Transcribed Records
Wills, deeds, marriages, vital records, parish material, court records, and other transcriptions.
Welcome to Somerset County MDGenWeb
Free genealogy and local-history resources for Somerset County, Maryland, and the families whose lives crossed the boundaries of Old Somerset and the Lower Eastern Shore.
“Heav’n and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man’s habitation.”
— Capt. John Smith
Old Somerset once covered a much larger area than today’s county. Its territory included land now found in Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico counties in Maryland, along with part of Sussex County, Delaware. Nearby Dorchester County lies to the northwest, and Accomack County, Virginia lies to the south. Many early Somerset settlers came north from Accomack.
In 1666, Cecil, Lord Baltimore, proclaimed the new county’s boundaries. Somerset County was named for Lady Mary Somerset, sister of Lady Anne Arundell. Because county lines changed over time, successful Somerset research often requires looking beyond the county’s modern borders.
Start Your Research
Cemeteries
Gravestone transcriptions, cemetery information, photographs, and the Somerset Cemeteries Project.
Maps
Historic county maps, the 1877 atlas, Old Somerset hundreds, land-grant maps, and more.
Books and Collections
Full books, parish registers, family genealogies, local histories, and major online collections.
Letters and Artifacts
Historic letters, written artifacts, family material, and documents shared by Somerset researchers.
Research Resources
Archives, libraries, repositories, online databases, neighboring counties, and other research help.
Featured Somerset Collections
- 1877 Lake, Griffing and Stevenson Atlas maps
- John C. Lyon’s Old Somerset maps
- Stepney Parish record images, 1703–1890
- Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland
- They Lived in Somerset
- Maryland’s Colonial Eastern Shore
- Somerset marriage licenses, 1796–1831
- Stepney Parish register and vestry proceedings
- Somerset history stories
- Interesting miscellaneous research information
Explore Lower Delmarva
Lower Delmarva Roots Forum
The descendant of the long-running LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS RootsWeb mailing list. Post a query, list your surnames, exchange information, or simply say hello to other researchers with Lower Delmarva connections.
Lower Delmarva Family Album
Browse historic photographs, postcards, people, places, buildings, communities, and everyday life from across Maryland’s and Virginia’s Lower Eastern Shore.
Search Somerset Genealogy Resources
Search This Site
Search the pages of Somerset County MDGenWeb for a surname, place, church, cemetery, or other keyword.
Questions, Corrections, and Contributions
If you find a broken link, have a correction, know of a useful Somerset research resource, or have records or historical material you would like to share, please contact the site coordinator.
Please understand that the county coordinator cannot provide individual genealogical research, but this site is designed to help you locate records, repositories, maps, transcriptions, and other sources that may move your own research forward.
Email the Somerset County MDGenWeb coordinator or learn how to contribute material.