Charles County, Maryland Genealogy

United States

Maryland

Charles County

Guide to Charles County, Maryland ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts County seat: La Plata Organized: April 13, 1658 Parent County(s): Colonial lands Neighboring Counties Calvert  • Prince George's  • St. Mary's  • Fairfax (VA)  • King George (VA)  • Prince William (VA)  • Stafford (VA)  • Westmoreland (VA) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

Charles Calvert

County Information

Description

The County was named for Charles Calvert. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Charles County Courthouse
P.O. Box B
200 Baltimore Street
La Plata, MD 20646
Phone: 301-645-0550
Charles County Website

Charles County, Maryland Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1898	1865	1898	1796	1658	1665	1775
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1898. General compliance by the 1910s.

Record Loss

Most early papers of the county court have been lost. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes

Created 13 April 1658 from Colonial lands by the order in Council, likely much of remaining portion of old Charles County that was created 1650 and dissolved 1653. County seat: La Plata For animated maps illustrating Maryland county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Maryland County Boundary Maps" (1637-1997) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

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 county:

Towns
Indian Head	La Plata (county seat)	Port Tobacco Village
Unincorporated communities
Bel Alton Benedict Dentsville Faulkner Glymont Grayton Ironsides Issue	Malcolm Marbury Morgantown Mount Victoria Nanjemoy Newburg Pisgah Popes Creek	Port Tobacco Village Pomonkey Ripley Rison Swan Point Welcome White Plains
Census-designated places
Bennsville Bryans Road Bryantown Cobb Island	Hughesville Pomfret Potomac Heights Rock Point	St. Charles Waldorf

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Charles County, Maryland online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com USGenWeb MDGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project MDInterment MDGravestones Billion Graves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves
See Maryland Cemeteries for more information

Latter-day Saint Cemetery Records
Vol. 21

• New Saint Peters Cemetery - page 85
• Old Saint Peters Cemetery - page 97
  

Vol. 24

• Trinity Parish Episcopal Church Cemetery - page 100

Census Records

For tips on accessing Charles County, Maryland Genealogy census records online, see: Maryland Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	20,613	—
1800	19,172	−7.0%
1810	20,245	5.6%
1820	16,500	−18.5%
1830	17,769	7.7%
1840	16,023	−9.8%
1850	16,162	0.9%
1860	16,517	2.2%
1870	15,738	−4.7%
1880	18,548	17.9%
1890	15,191	−18.1%
1900	17,662	16.3%
1910	16,386	−7.2%
1920	17,705	8.0%
1930	16,166	−8.7%
1940	17,612	8.9%
1950	23,415	32.9%
1960	32,572	39.1%
1970	47,678	46.4%
1980	72,751	52.6%
1990	101,154	39.0%
2000	120,546	19.2%
2010	146,551	21.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Constable's Census of Charles County, 1775-1778 (1800 Persons): Including Durham Parish; Benedict Hundred; Port Tobacco; West Hundred; Upper Hundred; East Hundred, Newport; Port Tobacco, Upper Hundred; Port Tobacco, Town Hundred; Port Tobacco, East Hundred; Pomonkey; Newport, West Hundred; William and Mary, Lower Hundred; Bryan Town Hundred, is available online, see pages 297-312 and index in:

• Brumbaugh, Gaius Marcus. Maryland Records: Colonial, Revolutionary, County and Church from Original Sources. Vol. 1. Baltimore, Md.: Williams & Wilkins Company, 1915. Digital version at Google Books.

Federal Census reports available 1790-1940 including slave and veterans schedules.

Church Records

• 1668-1995 Maryland, Church Records, 1668-1995 at FamilySearch — index
• Guide to Maryland Religious Institutions is not intended to be a complete listing of all Religious institutions in Maryland. It was originally based upon the churches recorded by the Federal Works Progress Administration during a records survey conducted from 1935 to 1941. It has been expanded by later acquisitions from religious organizations to the Maryland State Archives.
• Protestant Episcopal (Church of England), Trinity Church, Trinity Parish (includes parish register 1729-1797, vestry minutes 1750-1795, 1840-1922, and various treasurer's accounts 1790s-1860s)

Church of England
See the following parishes:

• Durham Parish
• Piccawaxen Parish
• Port Tobacco Parish
• Trinity Parish
• William and Mary Parish

Emigration and Immigration

The New Early Settlers of Maryland database is a great place to start searching for immigrants who had arrived in the colony by the 1680s. The database "comprises 34,326 entries from Gust Skordas' Early Settlers of Maryland and Carson Gibb's Supplement to the Early Settlers of Maryland." Available online, courtesy: Maryland State Archives.

Other Charles County immigration resources include:

• List of imported servants and convicts from Europe who served labor terms in Colonial Charles County, Maryland (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database. [Includes Richard J. Cox's abstracts of Maryland Gazette runaways.]

Genealogies

• [A'Gambra] Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60; Vol. 77, No. 1 (Apr. 2001):138-147. FHL 973 D25aga v. 76
• [Addison] Kennedy, Mary Selden. Seldens of Virginia and Allied Families. New York: Frank Allaben Genealogical Co., c1911. Digital versions of Vol. 1 at Google Books; Internet Archive | Vol. 2 at FamilySearch Digital Library;Internet Archive; FHL Book 929.273 Se48k.
• [Baptista] Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60; Vol. 77, No. 1 (Apr. 2001):138-147. FHL 973 D25aga v. 76
• [Boarman] Thomas, C.F. and Emily Emerson Lentz. The Boarmans. Washington, D.C.: C.F. Thomas, 1934. FHL Film 1011838 Item 5.
• [Boughton] Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2005. See Volume 2. FHL Book 975.5 H2j v. 2.
• [Brown] Horner, Frederick. The History of the Blair, Banister and Braxton Families Before and After the Revolution: With a Brief Sketch of Their Descendants. Philadelphia: J.P. Lippincott, 1898. FHL Film 1550788 Item 7; digital versions at Google Books - free and Internet Archive - free.
• [Brown] Kennedy, Mary Selden. Seldens of Virginia and Allied Families. New York: Frank Allaben Genealogical Co., c1911. Digital versions of Vol. 1 at Google Books; Internet Archive | Vol. 2 at FamilySearch Digital Library;Internet Archive; FHL Book 929.273 Se48k.
• [Brown] Copeland, Pamela C. and Richard K. MacMaster. The Five George Masons: Patriots and Planters of Virginia and Maryland. Lorton, Va.: The Board of Regents of Gunston Hall, 1989. FHL Book 929.273 M381cm.
• [Burford] Lomax, E.L. Genealogy of the Virginia Family of Lomax. Chicago: Rand McNally and Co., 1913. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
• [Chilton] Dorman, John Frederick. "The Chilton Families of Virginia and Maryland," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1967):71-78; Vol. 11, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1967):121-125; Vol. 11, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1967):167-174; Vol. 12, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1968):15-18; Vol. 12, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1968):83-86; Vol. 12, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1968):109-113; Vol. 12, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1968):169-175; Vol. 13, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1969):32-36; Vol. 13, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1969):65-71; Vol. 13, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1969):177-180; Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1970):15-22; Vol. 14, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1970):75-82; Vol. 14, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1970):123-128; Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1970):165-168; Vol. 15, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1971):32-41; Vol. 15, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1971):122-124; Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1971):259-264; Vol. 16, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1972):301-306. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 11 - v. 16.
• [Compton] King, Larry. Blue Ridge Mountain Kinfolks: A Record of Ancestors, Descendants and Relatives of the Author and Wife, Including Fisher - Gilbert - Hall - Hartley - Hill - King - Kirby - Lawson Families. Manchester, Tenn.: King, 1976. FHL Book 929.273 K58ki.
• [Covert] King, George Harrison Sanford. "Maryland Coverts Become Virginia Colverts, Colberts and Calverts," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1970):3-10; Vol. 14, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1970):65-70. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 14 (1970).
• [Doughty] Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2005. See Volume 2. FHL Book 975.5 H2j v. 2.
• [Douglass] Thompson, Neil D. "The Douglass Family of Charles County, Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 49, No. 4 (Oct. 1973):193-202; Vol. 50, No. 1 (Jan. 1974):45-51. FHL 973 D25aga v. 49
• [Douglass] Thompson, Neil D. "The Douglass Family of Charles County, Maryland: Some Further Observations," The American Genealogist, Vol. 53, No. 2 (Apr. 1977):76-78. FHL 973 D25aga v. 53
• [Eaton] Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2005. See Volume 2. FHL Book 975.5 H2j v. 2.
• [Fernando] Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60; FHL 973 D25aga v. 76 Vol. 77, No. 1 (Apr. 2001):138-147. FHL 973 D25aga v. 77
• [Forbes] Gordon, John Steele. "Who Was the Wife of James Forbes, Member of the Continental Congress from Maryland?," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (Jan. 2001):29-35. FHL 973 D25aga v. 76
• [Fowke] Copeland, Pamela C. and Richard K. MacMaster. The Five George Masons: Patriots and Planters of Virginia and Maryland. Lorton, Va.: The Board of Regents of Gunston Hall, 1989. FHL Book 929.273 M381cm.
• [Gambra] See A'Gambra.
• [Glaze] Harris, Gale Ion. "John Glaze, Planter, of Charles County, Maryland: With Notes on Other Early Glaze Families in America," The Genealogist, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Spring 2003):37-60.
• [Hawley] Hawley, Laura. Hawley, Halley, Holley and Families of Similar Surnames Found in Early Records of England, Maryland and Virginia. Bowie, Md.: Willow Bend Books, 2003.
• [Higdon] Coone, Lucille Barco and Robert S. Higdon. Colonial Higdons and Some of Their Descendants. Rev. ed. Manassas, Va.: L.B. Coone, 1978. FHL Film 1307612 Item 1.
• [Hoskins] Russell, George Ely. "Colonel Philip Hoskins (c1650-1718) of Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 51, No. 1 (Mar. 1963):26-31, 248. FHL Collection 973 B2ng v. 51
• [Hoskins] "Colonel Philip Hoskins of Charles County, Maryland Addenda," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 51, No. 4 (Dec. 1963):248. FHL Book 973 B2ng v. 51.
• [Lamar] Lamar, William Harmong, "Thomas Lamar of the Province of Maryland, and a Part of His Descendants," Publications of the Southern History Association, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Jul. 1897):203-210. Digitized by Internet Archive.
• [Lewis] Cook, Michael L. "Major William Lewis," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1984):243-250. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 28 (1984).
• [Lomax] Thompson, Neil D. "English Origins of the Lomax Family of Charles County, Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Jul. 1969):153-156. FHL 973 D25aga v. 45
• [Lumbrozo] Russell, George Ely. "Elizabeth (Wiles) (Lumbrozo) (Browne) Robinson of Charles Co., Maryland, 1662," The American Genealogist, Vol. 55 (1979):174-177. FHL 973 D25aga v. 55
• [Lumbrozo] Russell, George Ely. "John Lumbroso Jr. (1666-1744) of Pasquotank County, North Carolina," The American Genealogist, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Jan. 1983):32. FHL 973 D25aga v. 59
• [Lumbrozo] Russell, George Ely. "Portuguese and Spanish Colonists in Seventeenth-Century Maryland," The American Genealogist, Vol. 76, No. 1 (January 2001):50-60; Vol. 77, No. 1 (Apr. 2001):138-147. FHL 973 D25aga v. 76
• [Mills] Hackett, John Davis and Kathryn Dickerson Shannon. "Mills Families of Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1991):215-228; Vol. 35, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1991):284-296; Vol. 36, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1992):34-48; Vol. 36, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1992):109-119. To locate digital pages use search form at American Ancestors ($); first select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database list. Then select Volume number. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 35 (1991)-v. 36 (1992).
• [Render] Smith, Pearl O. Renders and Their Relatives; Joshua Render of Charles County, Maryland, and Orange County, Virginia, and His Descendants, 1720-1985. Arlington, Va.: P.O. Smith, 1985. FHL Book 929.273 R293s.
• [Stonestreet] Newman, Harry Wright. Stonestreet Family of Maryland, 1538-1958. Typescript, 1953. FHL Fiche 6019079.
• [Stonestreet] Skidmore, Warren. Thomas Stonestreet of Birchden, Withyham, East Sussex, and of "Birchden" in Charles County, Maryland, with His Posterity Down to the Sixth Generation. Akron, Ohio: W. Skidmore, 1983. FHL Book 929.273 St72sw.
• [Story] Thompson, Neil D. "Walter Story of Charles County, Maryland, Father and Son," The American Genealogist, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Jul. 1975):147-150. FHL 973 D25aga v. 51
• [Swann] Joy, Charles Austin. "Descendants of Jonathan Swann of Charles County, Maryland, and Caroline County, Virginia," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 70 (1982):271-281.
• [Wheeler] Ball, Walter V. The Wheeler Family of Charles County, Maryland. Chevy Chase, Md.: W.V. Ball, 1966. FHL Book 929.273 W561b.

Land and Property Records

Through a Joint eGovernment Service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives, free images and indexes of the complete series of Charles County Deed Books (1658-present) have been uploaded to their website: A Digital Image Retrieval System for Land Records in Maryland. (Requires free registration.)

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Charles County Boundary Map

Military Records

Revolutionary War

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. [See Maryland, Charles County on page 127.]

War of 1812

• List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Maryland, Charles County, p. 145. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

Regiments. Service men in Charles 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 Charles:

• 1861-1865 Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861-1865 Maryland, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers

• Charles County newspapers are identified in "Guide to Maryland Newspapers," available online, courtesy: Special Collections, Maryland State Archives.

Probate Records

Online Probate Records

• 1634-1777 Probate Records, Colonial Index, 1634-1777 online at Maryland State Archives website - free
• 1635–1743 Maryland Calendar of Wills 1635-1743 at Ancestry — index and images $
• 1635–1777 Maryland Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777 at Ancestry — index and images $
• 1796–1940 Maryland Probate Estate and Guardianship Files , 1796-1940 at FamilySearch images

Tax Records

• 1642-1673 Rent Rolls Index, Charles County, Maryland 1642-1673. Digital version at The USGenWeb Archives - free.
• 1678, 1681 1678 and 1681 Charles County tax lists, available online, courtesy: MDGenWeb.
• 1733 1733 Charles County Tax Lists, available online, courtesy: The Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group.
• 1758 1758 Charles County Tax Lists, available online, courtesy: The Combs-Coombs &c. Research Group. [Not all lists for 1758 survive.]
• 1783 Charles County Tax List of 1783: This is an alphabetical index to names to all property owners assessed. The index cards at the Maryland State Archives include county, hundred, names of tracts of land and whether individuals were paupers or single males as provided in the law.

Vital Records

Marriage

• 1658-1940 Maryland County Marriages, 1658-1940 at FamilySearch — index
• 1666-1970 Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970 at FamilySearch — index
• Maryland Marriage References by Robert Barnes - free.
• Marriage Records - Maryland State Archives

Death

• 1898-1944 Maryland Death Index 1898-1944.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Charles County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Maryland Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• White Plains Maryland Family History Center
  

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Charles County. For state-wide library facilities, see Maryland Archives and Libraries.

Societies

Listed below are societies in Charles County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Maryland Societies.

• Historical Society of Charles Co., Inc.
  P.O. Box 2806
  La Plata, MD 20646
  Website

Websites

• Charles County, Maryland Genealogy, History and Facts (Genealogy Inc)
• The Charles County MD GenWeb Project, a member of The MDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• "Charles Co.," in Genealogical Sources in Periodicals at The Maryland State Archives.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Charles County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Charles County. (Backup site)
• FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.