Vital records include records such as notices of birth, marriage records, death notices, and probate records. Although the University of Maryland Special Collections does not contain official vital records, we do have unofficial sources of this information. For official vital records, contact the Maryland State Archives or the Vital Statistics Administration at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
One of the most effective sources in Special Collections for vital records research is the Census Indexes, which provide information such as the names, ages, and locations of individuals within a given household. Consult the Census Indexes section for more information. Vital records such as probate records can be found in the Probate Records section of this guide.
For a listing of subject headings describing materials containing Maryland vital records, see the list below. For a list of books and periodicals containing vital records information, click here or scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Subject Headings
American Newspapers, Maryland
American Newspapers, (insert county or city name)
Maryland, Census, (insert year)
Ex.: Maryland, Census, 1880
Death notices, Maryland
Death notices, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Registers of Birth, etc., Maryland
Registers of Birth, etc., Maryland, Howard County
Marriage Records, Maryland
Marriage Records, Maryland, (insert county or city name)
Obituaries, Maryland
Obituaries, (insert county or city name)
Wills, Maryland
Books and Periodicals Containing Vital Records Information in Special Collections
