Wicomico County, Maryland Genealogy

United States

Maryland

Wicomico County

Guide to Wicomico County, Maryland ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Maryland Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Salisbury Organized: August 17, 1867 Parent County(s): Somerset, Worcester Neighboring Counties Dorchester • Somerset • Worcester • Sussex (DE) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

Wicomico River

County Information

Description

Wicomico County was created 5 Oct 1867 and was named for the Wicomico River, which in turn derives its name from the Algonquian language words wicko mekee, meaning "a place where houses are built," apparently referring to a Native American town on the banks. Its county seat is Salisbury. It is located in the southeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Wicomico County Courthouse
101 N. Division St., Room 105
Salisbury, MD 21801
Phone: 410-543-6551
Wicomo County Website

Clerk of the Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, land, military, and court records from 1867.

Wicomico County, Maryland Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1898	1867	1898	1867	1867	1866	1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1898. General compliance by the 1910s.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. Lost census: 1890

Boundary Changes

Created August 17, 1867 from Somerset and Worcester Counties. County seat: Salisbury Maryland Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Maryland Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Maryland county boundary changes

Populated Places

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:

Cities
Fruitland	Salisbury (county seat)
Towns
Delmar Hebron	Mardela Springs Pittsville	Sharptown Willards
Unincorporated communities
Silver Run	Wetipquin	Whiton (partly in Worcester County)
Census-designated places
Allen Bivalve Jesterville Nanticoke	Nanticoke Acres Parsonsburg Powellville Quantico	Tyaskin Waterview Whitehaven

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Wicomico County, Maryland online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com USGenWeb MDGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project MDInterment MDGravestones BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com BillionGraves FamilySearch Places
See Maryland Cemeteries for more information

 

Allen Cemetery Barren Creek Springs Cemetery Bethel Cemetery Colbourne Cemetery Dennis Cemetery Dolbey Cemetery Farlows Cemetery

Hammond Cemetery Hastings Cemetery Hebron Cemetery Hustons Cemetery Jerusalem Cemetery Melson Cemetery New Hope Cemetery

Nichols Cemetery Oak Grove Cemetery Palmer Cemetery Parsons Cemetery Pittsville Cemetery Redman Cemetery Saint Johns Cemetery

Spring Hill Memorial Garden Twilley Cemetery Union Cemetery Wicomico Memorial Park Zion Cemetery

• Published records can be found on Graveyards and Gravestones of Wicomico.

Census Records

For tips on accessing Wicomico County, Maryland Genealogy census records online, see: Maryland Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	15,802	—
1880	18,016	14.0%
1890	19,930	10.6%
1900	22,852	14.7%
1910	26,815	17.3%
1920	28,165	5.0%
1930	31,229	10.9%
1940	34,530	10.6%
1950	39,641	14.8%
1960	49,050	23.7%
1970	54,236	10.6%
1980	65,540	20.8%
1990	74,339	13.4%
2000	84,644	13.9%
2010	98,733	16.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Federal Census reports available 1870-1930 including slave and veterans schedules.

Church Records

• 1668-1995 Maryland, Church Records, 1668-1995 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection

Maryland State Archives Guide to Maryland Religious Records is not intended to be a complete listing of all Religious institutions in Maryland. It was originally based upon the churches recorded by the Federal Works Progress Administration during a records survey conducted from 1935 to 1941. It has been expanded by later acquisitions from religious organizations to the Maryland State Archives. Search for church records at the Archives by denomination, by county or by title. The following records, taken from its collection, have been digitized and made available to view for free online:

NOTE: There may be multiple types of records for different churches in a single PDF document.

• Baptist, Allen Memorial Church, Salisbury, Md., includes: Register and Minutes 1859-1877, List of Members and Dates of Baptism, Minutes 1905-1930s, church history, deed, Record of Membership 1920-1950, and Covenant, Membership 1907-1908
• First Methodist, includes Church Register
• Methodist, Bethel Church, Membership and Church Records, years: 1870s-1960s
• Methodist, Bethesda Church, includes: Registers 1840s-1950s, Sabbath School Minutes 1880s, Misc. Registers (also known as Bethesda Methodist Protestant Church)
• Methodist, Bivalve Church, various records 1880s-1960s
• Methodist, Christ Church, includes Church Records 1952-1967
• Methodist, Jerusalem Church, Membership and Church Records, years: 1870s-1960s
• Methodist, Jones Church, Membership and Church Records, years: 1870s-1920s
• Methodist, Jones Church, includes Church Records 1885-1961
• Methodist, Mt. Hermon Church, includes Church Register 1914-1937 and Church Records 1956-1967
• Methodist, Mt. Zion Church see Quantico Charge
• Methodist, Melsom Church, Membership and Church Records, years: 1870s-1930s
• Methodist, Nanticoke Church, various records 1800s-1960s
• Methodist, New Hope Church, includes Church Register 1914-1937
• Methodist, Oak Grove Church, includes Registers 1880s-1930s
• Methodist, Powellville Charge, various circuit records 1870s-1960s
• Methodist, Quantico Charge, Membership Records, years: 1942-1962, includes: Mt. Zion, St. Luke's, St. Marks and church histories of St. Luke's and St. Mark's
• Methodist, Quantico Church, includes Church Register
• Methodist, Rockawalkin Church, includes Church Register
• Methodist, St. John's Church, Membership and Church Records, years: 1870s-1920s
• Methodist, St. Luke's Church see Quantico Charge
• Methodist, St. Mark's Church see Quantico Charge
• Methodist, Trinity Church, includes Church Records 1885-1961
• Methodist, Trinity Church, includes Church Register
• Methodist, Tyaskin Church, includes Church Records 1894-1961
• Methodist, Waltersville Charge, various records 1800s-1960s
• Methodist, Wesley Church, Membership and Church Records, years: 1870s-1920s
• Methodist, White Haven Church, includes Church Records 1885-1961
• Methodist, Whitehaven Church, includes Church Register
• Methodist, Zion Church, Membership and Church Records, years: 1870s-1960s
• Methodist Episcopal, Parsonburg Circuit, includes Church Records 1909-1932
• Methodist Episcopal, Whitehaven and Trinity Churches, includes Registers 1860-1881
• Methodist Episcopal, Whitehaven and Trinity Churches, includes Registers 1922-1923
• Methodist Episcopal Church South, Allen Circuit, Charge Collection (begins on page 48).
• Methodist Episcopal Church South, Asbury see Wicomico Circuit
• Methodist Episcopal Church South, Wicomico Circuit, Conference Minutes, years: 1880s-1910s. Congregations: Asbury, Eden, Morris Schoolhouse, New Churches, Trinity, Washington.
• Methodist Protestant, Pittsville Circuit, various records 1910s-1960s
• Methodist Protestant, Salisbury Circuit, includes various records 1840s-1950s
  

There may be additional records available at the Maryland State Archives that are not yet online. See entire list of religious records for Wicomico County at Wicomico County Religious Records at Maryland State Archives

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Emigration and Immigration

• 1897-1952 Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists Index, 1897-1952 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection

Funeral Homes

Bennie Smith Funeral Home in Salisbury Bounds Funeral Home in Salisbury Holloway Funeral Home in Salisbury Howell and Jolley Memorial Chapel, P.A. Funeral & Cremation Services in Salisbury Lewis N. Watson Funeral Home, P.A. in Salisbury Short Funeral Home in Delmar

Genealogies

• Barnes, Robert W., F. Edward Wright, Vernon L. Skinner and Henry C. Peden. Colonial Families of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. 23 vols. Westminster, Md.: Family Line, 1996-2003; Lewes, De.: Delmarva Roots and Colonial Roots, 2007. FS Library US/CAN Book 975.21 D2b v. 1 ff. Wicomico families appear in Vols. 8-10, 12, 15, 17-18, 20, and 22.

• Badley - See Bradley.
• Bounds - Dryden, Ruth T. The Boundless Bounds Family. San Diego, Calif.: R.T. Dryden, 1989?. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 B665d.
• Bradley - Adams, James O. Genealogy of the Badley or Bradley Family: South of the Nanticoke River and North of Barren Creek in Somerset (now Wicomico) County, Maryland, and Along the State Line in Little Creek Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware and Some Others. Dover, Del.: J.O. Adams, 1956. FS Library FAM HIST Large Q Book 929.273 A1 no. 34.
• Cooksey - McCurley, James B. Cooksey of Maryland (1832). Louisville, Ky.: J.B. McCurley Jr., 1980. FS Library US/CAN Film 1033648 Item 4.
• Cooksey - McCurley, James B. Cooksey of Maryland (1673). Baltimore, Md.: J.B. McCurley, 2003. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 C776mj.
• Heath - Downing, Mary Catharine. The Heath Family of Wicomico County, Maryland. 1953. FS Library US/CAN Film 854142 Item 3.
• Massey - Horsman, Barbara Massey. The Massey Family of Worcester County, Maryland. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1995. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 M385h; digital version FS Library US/CAN CD-ROM no. 766.
• Powell - Dryden, Ruth T. The Powell Family. San Diego, Calif.: R.T. Dryden, 1994. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 P871d.
• Riggin - Sanders, Charles M. The Riggin Callaway Story. n.p.: C.M. Sanders, 1993. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 R448sc.
• Robertson - Hagg, Julia Robertson. Ancestral Lines of Robert Greensbury Robertson and Rebecca Caroline Bacon. Anderson, S.C.: J.R. Hagg, 1980. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 R548h.
• Twilley - Porter, Wade T. Twilley Record Traced Back to the Revolutionary War. Typescript, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 1966. FS Library US/CAN Film 1405003.
• Wright - Wright, Charles W. The Wright Ancestry of Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset and Wicomico Counties Maryland. Baltimore: Baltimore City Printing and Binding Co., 1907. FS Library US/CAN Film 579483; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Land and Property Records

Through a Joint eGovernment Service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives, free images and indexes of the complete series of Wicomico County Deed Books (1867-present) have been uploaded to their website: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

• Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. c1935. By Clayton Torrence. Richmond, Virginia : Whittet & Shepperson. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat). Includes Wicomico County history.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Map list includes links to various maps in a large year range.
• 1895 Historical Wicomico County Map
• 1877 Atlas of Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester Counties, MD available online, courtesy of Johns Hopkins' library.
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

War of 1812

• List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. FS Catalog Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, Maryland, Wicomico County, p. 159. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Civil War

Regiments. Service men in Wicomico 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 Wicomico:

• 1861-1865 Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection

World War II

• 1940-1945 Maryland, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index & images - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

• 1800s-Current Maryland, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
• Online Digitized Newspapers at Maryland State Archives. Wicomico County newspapers are identified in "Guide to Maryland Newspapers" at Maryland State Archives.

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• Maryland, Wills and Probate Records at findmypast - index
• 1634-1777 Maryland, Index To Colonial Probate Records, 1634-1777 at findmypast - index
• 1635–1743 Maryland Calendar of Wills 1635-1743 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1635–1777 Maryland Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1796–1940 Maryland Probate Estate and Guardianship Files , 1796-1940 at FamilySearch images - How to Use this Collection
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Social Security Records

• 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, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Vital Records

Birth

• 1898-Onward Births recorded by the Department of Health at the Maryland State Archives

Marriage

• 1658-1940 Maryland County Marriages, 1658-1940 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
• 1666-1970 Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Death

• 1898-1958 Selected Death Certificates transcribed

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Wicomico County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Maryland Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

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

• Eastern Shore Virginia FamilySearch Center
• Salisbury Maryland FamilySearch Center
• Eastern Shore Public Library - Virginia - an affiliate library.
• Eastern Shore Public Library - Chincoteague Island Branch - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Wicomico County. For state-wide library facilities, see Maryland Archives and Libraries.

Wicomico County Library
122 S. Division Street
Salisbury, MD 21801
Phone: 410-749-3612
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Wicomico County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Maryland Societies.

Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society
Box 3602
Salisbury, MD 21802-3602
Phone: 410-742-4059
Email: lowerdelmarva@yahoo.com
Website
Includes material for Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester Counties.

Wicomico Historical Society
P.O. Box 573
Pemberton Drive
Salisbury, MD 21803-0573
Phone: 410-860-0447
Email: history@shore.intercom.net
Website

Websites

• The Wicomico County MDGenWeb Project, a member of The MDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Wicomico County.
• 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

This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

County boundary maps are currently unavailable. Download information instead.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

Users should verify which locations and dates are included in this collection.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

“Current” indicates records are available as recently as privacy laws allow. This date can change from year to year. To determine the exact dates available, contact the respective organization/repository.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.