Cumberland County, Maine Genealogy
Guide to Cumberland County, Maine ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Cumberland County, Maine | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Maine, United States Genealogy | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | March 28, 1760 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Portland |
| Courthouse | |
| Address | Cumberland County Courthouse 142 Federal Street Portland, Me 04101-4151 Phone: 207.871.8380 Cumberland County Website |
Contents
- 1 Description
- 2 Cumberland County, Maine Record Dates
- 3 County Courthouse
- 4 History
- 5 Places / Localities
- 6 Resources
- 7 Biographies
- 8 Societies and Libraries
- 9 Websites
- 10 References
Description[edit | edit source]
Cumberland County was named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland. The county is located in the southwestern area of the state.[1]
Cumberland County, Maine Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1892 | 1892 | 1760 | 1760 | 1760 | 1760 | 1790 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
- County Clerk has death, probate and land records from 1760.
- City or Town Clerks have birth, marriage, death and burial records. [3]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
- Parts were taken for:
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1908 A fire in January at the Portland City Hall destroyed some records. County records from about 1807-1907 were destroyed. City records were saved. [8]
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.
Places / Localities[edit | edit source]
Neighboring Counties
York | Oxford | Androscoggin | Sagadahoc
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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 census area:[9]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Resources[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Biographical review: this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Cumberland County, Maine at Ancestry.com $
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| USGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| USGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
| Tombstone Project | ||
| ME Interment | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Maine Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- 1620-2014 - Maine, Tombstone Inscriptions, Surname Index, 1620-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1676-1918 - Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1780-1999 - Maine, J. Gary Nichols Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1999 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Westbrook Historical Society:
Maine Catholic Cemetery Committee's Online Databases: There are 65 catholic cemeteries in this diocese and they are slowly being put online.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 25,530 | — |
| 1800 | 38,208 | 49.7% |
| 1810 | 42,831 | 12.1% |
| 1820 | 49,445 | 15.4% |
| 1830 | 60,102 | 21.6% |
| 1840 | 68,658 | 14.2% |
| 1850 | 79,538 | 15.8% |
| 1860 | 75,591 | −5.0% |
| 1870 | 82,021 | 8.5% |
| 1880 | 86,359 | 5.3% |
| 1890 | 90,949 | 5.3% |
| 1900 | 100,689 | 10.7% |
| 1910 | 112,014 | 11.2% |
| 1920 | 124,376 | 11.0% |
| 1930 | 134,645 | 8.3% |
| 1940 | 146,000 | 8.4% |
| 1950 | 169,201 | 15.9% |
| 1960 | 182,751 | 8.0% |
| 1970 | 192,528 | 5.3% |
| 1980 | 215,789 | 12.1% |
| 1990 | 243,135 | 12.7% |
| 2000 | 265,612 | 9.2% |
| 2010 | 281,674 | 6.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1790 - 1790 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1800 - 1800 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1810 - 1810 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1820 - 1820 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1830 - 1830 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1840 - 1840 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1850 - 1850 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1850-1880 - Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, Ancestry $
- 1860 - 1860 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1870 - 1870 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1880 - 1880 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1890 - 1890 Veterans Schedules, Ancestry $
- 1900 - 1900 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1905 - Transcription - only Scarboro
- 1910 - 1910 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1920 - 1920 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1930 - 1930 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
- 1940 - 1940 United States Federal Census, Ancestry $
Church[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1837 - 1965 - Maine & Massachusetts Case Files of Deceased and Deserted Seamen 1837-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Land[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Maine Land and Property for additional information about early Maine land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1760-1902 Land records, 1760-1902 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1760-1904 Index to land records, 1760-1904 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1798-1956 Maine, Cumberland County, Supreme Judicial Court records, 1798-1956 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1835-1838 Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications, 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection - index and images
- 1850-1916 Homestead exemption, vol. 1, 1850-1916 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Cumberland County, Maine Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Maine Local Histories.
- History of Cumberland Co., Maine. 1880. By W.W. Clayton. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Everts & Peck. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1676 - 1918 - Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1718 - 1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- 1835 - 1838 - Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications 1835-1838 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Cumberland County, Maine Genealogy 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 Cumberland County, Maine Genealogy:
- - 1st Regiment, Maine Cavalry
- - 1st Regiment, Maine Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E and I.
- - 1st Regiment, Maine Volunteer Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E and I.
- - 5th Regiment, Maine Infantry , Companies D, F, G and H.
Online Records
- 1962 - 1865 - Maine, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1914 - 1950 - Maine, State Archives, World War I (WWI) Grave Cards, 1914-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1917 - 1919 - Maine, World War I Draft Registration Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Naturalization[edit | edit source]
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1918-1991 - Maine, United States Naturalization Records, 1918-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1947-1951 - Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine) at Ancestry.com $
Finding More Maine Newspapers[edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Cumberland County, Maine Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Cumberland County, Maine Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Probate[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1584-1999 - Maine Wills and Probate Records 1584-1999 at Ancestry.com — $
- 1850-1899 Index of probate files, 1850-1899 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1908-2006 Maine, Cumberland County, probate records, 1908-2006 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1908-1916 Probate docket books, 1908-1916 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1908-1923 Probate index, 1908-1923 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Maine tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
In Maine, vital records are kept by town clerks or selectmen. Although some towns have existed since the 1650s, most vital records date from about 1700. The vital statistics are often arranged by family. For more information, see the Wiki page for the town and the Wiki page, Maine Vital Records.
- 1589-1966 - Maine, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1670-1921 - Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1800-1947 - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947, Ancestry $
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1715-1922 - Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922, Ancestry $
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1670-1921 - Maine, Marriage Index, 1670-1921, Ancestry $
- 1713-1922 - Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1922, Ancestry $
- 1760 to 1886 Index to Cumberland County records from 1760 to 1886, inclusive at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1786-1886 Marriage records, v. A-D, 1786-1886 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1786-1790 Marriage records, vol. A, pp. 1-33, 1786-1790 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1829-1866 Maine, Cumberland County, Justice of the Peace Court records, 1829-1866 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1892-1996 - Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1996, Ancestry $
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1761-1922 - Maine, Death Records, 1761-1922, Ancestry $
- 1960-1997 - Maine, Death Index, 1960-1997, Ancestry $
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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.
Local Centers and Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
- The Cumberland County MEGenWeb Project, an member of The MEGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Cumberland County
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Cumberland County (backup site)
- FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Cumberland County
- Westbrook Historical Society Collections
- Cumberland County Genealogy (Maine Genealogy)
- Cumberland County, Maine History and Genealogy (Genealogy Trails)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cumberland County, Maine" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_County,_Maine."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cumberland County, Maine. Page 304-305 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 275.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cumberland County, Maine page 304, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Portland, ME City Hall Fire, Jan 1908 http://www.gendisasters.com/maine/5858/portland-me-city-hall-fire-jan-1908
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cumberland_County, Maine," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_County,_Maine, accessed 27 February 2019.
