Delaware Vital Records: Difference between revisions

'''Introduction to Vital Records''' {{Adoption DEGenWeb}} [[United States Vital Records|Vital Records]] consist of [[United States Birth Records|births]], adoptions, [[United States Marriage Records|marriages]], divorces, and [[United States Death Records|deaths]] recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. [[Locating United States Vital Records|United States Vital Records]] has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/delaware.htm Delaware State Department of Health] or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also [https://www.familysearch.org/search/search/index/catalog-search#searchType=catalog&filtered=true&collectionId=&fed=false&page=1&catSearchType=keywords&searchCriteria=Delaware+Indexes&placeName=&author_givenName=&author_surname= Delaware Statewide Indexes] at the Family History Library.  

== Quicklinks to Online Delaware Birth, Marriage and Death Records  ==

*Search for Delaware Collections at FamilySearch for birth records. While not complete the {{RecordSearch|1534607|Delaware State Birth Records, 1861-1922}} is a good place to start.

*The Vital Records Search and Information Directory for [http://www.daddezio.com/records/room/RR-DE-NDX.html Delaware] - Free/$

*Search the [http://www.ancestry.com/search/locality/dbpage.aspx?tp=2&p=10&categoryFilterID=34&showPaging=true Delaware Birth, Marriage & Death] Records at Ancestry ($).  Ancestry has images to Delaware births 1800-1908, Marriages 1744-1933, and deaths 1811-1933.

=== Birth Records ===

*'''1650-1974''' {{RecordSearch|1447341|Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974}} at FamilySearch; index and images — [[Delaware Vital Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]  

*'''1710-1896''' {{RecordSearch|1674747|Delaware Births and Christenings, 1710-1896}} at FamilySearch; index — [[Delaware Births and Christenings - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]  

Delaware. Bureau of Vital Statistics, ''Index to Delaware marriages, baptisms, births, and deaths ca. 1680-ca. 1934. ''Added author:Thomas Holcomb (Manuscript on microfilm.) (Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949). {{FHL|294868|item|disp=FHL films 6416-6433}}  

State registration of marriages began in 1847 and was generally complied with by 1913. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of the marriage bonds for 1744-1836 and 1855-1861, and licenses for 1889-1894. You can obtain marriage records for the most recent 40 years by writing to the Bureau of Vital Statistics. For marriages recorded more than 40 years ago, contact the Delaware Public Archives.  

Delaware counties began keeping marriage records as early as 1832. These records have been transferred from the counties to the Delaware Public Archives. These early county marriage records are not available at the Family History Library; however, the library has records of some pre-1847 marriage bonds.  

== Family History Library Delaware Vital Records Collections  ==

*1650 - 1974 {{RecordSearch|1447341|Delaware Vital Records, 1650-1974}} at FamilySearch; index and images — [[Delaware Vital Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]  

*''Bureau of Vital Statistics. Index Cards of Delaware . . . Births'' <ref>Delaware. ''Bureau of Vital Statistics. Index Cards of Delaware . . . Births'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949. ({{FHL|006424}} films 006424-30).</ref>from 1861 to 1913.

*''Vital Records, Births, 1861-1913''. <ref>Delaware. Bureau of Vital Statistics. ''Vital Records, Births, 1861-1913'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949. ({{FHL|006323}} films 006323-59).</ref>Thesse records are available on [https://www.familysearch.org/ FamilySearch.org].

*''Index Cards of Delaware . . . Baptisms'' <ref>Delaware. Bureau of Vital Statistics. ''Index Cards of Delaware . . . Baptisms'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949. ({{FHL|006423}} film 006423).</ref>from 1759 to 1890.

*''Index Cards of Delaware . . . Marriages''. <ref>Delaware. Bureau of Vital Statistics. ''Index Cards of Delaware . . . Marriages'' . . . Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949. ({{FHL|006416|film}} film 006416-22).</ref>This is an index of marriages for the years 1680-1850 from information in bonds, licenses, probate records, and church records at the Delaware Public Archives.

*Gilbert Cope, ''A List of Marriage License Bonds . . . in New Castle County, Delaware, 1744-1836'', <ref>Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1965; ({{FHL|441415|film}} film 441415).</ref>also includes a few marriages from other counties in Delaware.

*''Index Cards of Delaware . . . Deaths''. <ref>Delaware. Bureau of Vital Statistics. ''Index Cards of Delaware . . . Deaths'' . . . Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949. ({{FHL|006431|film}} film 006431-33.)</ref>Indexes from 1855 to 1888.

''Vital Records, . . . Deaths, 1855-1910'' <ref>Delaware. Bureau of Vital Statistics. ''Vital Records, . . . Deaths, 1855-1910''. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1949. {{FHL|006360|film}} films 6360-409].</ref>