Maine Genealogy

Maine Genealogy Facts

As early as 1626, a few small settlements were commenced along the coast of Maine. In 1639, Sir Ferdinand Gorges secured himself a distinct charter of the land from Piscataqua to Sagadahock, which received the name Province of Maine. In 1652, the province was taken under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts by request of the people of Maine. On the 16th of March 1820, the district, by an act of Congress, became an independent state. The early settlements in Maine suffered untold calamities and savage cruelty.

  • Maine entered the union as the 23rd state on March 15, 1820 .
  • Maine has 16 Counties.
  • Maine’s capital is Augusta.
  • Maine is bordered by New Hampshire (west) and Canada (north)
  • Maine has a land area of 35,387 square miles making it the 39th largest state.
  • Maine’s 2010 population was 1,328,361
  • Maine  largest cities are Portland, 66,194; Lewiston, 36,592; Bangor, 33,039; South Portland, 25,002; Auburn, 23,055; Biddeford, 21,277; Sanford, 20,792; Brunswick, 20,278; Augusta, 19,136; Scarborough, 18,919.
  • Maine’s name came from the Algonquian-speaking peoples inhabiting the region called it “Land of the Frozen Ground,” and there are two theories of the derivation of the state’s English name: that it was named for the former French province of Maine and that it was so named for being the “mainland,” as opposed to the coastal islands.
  • Maine State Nickname is ” Pine Tree State “
  • Maine State Motto is “Dirigo” which means I direct .

Maine County Genealogy

Since Maine was part of Massachusetts for a long time, it should be expected that it would conform to a similar system for recording deeds, probates, and vital records. Such is the case. Deeds and probates were filed at the county seat and vital records at the town office. However, in Maine, marriages were to be submitted to the county clerk as mandated by the legislature in 1828, although the practice was never uniform and the results have not been completely assessed. The following pages reports what has been found regarding marriage returns on a county basis and where they are located (either at the Maine State Archives or with the county clerk).

Select a County Below

COUNTY PAGES UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Maine has counties that no longer exist. They were established by the state, provincial, or territorial government. Most of these counties were created and disbanded in the 19th century; county boundaries have changed little since 1900 in the vast majority of states. These counties need to be looked at when doing genealogy research. Pay close attention where the courthouse records went to if the county was abolished or combined with another county.

  • Devonshire County: Devonshire County, District of Maine, Massachusetts Bay Colony was a short-lived county formed during the colonial territorial disputes between the Province of Massachusetts and the Province of Maine. The county existed from 1674 to 1675.

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Maine Genealogy Links

See Maine County Genealogy for County Links. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some are have free access some require a payment. This is just a list that has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own favorite genealogy or family history related sites.

Maine State History

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