Delaware Research Tips and Strategies

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Delaware

Research Tips and Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page The Delaware Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Delaware. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Delaware Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Delaware:

• Finding Indiana Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research
• Delaware Online Genealogy Records
• Delaware Record Finder

• Step-by-Step Delaware Research, 1880-Present
• Step-by-Step Delaware Research, 1850-1910
• Delaware Descendancy Research
• How to find Delaware Birth Records
• How to find Delaware Marriage Records
• How to find Delaware Death Records

Delaware Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Delaware:

Birth and Death information:

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• Statewide registration: Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1861 bo record birth and death records starting when the town was established until the state board took over in 1881.
• Access to records: See Alabama Vital Records for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Alabama.

Substitute Records:

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• Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
• Accuracy: Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
• List of substitute records: See Alabama Substitute Records for more information.

Finding Parents:

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• Death records: Starting in 1881, the state recorded deaths that required birth and parent information. Information was not always provided and is only as accurate as grieving relatives' remember.
• Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See Alabama Newspapers and Alabama Obituaries for more information.
• Church records: Knowing the denominiation of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See Alabama Church Records for more information.

Census Records:

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• Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See Alabama Census Records for more information.
• Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
• Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

• Birth information: Statewide registration of births began in 1861 but was discontinued in 1863. Registration resumed in 1881 and was generally complied with by 1921. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other substitute records to improve accuracy.
• Finding Parents: The State of Delaware began recording deaths in 1913. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. Search Delaware death records
• Look in all censuses: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. Search U.S. Censuses.