These indexes are to some of the public collections in the archives. We will be adding new ones and updating these on a quarterly basis. It should be noted that using an index is never an adequate replacement for viewing the original record. We have made an attempt to extract pertinent information to help identify each record; we have not extracted all the information. Therefore it is strongly recommended that researchers view the original record.

 

Collections

Appointments – This database is to the appointments made by the governor to boards and commissions.

Apprentice Indentures – This database is to legal contracts made for minors to learn a trade.

Audio/Visual – This database is to the audio and visual holdings in the Delaware Public Archives. There are sound recordings as well as video and motion pictures.

Bastardy Bonds – Bastardy bonds were filed in response to a law that required a bond be filed by the father of an illegitimate child, to ensure that the child did not become a burden on the county.

Churches – This is an index to our church holdings. It includes the WPA records as well as original manuscript records.

Civil List – This is the database of those officials who were elected to serve in Delaware government.

Coroner – These indexes are to all three counties from the office of the coroner. They are the manuscript record of the reports of investigations into the causes of deaths occurring in suspicious or unusual circumstances.

Death Register – Registers of deaths and burials within the City of Wilmington.

Enrolled Bills– This index is to the original bills passed by both houses of the legislature from 1776-1959.

Executive Orders – This is the index to executive orders issued by the governor.

Governors – This is a list of the governors of the State of Delaware.

Maps – This is the index to the map holdings in the Delaware Public Archives.

Naturalization Records – This index covers naturalization records from Superior Court in all three counties.

Newspapers – This is the index to the newspapers that are available on microfilm at the Delaware Public Archives

Orphans Court – This index is of the Orphans Court case files for all three counties. It dealt with the guardianship of minors, real estate left intestate, partition of real estate, and appeals from the register of wills.

Pamphlets – This index is to the pamphlets that are held by Delaware Public Archives. They are divided into 15 different categories such as Delawareana, cities and towns, civil war, etc.

Probate Records – These indexes are of our holdings created for the settling of a deceased person’s estate for all three counties starting around 1680. Probates file folder #’s after 120085 must be requested from the New Castle County Register of Wills.

State Deeds – This database is to the original deeds to state owned property as mandated by 29 DC CH 524.

State Reports – This index is to the reports and publications generated by state and local government agencies. They include annual reports, digests, programs, and brochures.