Delaware Genealogical Projects

DELAWARE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

PROJECTS

Exciting New Projects Initiative - Do any of these excite you?

1 - Abstract & Index all County Wills & Administrations to 1850 (130)
2 - Index 1880 Census of Delaware (116)
3 - Index 1910 Census of Delaware (106)
3 - Abstract & Index Orphan's Court Records (106)
5 - Undertaker & Cemetery Records (74)
6 - Index statewide tax records 1787-1800 (61)
7 - Abstract & Index Apprentice Indentures Records (58)
8 - Update inventory of Delaware Church Records (47)
9 - Index Wilmington Death Register (1847-1879 later to 1913) (36)
10 - Computerize DPA card catalog of vital statistics (34)
10 - Abstract pre 1850 newspapers not cover in prev. pub. works (34)
12 - Computerize HSD's card catalog (21)
13 - Index "Delaware Archives, Military", volume 6 (18)
13 - Index Beer's Atlas of DE (1868) (18)
15 - Abstract & Index Slave Manumissions Records (16)
Delaware Families Project
Documenting all the families living in Delaware between 1787 and 1800

Delaware Newspaper Abstracts

The longest-lived of a number of 19th century newspapers in Delaware, the Delaware Gazette was published at various frequencies, mostly bi-weekly, from 1791 to 1883. It was among the principal papers in Wilmington and, thus, Delaware.

Three members of the Genealogical Society of Delaware chose to volunteer for a newspaper abstracting project for the Historical Society of Delaware, beginning, at their request, with 1854, and using bound volumes of the Delaware Gazette in their collection (essentially complete, except that 1860 is notably missing, as it is from the Wilmington Free Library, and the Morris Library at the University of Delaware. The Union List for Delaware shows no other issues in 1860 save for two or three scattered copies which could not be located.) In addition to death and marriage notices, they searched "Local Intelligence" columns, estate references by the Register's office and executors' and trustees' sales for each issue where they appeared. During this period there were no birth notices at all.

Reporting of deaths and marriages in the Delaware Gazette was far from complete, so that the fact that an event is not found here does not mean that it did not take place, but only that evidence must be sought elsewhere. Delaware official vital records began with marriage registrations in 1847, but they were quite incomplete before 1913.

Volume 1 of Delaware Genealogical Abstracts from Newspapers, with over 6500 entries, containing deaths for 1854-59 and 1861-64 was compiled by Mary Fallon Richards and published in 1995 and entitled Deaths from the Delaware Gazette, 1854-1859, 1861-1864.

Volume 2, with over 4600 entries, listing marriages for the same period was edited by Mary Fallon Richards and John C. Richards and published in 1996 and entitled Marriages from the Delaware Gazette, 1854-1859, 1861-1864.

Volume 3 will contain over 10,000 marriages and deaths covering the period 1729-1853, most of which appear in the Historical Society of Delaware's card index and which were previously extracted from various newspapers edited by Mary Fallon Richards and John C. Richards and published in 1997 and entitled Delaware Marriages and Deaths from Newspapers, 1729-1853.

Volume 4 will continue deaths and marriages from the Delaware Gazette, 1865-74.

Divorces, principally legislative before 1850, were indexed in the Delaware Genealogical Society Journal, Vol 7, No 2, October 1993.

Those not able to visit the Historical Society of Delaware, can now purchase on microfilm the 1858 Delaware Gazette from the Delaware Public Archives (RG 9210, Reel #3).

These data should serve to supplement and authenticate the census and other information. We offer it to our honored members, and to all who have an interest in Delaware ancestry, with our best wishes for success in their search.

Kelso Records

Since May of 1989, Delaware Genealogical Society members have regularly been adding Methodist church records to the sumame catalog of the Historical Society of Delaware. The records are in a collection assembled by Rev. John M. Kelso (1878-1950) - Methodist minister, college professor, church historian and family genealogist- who gathered information through correspondence with other clergymen and by clipping newspaper announcements.

The information is housed in 26 boxes of handwritten sheets - lists of baptisms and marriages performed in the late 1800's to the 1940's - arranged under the names of the ministers who performed them. Most of the rites were performed by Methodist ministers on the Delmarva Peninsula but a few were from other denominations or from locations in NJ, PA or Cecil County MD. Announcements of silver or golden wedding anniversaries are also included. In some instances it is possible to reconstruct families from the records. Marriages state the names of the parties and the date of marriage. Some also give ages, occupations, parents' names. where from. and where the wedding took place. Anniversaries often mention children and grandchildren. Most, but not all, baptism records give names, birthdates, baptism dates, parents' names, and place of ceremony; some name siblings; rare records give a mother's maiden name.

To date thousands of cards have been prepared, double-checked, and added to the library catalog. Eventually we hope to make this information available to a larger audience in book and/or CD/ROM format

We are not equipped to answer general queries - see Submitting Queries.

DELAWARE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY PROJECTS

DELAWARE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

PROJECTS