Delaware Census

Portal:United States Census > Delaware

Availability[edit | edit source]

1790 Census -- The 1790 census for Delaware is missing. A substitute for the 1790 census created from tax lists is:

Devalinger, Leon, Jr. Reconstructed 1790 Census of Delaware. Washington, DC: National Genealogical Society, 1962. (Family History Library book 975.1 X2d 1790; film 1000156; fiche 6019928.)

1800-1930 -- The federal censuses are available at the Family History Library and online at: www.ancestry.com

1800-1810 -- Portions of the census are missing.

1850 United States Census—A free Internet index and images to the 1850 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. This index includes every name listed on the census and is linked to an image including information about each person’s residence and age in 1850, birthplace, occupation, other family members, and neighbors.

1880 United States Census– A Free Internet Index and Images to the US Census can be viewed on the Family Search Record Pilot – Pilot Site. This index includes an every name index to population schedules listing inhabitants. It includes the full name, race, sex, age, birth month (if born during the previous year), relationship to head of household, whether married, single or divorced, whether married during the previous year, country or state of birth of each person and his parent’s, occupation and street address and house number

1890 Census -- The 1890 census was destroyed.

1900 Federal Census - A free Internet index and images to the 1900 United States Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search – Pilot Site. Important additions to this census are month and year of birth of each household member, number of years married for each married person, number of children born to each mother and the number of those still living, year of immigration, and number of years in the United States.

Historical Background[edit | edit source]

1776--Delaware declared its independence from Britain and created a government separate from Pennsylvania.

1787--Delaware become the first state.

Indexes[edit | edit source]

Statewide indexes are available in two forms:

Book indexes are available for the 1790 substitute census and censuses taken 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, and 1870.
Soundex indexes are available for the 1880, 1900, 1920, and 1930 censuses.

Ancestry--All of the Delaware federal census records are indexed on Ancestry.

1850 Book Index--One of the indexes for the 1850 census is:

Olmstead, Virginia L. Index to the 1850 Census of Delaware. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1977. (Family History Library book 975.1 X22o 1850.) Indexes for the three counties are listed separately. An every-person index is given for each of the counties, with age, birthplace, and the original census sheet number. The New Castle County 1850 census is on two rolls of microfilm with some duplication of page numbers.

Special Censuses[edit | edit source]

Colonial Census[edit | edit source]

1693--A special census was taken of Swedes who were associated with the Swedish Lutheran Church and who were living in Pennsylvania, Delaware, west New Jersey, and Cecil County, Maryland. The following book contains both the census and an index to it:

Craig, Peter Stebbins. The 1693 Census of the Swedes on the Delaware. Winter Park, Florida: SAG Publications, 1993. (Family History Library book 973 X4c.)

Mortality Schedules
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1850-1880--Mortality schedules for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 are at the Delaware Public Archives, the Historical Society of Delaware, and on microfilm at the Family History Library. The 1870 and 1880 schedules are indexed in:

Jackson Ronald Vern. Delaware 1870 Mortality Schedule. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1981. Family History Library book 975.1 X2j 1870.

Jackson Ronald Vern. Delaware 1880 Mortality Schedule. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1981. Family History Library book 975.1 X2j 1880.
Mortality Schedules 1850-1880

Slave Schedules
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1850-1860--Slave schedules for 1850 and 1860 list the names of slave owners, but do not normally list the names of the slaves. The numbers of slaves, their gender, and their age ranges are given. The 1850 and 1860 slave schedules are indexed in:

Jackson, Ronald Vern. Delaware 1850-1860 Slave Schedules. Salt Lake City: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1986. (Family History Library book 975.1 X22j.)

For census slave schedules see:

1850 Family History Library film 442884
1860 Family History Library film 803100

State Censuses[edit | edit source]

1782 Delaware State Census--A 1782 state census exists for seven of the "hundreds" (townships). The state census has been reconstructed for the rest of the state from tax lists.