Hancock County, Maine Genealogy
Guide to Hancock County, Maine ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Hancock County, Maine | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Maine | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | June 25, 1789 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Ellsworth |
| Courthouse | |
| Address | Hancock County Courthouse 50 State Street Ellsworth, ME 04605 Phone. 207.667.9542 Hancock County Website |
Contents
- 1 Description
- 2 Hancock County, Maine Record Dates
- 3 County Courthouse
- 4 History
- 5 Places / Localities
- 6 Resources
- 7 Census Records
- 8 Vital Records
- 9 Libraries, Archives, Museums
- 10 Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage
- 11 Websites
- 12 References
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for John Hancock. The County has Ellsworth as its seat and the County was created June 25, 1789. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.[1]
Hancock County, Maine Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1892 | 1789 | 1892 | 1790 | 1790 | 1790 | 1790 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
- Town clerks have birth, marriage and death records.
- Clerk of the Superior Court has divorce and court records.
- Probate office has probate records.
- Register of Deeds has land records.
- County Clerk has marriage records 1789-1891. [3]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1789 - Created 25 June 1789 from Lincoln County. [3]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
- Two partitions:
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1933 - Hancock Hall, which housed the records for the City of Ellsworth, was destroyed by fire on May 7, 1933. [4]
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill. Online at: Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle. Online at: Tennessee Genealogy Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
Places / Localities[edit | edit source]
Neighboring Counties
Knox | Waldo | Penobscot | Washington
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this census area:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Unorganized territories | ||
|
||
Extinct Towns and Plantations:[6] Eagle Island Military Plantation | Islandport | Mansel | Number 28 MD Plantation | Seaville[7]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| USGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| USGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
| Tombstone Project | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Maine Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- 1620-2014 - Maine, Tombstone Inscriptions, Surname Index, 1620-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1676-1918 - Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1780-1999 - Maine, J. Gary Nichols Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1999 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1825-1970 - Hancock County, Maine, Cemetery Index, 1825-1970 at Ancestry.com $
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 9,542 | — |
| 1800 | 16,358 | 71.4% |
| 1810 | 30,031 | 83.6% |
| 1820 | 31,290 | 4.2% |
| 1830 | 24,336 | −22.2% |
| 1840 | 28,605 | 17.5% |
| 1850 | 34,372 | 20.2% |
| 1860 | 37,757 | 9.8% |
| 1870 | 36,495 | −3.3% |
| 1880 | 38,129 | 4.5% |
| 1890 | 37,312 | −2.1% |
| 1900 | 37,241 | −0.2% |
| 1910 | 35,575 | −4.5% |
| 1920 | 30,361 | −14.7% |
| 1930 | 30,721 | 1.2% |
| 1940 | 32,422 | 5.5% |
| 1950 | 32,105 | −1.0% |
| 1960 | 32,293 | 0.6% |
| 1970 | 34,590 | 7.1% |
| 1980 | 41,781 | 20.8% |
| 1990 | 46,948 | 12.4% |
| 2000 | 51,791 | 10.3% |
| 2010 | 54,418 | 5.1% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1790 - 1790 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1800 - 1800 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1810 - 1810 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1820 - 1820 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1830 - 1830 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1840 - 1840 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1850 - 1850 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1850-1880 - Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, Ancestry $
- 1860 - 1860 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1870 - 1870 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1880 - 1880 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1890 - 1890 Veterans Schedules, Ancestry $
- 1900 - 1900 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1910 - 1910 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1920 - 1920 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1930 - 1930 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1940 - 1940 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
Church Records[edit | edit source]
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. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1837 - 1965 - Maine & Massachusetts Case Files of Deceased and Deserted Seamen 1837-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Hancock County, Maine Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Maine Local Histories.
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Maine Land and Property for additional information about early Maine land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
- Hancock County Deeds
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- 1676 - 1918 - Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1718 - 1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- 1835 - 1838 - Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications 1835-1838 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Hancock County, Maine Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Hancock County, Maine Genealogy:
- - 2nd Regiment, Maine Infantry, Company B.
Online Records
- 1862-1865 - Maine, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1914 - 1950 - Maine, State Archives, World War I (WWI) Grave Cards, 1914-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1917 - 1919 - Maine, World War I Draft Registration Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Naturalization[edit | edit source]
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1918-1991 - Maine, United States Naturalization Records, 1918-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Finding More Maine Newspapers[edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Hancock County, Maine Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Hancock County, Maine Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1584 – 1999 Maine Wills and Probate Records 1584-1999 at Ancestry.com — images and index $
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Maine tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
In Maine, vital records are kept by town clerks or selectmen. Although some towns have existed since the 1650s, most vital records date from about 1700. The vital statistics are often arranged by family. For more information, see the Wiki page for the town and the Wiki page, Maine Vital Records.
- 1589-1966 - Maine, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1670-1921 - Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1800-1947 - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947, Ancestry $
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1715-1922 - Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922, Ancestry $
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1670-1921 - Maine, Marriage Index, 1670-1921, Ancestry $
- 1713-1922 - Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1922, Ancestry $
- 1892-1996 - Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1996, Ancestry $
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1761-1922 - Maine, Death Records, 1761-1922, Ancestry $
- 1960-1997 - Maine, Death Index, 1960-1997, Ancestry $
Libraries, Archives, Museums[edit | edit source]
Abbe Museum
"Inspiring New Learning About the Wabanaki Nations with Every Visit"
Two Locations:
26 Mount Desert Street
Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
Abbe at Sieur de Monts Spring
Acadia National Park
(207) 288-3519
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.
- For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map
- Ellsworth Maine Family History Center
130 Beechland Rd
Ellsworth, ME 04605
Phone: 207-812-0058
Email: ME_Ellsworth@familyhistorymail.org
Website
Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage[edit | edit source]
Websites[edit | edit source]
- The Hancock County MEGenWeb Project, an member of The MEGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Hancock County
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Hancock County (backup site)
- FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Hancock County
- Hancock County, Maine History and Genealogy (Genealogy Trails)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Hancock County, Maine" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hancock_County,_Maine."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hancock County, Maine. Page 304-305 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 275.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hancock County, 181, and 304. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Ellsworth, ME Great Fire, May 1933 http://www3.gendisasters.com/maine/11041/ellsworth-me-great-fire-disaster-may-7-1933
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Hancock County, Maine," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hancock_County,_Maine, accessed 8 March 2019.
- ↑ Before an extinct town was discontinued, it created official town records of interest to genealogists. For preservation these records were usually turned over to a nearby functioning town in the same county.
- ↑ Michael J. Leclerc, Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research, 5th ed. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012), 99. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974 D27g 2012.
