Gorham, Cumberland County, Maine Genealogy

United States

Maine

Cumberland County

Gorham

Modern town borders of Gorham in Cumberland County, Maine.

Brief History

Academy Building, Gorham, ME.jpg

The town of Gorham is located in southeastern Maine. It was named in honor of the famous New England Ranger John Gorham, the great grandfather of John Gorham 4th.

A Brief Chronology of Historical Events by the Gorham Historical Society

Additional data on Gorham, Maine can be found in WikiPedia: the Free Encyclopedia.

Cemeteries

• Town of Gorham Cemetery Records

Church Records

Historically, the largest religious groups in Maine were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page.

To see the churches in Gorham, visit FamilySearch Places.

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of Gorham:

Courtesy of the Gorham Historical Society (all downloadable Excel Spreadsheets):

• First Parish Church, Gorham, Maine Membership Records

Land Records

The following are online land records for the town of Gorham:

• 1733-1807 Proprietor's records, 1733-1807 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1835-1838 Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications, 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection - index and images

Libraries and Historical Societies

Gorham Historical Society

Maps

The following are online maps of the town of Gorham:

Probate Records

In Maine, most probate records are kept at the town level. The following are online probate records for the town of Gorham:

• 1584-1999 Maine, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
• 1760-1979 Maine, County Probate Records, 1760-1979 at FamilySearch.org - How to use this collection - images

Town Histories

• Pierce, Josiah. "An Address Delivered on the Twenty-Sixth of May, 1836: The Centennial Anniversary of the Settlement of Gorham." Portland: Charles Day and Co., 1836. Available at American Antiquarian Society. Also digitized by Gale.

Town Records

In Maine, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town. These records may include the following:

Births Marriages Deaths Burials Cemetery records Appointments Earmarks Estrays (stray animals) Freemens' oaths (men eligible to vote) Land records Mortgages Name changes Care of the poor School records Surveys Tax lists Town meeting minutes Voter registrations Warning outs (of town)

The following are Gorham town records available online:

• 1733-1807 Proprietor's records, 1733-1807 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1753-1881 Town and vital records, 1753-1881 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1839-1861 Miscellaneous record, vol. 1, 1839-1861 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Town Clerk

The town clerk is responsible for these records, and so most originals can be found at the town clerk's office.

Gorham Town Clerk
75 South Street, Suite 1
Gorham, ME 04038
Phone (207)222-1600
Gorham Website

Vital Records

Births

• Town Report Births
• Gorham Early Records A-C
• 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
• 1739-1900 Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
• 1753-1881 Town and vital records, 1753-1881 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Marriages

• Town Report Marriages
• Gorham Early Records A-C
• 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
• 1753-1881 Town and vital records, 1753-1881 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1771-1907 Maine Marriages, 1771-1907 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index

Deaths

• Town Report Deaths
• Gorham Early Records A-C
• 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
• 1753-1881 Town and vital records, 1753-1881 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1841-1910 Maine Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
• 1960-1996 Maine Death Index, 1960-1996 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index

References

Adjacent towns: Cumberland Co.: Scarborough | Standish | Westbrook | Windham | York Co.: Buxton