Kent County Genealogy Records

Kent County genealogy records date back to 1642, giving this small Eastern Shore county one of the oldest document collections in Maryland. The Circuit Court in Chestertown holds land records, marriage documents, and court files spanning nearly four centuries. Researchers working in Kent County also benefit from unique resources including voter registration records from the 19th century and shared church registers that cover multiple Eastern Shore counties, making this county a rich source for deep genealogy work.

Kent County Circuit Court

The Circuit Court Clerk in Chestertown is the main office for Kent County genealogy records. This office holds land records going back to 1642, making Kent County one of the oldest courthouse records collections in Maryland. Staff can help you search by name, date, or document type. In-person visits allow you to view original documents and request certified copies. Many older records have been microfilmed and transferred to the Maryland State Archives, so staff can direct you to the right repository for specific time periods.

The court is at 103 North Cross Street, Chestertown, MD 21620, phone 410-778-4600. Land records from 1642 are also accessible online through MDLandRec.net, the free Maryland statewide land records portal. This is a good starting point before visiting the courthouse, since you can confirm whether the records you need are available online or require an in-person visit. The Kent County Circuit Court website provides current contact and access information.

The Kent County Circuit Court in Chestertown holds land records and genealogy documents dating from 1642, among the oldest in Maryland.

Shared Church Records for the Upper Eastern Shore

One of the most valuable genealogy resources associated with Kent County is the collection of shared church records covering births, deaths, and marriages for Kent, Queen Anne, Talbot, and Caroline Counties. These early church registers were kept by congregations whose geographic reach often crossed county lines, and the records document family events across the upper Eastern Shore before any official state vital records system existed. Researchers tracing families in Kent County should always check this shared collection, which is indexed at the Maryland State Archives.

Church records from the colonial era and early state period in Kent County are particularly important because they often pre-date even the county's official land records system. Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Methodist congregations in the Chestertown area kept registers that name family members, witnesses, and sometimes godparents. The Maryland State Archives has microfilmed many of these registers and can help you identify which collections survive and how to search them. Some records are also available through FamilySearch's digital collections at no cost.

Voter Registration Records as a Census Substitute

Kent County has a unique genealogy resource that most Maryland counties lack at this level of detail. The FamilySearch collection of Kent County Voter Registration Records covers 1853 to 1898. These records are useful as a census substitute for years between decennial censuses, especially for adult male residents who may not appear prominently in other records. Voter registers typically give the registrant's name, residence, occupation, and age, which can help confirm identities and track family movement within the county.

This kind of record is particularly valuable for the period between the 1880 and 1900 federal censuses, when researchers often struggle to find men in their 30s and 40s who may not appear as household heads in earlier censuses. The Kent County voter records at FamilySearch are freely searchable online and can be combined with land records, church records, and courthouse documents to build a complete picture of an ancestor's life in the county during the late 19th century.

Marriage Records from 1642

Marriage records for Kent County date from the county's founding in 1642. Earlier records are held at the Circuit Court in Chestertown, with indexes at the Maryland State Archives for older documents. FamilySearch's Maryland County Marriages collection covers 1658 to 1940 and includes Kent County records. The shared church registers for Kent, Queen Anne, Talbot, and Caroline Counties described above are also a key source for early marriages in the county.

Marriage licenses in Kent County are issued at the Circuit Court Clerk's office. Standard Maryland requirements apply. For genealogy research, marriage records are valuable not only for documenting the event itself but also for the names of witnesses and bondsmen who were often family members or neighbors. Indexes at the MSA allow you to search for Kent County marriages by name without a courthouse visit, which can save time when working on early research. The MSA Research Guide identifies the specific document series available for Kent County marriages.

Wills and Probate Records

Kent County wills from 1642 to 1960 are indexed at the Maryland State Archives. Some entries in this period are combined with Howard County in certain MSA catalog entries, so check both when searching the MSA's finding aids. Wills for one of the oldest counties in Maryland can span nearly four centuries, and early wills from Kent County may name family members going back to the colonial period. Estate inventories from the 17th and 18th centuries in Kent County are among the oldest in Maryland and can provide remarkable genealogical detail.

The Register of Wills in Kent County handles current probate matters and is located at the Chestertown courthouse. Earlier probate records have been transferred to or microfilmed by the Maryland State Archives. You can search for probate records through registers.maryland.gov and the Archives of Maryland Online. The Archives of Maryland Online includes colonial-era documents from Kent County that are freely searchable and downloadable. This is a good starting point before visiting Chestertown or Annapolis in person.

Local Libraries and Historical Society

The Kent County Public Library at 408 High Street in Chestertown holds a local history collection with materials specific to Kent County families. Newspapers, family files, and reference materials support genealogy research that goes beyond courthouse records. Access the library online at kentcountylibrary.org for hours and resource information.

The Kent County Public Library in Chestertown holds local history and genealogy materials for county research.

The Kent County Historical Society at 315 High Street in Chestertown holds local historical records, photographs, and family papers. For a county with records going back to 1642, the historical society's collections can be especially rich. Staff and volunteers are often knowledgeable about specific families and can suggest record collections you may not find through standard search tools. Visit kenthistory.org for contact and access details.

The Kent County Historical Society in Chestertown holds family papers and historical records spanning nearly four centuries of county history.

Cities in Kent County

Chestertown is the county seat and main community in Kent County. Other communities include Betterton, Galena, Millington, and Rock Hall. None of the communities in Kent County meet the population threshold for individual city pages. All genealogy records for families throughout the county are filed at the Kent County Circuit Court in Chestertown.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Kent County on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Because church records for Kent County are shared with neighboring counties, checking adjacent county resources is often useful for genealogy research in this area.