The state of Delaware has several nicknames. One is “The First State”, which was given to Delaware because it was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. The state has a long history, which is great for genealogists who are searching for genealogists who are looking for information about relatives who lived in Delaware.
FamilySearch has general information about genealogy resources that are relevant to Delaware. There is a link to resources for each of the three counties in the state. You can find out more about major repositories of records, including when they are open and when they will be closed. The page also has links that will take you to other FamilySearch Wiki pages about Delaware.
Ancestry.com has a page filled with links to their many collections of records for Delaware. The majority of records are only accessible if you have an Ancestry.com membership. Some are offered for free from time to time. Return to this list often, because Ancestry.com will make it clear if they have updated collections or added new ones.
The Delaware Genealogical Society was founded in 1977. There are currently about 450 members. The Society’s primary focus is on Delaware ancestry. They also offer educational programs and assist members with their genealogy research. This would be a good group to turn to for help with finding information about your ancestors who lived in Delaware.
The Historical Society of Delaware has a detailed, and helpful, guide to research in the Delaware Historical Society Library. This is a great place to start for genealogists who want to search through the record collections that are available and who have never done this before. There is a wealth of advice, tips, and information here!
Delaware Roots is the website for the Delaware Genealogy Project. It is part of the PA-Roots family of websites. Genealogists can find out more information about the resources in each of Delaware’s three counties, or to learn more about the history of Delaware. They also have a series of links that will take you to other Delaware genealogy resources.
Cyndi’s List has a page called “United States -Delaware”. You will find a ton of categories that connect to more genealogy resources for Delaware. Some categories include: “Birth, Marriage, Death”, “Census”, “Counties”, “Newspapers”, “Military” and more. If it exists on the internet, Cyndi’s List probably has a link to it!
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