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
New Castle Courthouse
Leonard L. Williams Justice Center
500 North King Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302-255-0544
New Castle County Courthouse
Clerk of Peace has marriage records from 1911.
The Prothonotary has divorce and court records.
Register of Wills has probate records.
Recorder of Deeds has land records.
Most records of the older county records have been transferred to the Delaware Public Archives. [3]
New Castle County, Delaware Record Dates[edit | edit source]
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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| abt 1861 | 1744 | 1919 | 1676 | 1671 | 1680 | 1782 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
The British army confiscated many county records during the Revolutionary War. Most were eventually returned, but some were never recovered.[5]
|
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
|
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[7]
| Cities | ||
|
||
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
1638 Swedes and Finns settle at Fort Christiana (now Wilmington).[8][9] They eventually spread as far north as Philadelphia. See New Sweden wiki article for more details.
1651 Dutch build Fort Casimir and Sandhook (now New Castle City).[10][11][12] See New Netherland article for details.
1654 New Sweden captures Fort Casimir without a fight. It is renamed Fort Trinity (Trefaldighets).
1655 New Netherland returns a large army and forces all of New Sweden to submit to Dutch rule.
1664 As part of the Second Anglo-Dutch War New Netherland is surrendered to England.
1673 A new war breaks out. The Dutch send a huge armada to recapture New Netherland, but at the end of 1674 it is finally ceded to England.[13] Nieuw Amstel is renamed New Castle after the English take control.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing census records online, see: Delaware Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 19,688 | — |
| 1800 | 25,361 | 28.8% |
| 1810 | 24,429 | −3.7% |
| 1820 | 27,899 | 14.2% |
| 1830 | 29,720 | 6.5% |
| 1840 | 33,120 | 11.4% |
| 1850 | 42,780 | 29.2% |
| 1860 | 54,797 | 28.1% |
| 1870 | 63,515 | 15.9% |
| 1880 | 77,716 | 22.4% |
| 1890 | 97,182 | 25.0% |
| 1900 | 109,697 | 12.9% |
| 1910 | 123,188 | 12.3% |
| 1920 | 148,239 | 20.3% |
| 1930 | 161,032 | 8.6% |
| 1940 | 179,562 | 11.5% |
| 1950 | 218,879 | 21.9% |
| 1960 | 307,446 | 40.5% |
| 1970 | 385,856 | 25.5% |
| 1980 | 398,115 | 3.2% |
| 1990 | 441,946 | 11.0% |
| 2000 | 500,265 | 13.2% |
| 2010 | 538,479 | 7.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania ($), free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry($) - 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties. Contains church records of:
- Wilmington: Central Presbyterian Church; First Presbyterian Church; Holy Trinity Church; St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
- Swedes Church
- Christina Parish was located in what is now Wilmington. A 1754 membership list is preserved in Archivum Americanum at the Consistory Court of the Archbishop of Upsal in Sweden. A copy is held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.[14]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Online Court Indexes and Records
Synopsis of Delaware Courts at Internet Archive
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Large numbers of Scotch-Irish immigrants who settled in Chester (PA), probably arrived at the port of New Castle in the early 1700s.[15]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- Fort Casimir : the Starting Point in the History of New Castle. By Alexander B. Cooper. Wilmington, [Del.] : n.p., 1905. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Ancestry ($).
- The Old Hollingsworth Plantation. By Clinton Alfred Weslager. Wilmington, Delaware : Historic Red Clay Valley, n.d. Digitized by FamilySearch, 2009. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
American Revolution
- A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Digital version FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. [See Delaware, New Castle County on page 126.]
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Delaware Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; images available through FamilySearch Catalog
Regiments. Civil War service men from New Castle County 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 New Castle County.
World War I
- 1917-1919 Delaware, World War I Servicemen Records, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
World War II
- 1940-1945 Delaware, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1802-1943 Delaware, Federal Naturalization Records, 1802-1943 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Delaware Public Archives has placed the New Castle County Naturalizations Original petitions and other legal documents of immigrants wishing to become American citizens on-line. There is an alphabetical listing of the names and dates.The date listed reflects the year of the file and may vary from the document displayed. The file for each individual may contain more documentation.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-Current Delaware, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- New Castle County, Delaware Obituary and Death Notice Collection at GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Wilmington, Newark, Elsmere, New Castle, Middletown, Delaware City, Newport, Bellefonte and Odessa areas.
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- Delaware Public Archives, Probate. at Internet Archive. Name-searchable index provides name, years of probate, number of pages, entry number, and whether the folder has been filmed or scanned. Copies may then be obtained by using the email link on the search page. Multiple items may be ordered at the same time. The Research Staff will return a total cost, and link to confirm and pay for the order.
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Books and Film
- A Calendar of Delaware Wills, New Castle County, 1682-1800. New York, NY: National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, 1911; Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. (FS Library book 975.11 S2n.)
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
School Records[edit | edit source]
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- Dickson, Taylor L. and P.S.P. Conner. "Some Data Concerning the Taking of Wolves in New Castle County in 1676, and a Reprint of the Taxables of that Year," Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Jan. 1895):29-34. For free online access, see WeRelate.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1650-1974 Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1847-1954 Delaware, Wilmington Vital Records, 1847-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1650-1974 Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1784-2007 Delaware, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index($)
- 1847-1954 Delaware, Wilmington Vital Records, 1847-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1650-1974 Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1847-1954 Delaware, Wilmington Vital Records, 1847-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in New Castle County. For state-wide facilities, see Delaware Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Newark Delaware FamilySearch Center
- Wilmington Delaware FamilySearch Center
- Cecil County Public Library (multiple locations) - an affiliate library
- Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in New Castle County. For state-wide library facilities, see Delaware Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Society of Winterthur Fellows
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
5105 Kennett Pike
Wilmington, DE 19735
Phone: 302-888-4681
Email: reference@winterthur.org
Website
Facebook
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in New Castle County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Delaware Societies.
Delaware Genealogical Society
Center for African American Heritage
505 N Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19801-3091
Phone: 302-655-7161
Email: president@delgensoc.org
Website
Jewish Historical Society of Delaware
505 North Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19801-3091
Phone:302-655-6232
Email: info@jhsdelaware.org
Website
New Castle Historical Society
30 Market Street
New Castle, DE 19720
Phone: 302-322-2794
Email: info@newcastlehistory.org
Website
Facebook
Fort Delaware Society
PO Box 553
2711 Staff Lane
Fort DuPont State Park
Delaware City, DE 19706
Phone: 302-834-1630
Email: society@fortdelaware.org
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- The New Castle County DEGenWeb Project, n member of The DEGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for New Castle County
- New Castle County, Delaware Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- New Castle County Genealogy (Delaware Genealogy)
- 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.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "New Castle County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Castle_County,_Delaware 04/27/2017.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), New Castle, Delaware Page 121 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), New Castle County, Delaware. Page 121 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 118.
- ↑ Hancock, Harold. "Delaware's Captured Colonial Records." Delaware History Vol. 9, No. 4 (October 1961).
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "New Castle County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Castle_County,_Delaware, accessed 24 October 2018.
- ↑ Amandus Johnson, "Detailed Map of New Sweden 1638-1655" in Amandus Johnson's book The Swedes on the Delaware 1638-1664 (Philadelphia: Swedish Colonial Society, 1915), 392.
- ↑ John A. Munroe, Colonial Delaware: A History] (Millwood, N.Y.:KTO Press, 1978) [FS Library book 975.1 H2mu], 16-18. “From there they proceeded according to instructions up the Delaware and into the Christina River, the Minquas Kill to the Dutch. Here, after reconnoitering the stream, Minuit met with Indians and purchased lands from Duck Creek (the southern boundary of New Castle County) to the Schuylkill. Here too a site was picked for a settlement that was called Fort Christina. It was at the Rocks, ‘a wharf of stone’ on the Christina about two miles from the Delaware River and above the junction of the Christina and its main tributary, the Brandywine, on the east side of the present city of Wilmington.”
- ↑ Johnson, Detailed Map.
- ↑ "Fort Casimir" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Casimir accessed 7 November 2008).
- ↑ Philip S. Klein, and Ari Hoogenboom, "A History of Pennsylvania, 2nd ed." (University Park, Penn.: Penn State Press, 1980), 11.
- ↑ "New Netherland" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_netherland accessed 13 December 2008).
- ↑ Charles J. Stillé, "Archivum Americanum in the Consistory Court of the Archbishop of Upsal," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 15 (1891):482, 484-485. For free online access, see WeRelate.
- ↑ Wayland F. Dunaway, The Scotch-Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania (Chapel Hill, N.C.: The University of North Carolina Press, 1944), 51. Free digital version at PA's Past: Digital Bookshelf at Penn State.