Talbot County, Maryland
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Talbot County was created in 1661/2 and was formed as an Original County. The County was named for Grace, Lady Talbot was the sister of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. The County Seat is Easton. Many court records have been lost.

Talbot County, located on Maryland's Eastern Shore, is one of the province's original counties. The form of the creation of the county, though not known, was probably by virtue of an order of the Governor in Council. The county was in existence by February 18, 1661/62, when a writ was issued to the county sheriff. Like other Eastern Shore counties, agriculture and the seafood industry are the main sources of income in Talbot County. The low flatland, thickly wooded along stream banks, is well adapted to farming, which, along with fishing furnishes a livelihood for many of the area's residents.

Easton serves as the county seat and as a commercial center. Although not an industrial town, a variety of smaller enterprises have located here. In addition to its growing industrial capacity, the town is a banking and medical center as well as a trading and distribution point for a four county area. For a century Easton was the largest and most important and progressive town on the Eastern Shore. The first newspaper on the Eastern Shore was established here (1790), the first bank (1805), and the first steamboat line to Baltimore (1817). See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Talbot County are Queen Anne's County (north), Caroline County (east), Dorchester County (south), Chesapeake Bay (west).

Talbot County Towns Include Easton, Oxford, Queen Anne, Saint Michaels, Trappe.Communities Include Bozman, Claiborne, Cordova, McDaniels, Neavitt, Newcomb, Royal Oak, Sherwood, Tilghman, Wittman. (Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government.)

• The Talbot County Official Government Website
• Talbot County, Maryland History Books at Amazon.com
• Search Historical Newspapers from Maryland (1719 - 1931) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
• Search Maryland Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Records at the County Courthouse

See Also Maryland Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Government records of Talbot County are available in Original , Microfilm and Digital formats from the Maryland State Archives The Official County website is located at http://www.talbgov.org/. See also Courthouse History.

NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. Many court records have been lost.

Talbot County Register of Wills/ Clerk of Orphan's Court has Probate Records from 1668 and is located at the courthouse, 11 N. Washington St., Easton, MD 21601 - 0816;

The Register of Wills is responsibl for appointing personal representatives to administer decedents estates and for overseeing the proper and timely administration of these proceedings. We also perform the following duties: assist and advise the public in the preparation of all required forms; maintain and preserve the permanent record of all proceedings; serve as the Clerk to the Orphans Court; track estates and refer delinquent matters to the Court; determine and collect inheritance taxes and probate fees/court costs; audit accounts of personal representatives and guardians; and, verify compliance with court orders.

Talbot County Circuit Court Clerk has Land Records from 1662 and Marriage Records from earliest to 1919 and is located at the courthouse, 11 North Washington Street, Suite 16, Easton, MD 21601; 410-822-2611

The Clerk's responsibilities include supervising Clerk's office personnel in the civil, criminal, courtroom clerks, business license, marriage license, land records, and juvenile units.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Maryland Marriages, 1655-1850 and Maryland Marriages, 1667-1899.

Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
• Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, 1906-1930
• Indexes to Naturalization Petitions to the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for Maryland, 1797-1951
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• Talbot County, Maryland Court Books at Amazon.com
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Maryland

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Division of Vital Records Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, 6550 Reisterstown Rd., Reistertown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21215; (410) 764-3038 or (800), 832-3277, Fax: (410) 358-0738. The Division of Vital Records of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issues certified copies of birth, death, fetal death, and marriage certificates for events that occur in Maryland. The Division also provides divorce verifications. The Division provides information on procedures to follow for registering an adoption, legitimation, or an adjudication of paternity.

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RECORDS AVAILABILITY AND COST

• Birth Certificates: The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for births since Aug 1898. Birth certificates for individuals born in Maryland after 1939 are also available for same day service at local health departments in all jurisdictions except Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County. The State of Maryland Archives has Birth certificates since 1875 for Baltimore City and 1898 for Maryland counties.
  • Cost is $25.00 per certificate, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Death Certificates:The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for deaths since since 1969. Within 30 days of a death, copies of the record may also be obtained from the local health department in which the funeral director filed the death certificate, with the exception of Baltimore City and Baltimore County health departments. You must apply in person at the appropriate local health department. The State of Maryland Archives has Death certificates prior to 1969.
  • Cost is $25.00 per certificate, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Marriage Certificates: The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for marriage since since Jan 1, 1990. The State of Maryland Archives has Marriage certificates since 1640. Marriage Certificates are availible since before Jan 1, 1990 from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the license was issued.
  • Cost: $25.00 from the Division of Vital Records, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Contact the Maryland Archives and the Clerk of the Circuit Court for fees.
• Divorce Certificates: The Division of Vital Records issues verification only since Jan 1961. Certified copies should be available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the divorce was granted. Fees vary.
  • Cost: $25.00 from the Division of Vital Records, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court for fees.

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ORDERING RECORDS

• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
• Order In Person:  Birth certificates for individuals with valid, government-issued photo identification who were born in Maryland are available for same day service at the Division of Vital Records in Baltimore. Same day service is also available at local health departments in all jurisdictions except Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County for individuals born after 1939.
• Order By Mail: Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. However, people are urged to allow sufficient time for delivery for all birth/death records. Mail a check or money order of $12.00 for each certified certificate. Do not send cash. Mail to the following address: The Division of Vital Records, 6550 Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21215. Please include return address on envelope and application form. Allow 3 to 6 weeks for the search by mail for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records.

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The Maryland State Archives maintains many records that are invaluable for biographical and genealogical research. These include birth records, adoption records, marriage records, divorce records, and death records, and some indices to these records.

Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Maryland newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Maryland Marriages, 1655-1850
• Maryland Marriages, 1667-1899
• Maryland and South Carolina Lutheran Newspapers, Marriages and Deaths
• Talbot County, Maryland Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

ounty Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Maryland

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Talbot County, Maryland are 1790 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850 ,1860 ,1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.

Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Talbot County, Maryland are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Maryland Census, 1772-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedules; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedules; 1890 Naval Veterans; Early Census Index.
• Maryland Colonial Census, 1776: Granted by the King of England to George Calvert in 1632, Maryland was home to nearly 300,000 people before the Revolutionary War. This database is a transcription of a colonial census taken in 1776.
• Talbot County, Maryland Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Maryland showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Maryland showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. The Maryland Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Maps. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Maps by clicking the link below:

• The USGenWeb Archives Digital Map Library
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - Maryland Maps
• University Libraries Maryland Map Collection
• The Huntingfield Map Collection
• Talbot County, Maryland Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Maryland

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Maryland: Muster Rolls & Other Records of Service of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution
  • Index for these Record
• Maryland: History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers War of 1861-5 Volume 1
• Maryland: History and Roster of Maryland Volunteers War of 1861-5 Volume 2
• Maryland Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Maryland Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• Maryland Military Men, 1917-18: This database is a massive collection of military records for men who served in the war from Maryland.
• Maryland Revolutionary War Records: This database is a collection of pension and bounty land claims on the state for military service in the war.
• Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol. 1: With over 36,000 records of soldiers, sailors and marines in the Union Army and Navy from 1861 to 1865, this database is of interest to anyone with ancestors from Maryland who served in the Civil War.
• Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol. 2: The second volume in a two-volume series, this volume embraces all of the sailors, marines and other troops from Maryland who served in the Union army or navy.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Civil War Veterans Organization Index of Pension Files from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 from the State of Maryland.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Talbot County, Maryland Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Available at the Maryland State Archives with index is a Maryland tax assessment of 1783, which is “more complete” than the 1776 or 1778 “censuses”. Robert W. Barnes and Bettie Stirling Carothers abstracted the 1783 tax list of Baltimore County, Maryland but while it has some omissions, it serves as an index to photocopies of the originals published as Maryland Tax List 1783 Baltimore County from the collection of the Maryland Historical Society (Philadelphia: Historic Publications, 1970). The counties of Calvert, Cecil, Harford, and Talbot are covered by Bettie Carothers, comp., 1783 Tax List of Maryland (Part I: Cecil, Talbot, Harford, and Calvert Counties) (Lutherville, Md.: Pub. by compiler, 1977). Furthermore, there is a two part index to the 1783 list at the state archives, one by names of property owners, the other by names of the tracts.

The earliest tax records are to be found among the proprietary papers, dating from the 1630s. Some early tax records have been published, such as Raymond B. Clark, Jr., and Sara Seth Clark, comps., Baltimore County, Maryland, tax list, 1699-1706. At the Maryland State Archives is a tax list for St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County, 1764-66. Also here are the surviving 1798 U.S. direct tax records, for Anne Arundel County (indexed), Baltimore County and City, and the counties of Caroline, Charles, Harford, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, and Talbot. Richard J. Cox edited Name Index to the Baltimore City Tax Records: 1798-1808 Of the Baltimore City Archives, (Baltimore: Baltimore City Archives and Records Management Office, 1981).

Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Archives of Maryland, Tax Records
• Talbot County, Maryland Tax Books at Amazon.com

County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Maryland Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Historical Society of Talbot County, 25 South Washington St., Easton, MD 21601 - 3014, (410) 822-0773; fax: (410) 822-0773, e-mail: hstc@hstc.org
• Maryland State Archives, 350 Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis, MD 21401
• Maryland Genealogical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-4674.
  Publishes the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin Quarterly.
• The Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore MD 21201-4674
  Has published a quarterly magazine Maryland Historical Magazinefor over 90 years
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• Maryland Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Maryland

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Talbot County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Talbot County Tombstone Transcription Project.

A search for church records should begin with Directory of Maryland church records (Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1987), arranged by county and giving a range of dates of available records for over 2,600 churches with mailing addresses. Also helpful are The First Parishes of the Province of Maryland (Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Co., 1923).

The largest collection of church records is at the Maryland State Archives, with a consolidated index, and many are at the Maryland State Archives, which has various original and microfilmed records, many with indexes. Some church records have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin or in individual books, such as those for St. Paul's in Baltimore and for many German churches in the western counties.

Although Catholicism is very important to the history of Maryland, the disenfranchisement of Catholics after the establishment of the Anglican church in 1692 largely contributed to the lack of record keeping prior to the Revolutionary War. One source for St. Marys County in the 1700s, however, is Catholic Families of Southern Maryland: Records of Catholic Residents of St. Mary's County in the Eighteenth Century (1980; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985). Records of the German churches and the Society of Friends are very good. The latter were early settlers of Maryland, along with Anglicans and Catholics. Quaker records in Maryland, (Annapolis: Hall of Records Commission, 1966) is an excellent guide to the original and microfilmed Friends' records at the Maryland State Archives. Some Quaker records were published in Kenneth Carroll, Quakerism on the Eastern Shore (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1970) and other records are at the Maryland Historical Society, the state archives, and the Friends Historical Library in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

The Maryland State Archives has indexes to cemetery records for various time periods. Some have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin and other journals and in individual works covering large parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, St. Marys, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. A great number of grave marker inscriptions have been transcribed by members of the Maryland DAR and will be found at the Maryland Historical Society and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. See also Historic graves of Maryland and the District of Columbia (1908; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967).

Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Maryland obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Maryland newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Maryland.
• Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites
• Talbot County, Maryland Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Talbot County, Maryland Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Talbot County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Talbot County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Maryland Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Maryland Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Talbot County ] [ Maryland ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• Maryland Family Group Sheets Project
• The Order of the First Families of Maryland
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Talbot County, Maryland Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

 

Talbot County, Maryland is one of the oldest centers of European settlement in the New World. Talbot County's long history has always been linked to the water that surrounds it. With over 600 miles of tidal shoreline, the most of any county in the United States, it retains a maritime flavor to an unusual degree. Like the Native Americans who moved through this area many centuries ago, European settlers were drawn to Talbot County's wealth of natural resources and profusion of waterways for ease in travel. Its first English settlers, arriving by boat in the 1630s, established tobacco plantations along the shores of the Choptank, Wye, Tred Avon, and St. Michaels, (now Miles) rivers, on the long stretch of Chesapeake Bay coast known as Bayside, and on its countless creeks and coves. By 1662, these settlers had formally created Talbot County. Boundary adjustments were made in 1706 with the establishment of Queen Anne's County to the north and again in 1773 with the creation of Caroline County to the east, resulting in the Talbot County of today.

For a century Talbot life centered around tidewater and tobacco, which served as money and was traded for English manufactured goods with ships which anchored directly off the plantation wharves. Its first town, Oxford, laid out in 1683, served as a port of call for vessels from all over the world. Its early shipbuilding center, St. Michaels, created the swift, sharp-hulled sailing craft later known as the "Baltimore Clipper" famous in the War of 1812.

Established in 1661 and named for Lady Grace Talbot, sister of the second Lord Baltimore, the county soon became the geographical and spiritual heartland of the Eastern Shore. Here the great families, which dominated the EasternShore social, political, and economic history-the Tilghmans, Lloyds, Goldsboroughs, Hollydays and their kinfolk-had their principal seats of residence, many of which are still standing today. The county town, first known as Talbot Courthouse and later as Easton, was known as the "East Capital" of Maryland because the Eastern Shore's courts and governmental offices were located there. Easton had the Shore's finest bank, its first newspaper, its first Federal offices, its first brick hotel.

Many of Talbot's early settlers were Quakers, seeking a haven from persecution; their Third Haven Meeting House, completed in 1684, is still in active service as a house of worship. Others were Puritans driven from Cavalier Virginia in the Cromwell era, or Irish and Scottish rebels transported to the colony as indentured servants.The county's African-Americans, both slave and free (Talbot County had one of the highest percentages of free blacks in the country), produced in Frederick Douglass the nation's greatest 19th century advocate of black freedom and justice.

In the Revolution, Talbot Countians played key roles. Mathew Tilghman was Maryland's acknowledged leader in the events leading to independence, and his son-in-law, Tench Tilghman, was General Washington's aide,famous for his ride to carry the news of Corwallis' surrender to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Young Perry Benson was a Revolutionary War hero and later as Brigadier General, he headed a citizen army which repulsed a British attack on St. Michaels in 1813.

The Civil War found the county deeply divided, with scores of fighting men on both sides. Unionville, a Talbot County town, was settled by Union soldiers who were freed slaves returning to their homes. In post Civil War times, the county gained national note as a site of summer homes for wealthy Northerners and a vacation resort for summer boarders from nearby cities.

From its very beginning as an English colony, agriculture and products of the Bay have always provided Talbot County's chief sources of income. Talbot County originally had an economy based on tobacco agriculture, but "King Tobacco" died with the Revolution, replaced by wheat to feed Washington's Continental Army.In more recent years tomatoes, fruit, and dairy products, and today corn, soybeans and poultry, have sustained the county's basic population of sturdy family farmers.

Equally as important have been the maritime industries of shipbuilding, seafood harvesting and processing, and today, water-related tourism such as sailing and sport fishing. Several vibrant small towns have supported both the farming and maritime industries by providing centers for trade, craftsmen, and moderate manufacturing concerns.

Completion of the Bay Bridge in 1951 brought increasing population pressure and ended the county's isolation. Also with the bridge, U.S.Route 50 and other major signs of "progress" have come the benefits of travel and tourism but also concerns over preservation of the past. The history of Talbot County is still being written and the landscape is ever-changing.

Courthouse History

The earliest court records show that court originally was held in private homes of Talbot County justices as early as 1662. The first specially built courthouse began construction in 1679 in York. The three-story structure was completed in 1685. An act of 1706 divided Talbot County, creating Queen Anne's County and leaving York on the edge of the county line. In order to have the court more centrally located in the county, it was moved to Oxford, but held in private homes. In 1712, a new courthouse was erected in Easton and continued in use until 1792, by which time it had become dilapidated and too small for the county's growing needs. The courthouse was razed and replaced with a new structure by 1794. This new and present courthouse was remodeled in 1958 which included removal of the front porch and the addition of two wings.