Worcester County, Maryland Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Snow Hill
Organized: October 22, 1742
Parent County(s): Somerset[1]
Neighboring Counties
Somerset • Wicomico • Sussex (DE) • Accomack (VA)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Worcester County Courthouse Snow Hill, Maryland.jpeg
Location Map
Map of Maryland highlighting Worcester County.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Worcester County was created 10 Dec 1742[2] and was named for Mary Arundell, the wife of Sir John Somerset, a son of Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester. Its county seat is Snow Hill. It is located in the southeastern area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Worcester County Courthouse
1 West Market Street, Room 104
Snow Hill, MD 21863
Phone: 410-632-1194
Worcester County Website

Clerk of the Circuit Court has marriage records from 1866, divorce records from 1900 and court records from 1916.
Register of Wills has probate. [4]

Worcester County, Maryland 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[5]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1865[6] 1866 1898 1916 1742 1742 1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1898. General compliance by the 1910s.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

Major fires in 1844 and 1893 destroyed the center of Snow Hill, including two successive Court Houses.[7]

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

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:[10]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

The 300 or fewer American Indians of Worcester county for the most part avoided fighting and preferred living next to their new British neighbors. They left the county by 1748 eventually ending up in Ontario.[11]

The first English/Scottish settlers of Worcester County were mostly religious dissenters (generally Presbyterian), voting with their feet by moving north from Accomack County, Virginia starting in the late 1630s. All social classes from gentlemen to freed indentured servants settled in the area. There is no evidence that transported convicts ever settled in Worcester as in other parts of Maryland and Virginia. The settlers were first attracted by furs, and by slowly expanding small farms in the forests. The ancestors of early Worcester settlers were almost all British.[11]

Before long Virginia authorities were giving land grants in the area over objections from Maryland. Virginia granted 27,800 acres of land to settlers in Worcester from 1645-1666, more than Maryland had granted. After many disputes the Maryland was forced to recognize most of these Virginia grants. Lord Baltimore’s official Maryland proprietary land grants started in Worcester in 1651. Many of his grants were large 3,000 and 4,000 acre grants.[11]

By 1662 Quaker and Presbyterian “dissenters” leaving Episcopalian Virginia, together with some of their Episcopalian neighbors, and a few Huguenots were among the first settlers in Worcester County. Baptist ministers, including Francis Makemie, arrived in 1735. In 1766 Methodist circuit riders began to appear including William Barnes and Lorenzo Dow.

In 1684 Maryland’s proprietary land grant system was replaced with a land-for-fee system which attracted large numbers of new settlers. For awhile tobacco was important both as a crop and as currency, but Worcester’s sandy soil could not grow the best quality. By 1700 indentured servitude began to decline and lifetime slavery became more prominent.[11]

Maryland continued to dispute her border with Pennsylvania as well until the drawing of the Mason-Dixon Line in 1767. Old Worcester County was created about 1669 absorbing now extinct Durham County, and for awhile in 1672 claimed nearly all of the state of Delaware. But by 1685 the British Board of Trade and Foreign Plantations ruled old Worcester County, Maryland dissolved by degree, but the decree was not fully accepted until 1738. However, in 1742 a new Worcester was Country reconstituted out of the eastern part of Somerset County.[11]

In 1878 the first Catholic church, and in 1903 the first Jewish synagogue were built.[11]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Worcester County, Maryland online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Maryland Cemeteries for more information

Census Records[edit | edit source]

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

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 11,640 —
1800 16,370 40.6%
1810 16,971 3.7%
1820 17,421 2.7%
1830 18,273 4.9%
1840 18,377 0.6%
1850 18,859 2.6%
1860 20,661 9.6%
1870 16,419 −20.5%
1880 19,539 19.0%
1890 19,747 1.1%
1900 20,865 5.7%
1910 21,841 4.7%
1920 22,309 2.1%
1930 21,624 −3.1%
1940 21,245 −1.8%
1950 23,148 9.0%
1960 23,733 2.5%
1970 24,442 3.0%
1980 30,889 26.4%
1990 35,028 13.4%
2000 46,543 32.9%
2010 51,454 10.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Federal Census reports available 1790-1930 including slave and veterans schedules.

Church Records[edit | edit source]

  • 1665-1995 Maryland, Births and Baptisms, 1665-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; churches from selected counties, not complete
  • 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:
    • Protestant Episcopal, St. Mary the Virgin (Pocomoke Parish, erected from Coventry Parish), includes: Parish Registers 1855-1930 (2 vols.) and Vestry Minutes 1855-1891
  • Presbyterian, Makemie Memorial Church, Snow Hill, MD. The church office has photographs of tombstones in the "old section" of the cemetery and recordings of the epitaphs.


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

The New Early Settlers of Maryland at Maryland State Archives. Search for immigrants who had arrived in the colony by the 1680s. The database "comprises entries from Gust Skordas' Early Settlers of Maryland and Carson Gibb's Supplement to the Early Settlers of Maryland."

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

  • 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, Del.: Delmarva Roots and Colonial Roots, 2007. FS Library US/CAN Book 975.21 D2b v. 1. [Worcester County families appear in Vols. 8-10, 12, 15, 17-18, 20, and 22.]
  • Pilcher - Uhrbrock, Richard S. "Pilchers (Pilchards) and Reddens of Delmarva," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Jul.-Sepl 1974):187-195. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number. FS Library Book 975.5 B2vg v. 18 (1974).
  • Robins - Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004-2007. Volume 2. FS Library Book 975.5 H2j v. 2.

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]


Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Wicomico CountySomerset CountySussex CountyAccomack CountyMD WORCESTER.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]

  • 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. 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Maryland, Worcester County on page 128.

War of 1812[edit | edit source]

  • 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, Worcester County, pp. 159-160. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Civil War[edit | edit source]

Regiments. Service men in Worcester 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 Worcester:

- Purnell Legion, Maryland Infantry, Companies D and G.

World War II[edit | edit source]

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

  • 1783 Worcester County Tax List of 1783 at Maryland State Archives. Alphabetical index to names to all property owners assessed. The index cards include county, hundred, names of tracts of land and whether individuals were paupers or single males as provided in the law.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Birth[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Worcester County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Maryland 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

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Worcester County Library
307 North Washington Street
Snow Hill, MD 21863
Phone: Phone: 410-632-2600
Email: contact@worcesterlibrary.org
Website
Multiple branches

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Worcester 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.

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Maryland.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/MD_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Worcester County, Maryland," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Worcester_County,_Maryland&oldid=1220731168 (accessed May 25, 2024).
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Maryland.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Worcester County, Maryland. Page 317-318 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), 308-309.
  6. ↑ Maryland State Archives, Guide to Government Records, Birth Records
  7. ↑ Truitt, Reginald V. & Les Callette, Millard G. Worcester County Maryland's Arcadia. Snow Hill, MD: Worcester County Historical Society, 1977, p. 144.
  8. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Maryland.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  9. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Maryland.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  10. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Worcester County, Maryland," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester_County%2C_Maryland, accessed 18 August 2018.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Reginald V. Truitt, and Millard G. Les Callette, WorldCat 3016672 Worcester County Maryland’s Arcadia] (Snow Hill, Md.: Worcester County Historical Society, 1977), 3-5. FS Catalog Collection
v • d• e
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Allegheny County Library System Washington Street Library · Baltimore City Archives · Bristol Public Library VA · Division of Vital Records · Dorchester County Central Public Library · Enoch Pratt Free Library · Frederick County Artz Public Library · Frostburg State University Ort Library · Handley Regional Library VA · Historical Society of Pennsylvania · Historical Society of Washington, D.C. · Jewish Genealogical Society of Maryland · Johns Hopkins University George Peabody Library · Library of Congress DC · Maryland Genealogical Society · Maryland Historical Society · Maryland Historical Trust Library · Maryland State Archives · Maryland State Law Library · Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society · National Archives and Records Administration (Archives I) DC · National Archives at College Park, Maryland (Archives II) · National Archives at Philadelphia PA · National Genealogical Society VA · Pennsylvania State Archives · Prince George's County Genealogical Society · Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore · Salisbury University Nabb Research Center · Talbot County Free Library · United Methodist Historical Society of the Baltimore-Washington Conference · University of Maryland McKeldin Library · Washington County Free Library · Washington National Records Center
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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.

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