New Castle Delaware Genealogy Records
New Castle is one of the oldest settlements in Delaware, and its genealogy records go back centuries. Researchers tracing family history in New Castle will find deep resources through the New Castle Historical Society, the NC-CHAP program, Immanuel Church parish registers, Presbyterian Church records, the Delaware Public Archives, and several strong digitized collections. This page covers each source and how to get the most out of it.
New Castle Overview
New Castle Historical Society Genealogy Resources
The New Castle Historical Society is the primary local resource for New Castle genealogy research. The society is at 30 Market Street, New Castle, DE 19720, phone (302) 322-2794, email info@newcastlehistory.org. The society preserves and promotes the history of New Castle, Delaware, and maintains historical archives, photographs, and genealogical resources with research assistance available.
New Castle is among the oldest settled communities in the state, and the Historical Society's collections reflect that depth. Researchers tracing New Castle families from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as those looking for more recent records, will find the society a useful starting point. Staff can direct you to specific collections within the archives and advise on what related repositories might hold. It is worth contacting the society before your first visit to describe what you are looking for and ask what materials they can prepare in advance.
The society is also findable on Facebook, which can be a good way to see recent news about events, new acquisitions, and research tips. For researchers who are new to New Castle genealogy, reaching out to the Historical Society before diving into archives is a practical first step.
NC-CHAP New Castle Genealogy Resources
The New Castle Community History and Archaeology Program, known as NC-CHAP, maintains an extensive set of online resources for New Castle genealogy. These cover census and tax records, directories, church records, family genealogies, and historical narratives. The depth and variety of what is available here sets it apart from most local programs.
Census and tax records available through NC-CHAP include materials from 1671, 1776, 1798, 1815, and 1826. Federal census records for New Castle run from 1800 through 1870. For researchers tracing a New Castle family across that period, this is a substantial set of data in one place. City directory resources include the 1885 street-level city directory and the Boyd 1874 City Directory, both useful for placing a family at a specific address during those years.
The NC-CHAP resources page provides a wide range of online genealogy materials specifically for New Castle researchers.
Genealogical and historical works available through NC-CHAP include the Biographical and Genealogical History of the State of Delaware, the Robert Clay and Ann Curtis genealogy, the Van Dyke Family genealogy, Rossiana covering the Ross and Read families, and the Calendar of Delaware Wills for New Castle County covering 1682 to 1800. Individual wills and inventories from 1751 to 1915 are also accessible. These are some of the most detailed primary sources available for New Castle genealogy research.
New Castle Genealogy Church Records
New Castle has exceptionally deep church records for Delaware genealogy. Immanuel Church, an Episcopal congregation, holds vital statistics from 1714 to 1985. That is nearly 270 years of baptisms, marriages, and burials in a single parish register. For families connected to Immanuel Church, this is one of the most complete genealogical records sets in the state. The records are available through NC-CHAP and also at the FamilySearch Library.
Presbyterian Church records for New Castle cover 1700 to 1965. These are available through NC-CHAP and through an historical sketch of the Presbyterian Church in New Castle available on Ancestry. The New Castle Methodist Episcopal Church records run from 1839 to 1866 and are available at the FamilySearch Library. St. Peter's Catholic Church records cover 1845 to 1991 and are also at the FamilySearch Library.
The LDS genealogy page for New Castle lists available church records, Sanborn maps, school records, and other research materials for this area.
Several published works on New Castle church history are accessible through the FamilySearch Library and WorldCat. These include a sketch of early ecclesiastical affairs in New Castle and a history of Immanuel Church, plus a work titled "God with us: vital records from Immanuel Church parish registers." If you are searching for a New Castle family with deep church ties, these published works can supplement the original registers.
New Castle Genealogy School Records and Sanborn Maps
School records are a useful tool for confirming when a family was present in New Castle and identifying children in a household. William Penn High School yearbooks are available on Ancestry for years 1940, 1953, 1955 through 1988, 1993 through 1995, 1998, and 2002. DeLaWarr High School yearbooks from 1963 through 1966 are available on Classmates, Ancestry, and MyHeritage. New Castle Baptist Academy has a yearbook from 1984. These can help you identify family members who attended school in New Castle and often include photographs.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for New Castle are available at the Library of Congress and include maps from March 1885, September 1891, July 1901, October 1907, and July 1912. These street-level maps show property detail and are useful for placing a family address at a specific point in time. If you know a family member lived on a specific street, you can use these maps to identify the property and understand the surrounding neighborhood as it existed at the time.
Published histories on New Castle available through genealogical libraries include "350 Years of New Castle Delaware," "Fort Casimir Starting Point in History of New Castle 1651-1671," "New Castle Common October 31 1701," and "New Castle On the Delaware." These histories provide narrative context that can help you understand your family's place in the community.
New Castle Vital Records and County Offices
For vital records tied to New Castle, the Office of Vital Statistics for New Castle County is at 258 Chapman Road, Newark, DE 19702, phone (302) 283-7130. This office handles birth, death, and marriage certificates for the county. Hours are Monday through Friday. Older vital records, particularly those from before the mid-20th century, may be more accessible through the Delaware Public Archives.
The New Castle County Recorder of Deeds is at the Public Building in Wilmington, DE 19801 and holds land records for New Castle from 1676. The Calendar of Delaware Wills, New Castle County, 1682 to 1800, is a published index of probate records that can be found through library collections and online. The Delaware Public Archives also maintains a probate index at archives.delaware.gov/collections-gateway/probates.
The Delaware Public Archives is at 121 Duke of York St, Dover, DE 19901, phone (302) 744-5000. The Archives runs a free digital ancestry database at archives.delaware.gov/digital-ancestry and a Collections Gateway at archives.delaware.gov/collections-gateway. Delaware vital records law is at Delaware Code Title 16, Chapter 31, Subchapter I and Subchapter II.
Read House, Delaware Historical Society, and New Castle Public Library
The Read House and Gardens, operated by the Delaware Historical Society, is at 42 The Strand, New Castle, Delaware 19720, phone (302) 322-8411. The Read House offers historical exhibits, research resources, and genealogical materials related to New Castle and the surrounding region. The Delaware Historical Society's main facility is at 504 N Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, phone (302) 656-0637, website dehistory.org. The society holds close to 500,000 surname file cards, family history files, genealogies, city and state directories, and published family histories.
The New Castle Public Library is at 424 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720. Library cardholders can access genealogy services, historical newspapers, and Delaware government records through the library's online platforms. In-person access to local history materials is also available. The public library is a low-barrier starting point for New Castle genealogy, especially for researchers who are just beginning and want to understand what collections exist before committing to in-person research visits.
New Castle County Genealogy Records
New Castle city is in New Castle County. County-level records including land deeds from 1676, probate filings, and court documents are maintained at the county level. For a full overview of New Castle County genealogy resources and where records are held, visit the county records page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are close to New Castle and also have genealogy resources in Delaware.