Boundary history
Worcester did not always look like Worcester
Understanding Old Somerset, the Maryland-Delaware dispute, and the creation of Wicomico County can completely change where you search for a family.
Welcome to Maryland's Atlantic county
Researching family in Worcester County?
From colonial records and old Somerset boundaries to Snow Hill, Berlin, Pocomoke City, Ocean City, farm country, pine woods, and the barrier islands, Worcester County research often crosses both centuries and county lines.
Worcester County was created from the eastern portion of Somerset County in 1742. Later, in 1867, part of Worcester became Wicomico County. That shifting geography matters: records for one family may be found in Snow Hill, Princess Anne, Salisbury, Georgetown, Annapolis, or Dover depending on the time period.
Choose a research route
ROUTE 01
Maps and the 1877 Atlas
Locate districts, towns, landowners, roads, old boundaries, and places that have disappeared from modern maps.
ROUTE 02County History
Follow Worcester from its colonial beginnings through farming, railroads, tourism, storms, and changing communities.
ROUTE 03Records on This Site
Start with Worcester transcriptions already preserved here, including cemetery records and an eighteenth-century Revolutionary War corn list.
ROUTE 04Places and Communities
Explore Worcester's towns, villages, churches, neighborhoods, old place names, and local stories.
ROUTE 05Photos and Postcards
Browse the Lower Delmarva Family Album for historic Worcester images and postcards.
ROUTE 06Ask and Share
Visit the Lower Delmarva Roots Forum to post a query, share surnames, compare notes, or help another researcher.
Worcester stories worth exploring
August 1933
The storm that changed Ocean City
The great storm of 1933 opened the inlet between Ocean City and Assateague, permanently reshaping the coast and helping transform Ocean City into a major fishing port.
Read the Storm of 1933 feature
Working water
Watermen
A people-centered history of Worcester County watermen, including Indigenous fisheries, Pocomoke shad fishing, coastal-bay seafood, Ocean City pound fishing, Assateague communities, storms, and sport fishing.
Historic maps
The 1877 Lake, Griffing and Stevenson atlas
One of the site's most useful collections includes detailed Worcester district and town maps with roads, property owners, businesses, churches, schools, and landmarks.
Research notebook
Names, pronunciations, and old terminology
The site's miscellaneous research notes explain local pronunciations, changed place names, parish boundaries, old naming customs, surveyor's terms, measurements, and colonial terminology.
Search this site
Looking for a surname or place?
You can also use FreeFind's site index, sitemap, or advanced search.
More Worcester research
Maps and census
Books and background
Local history and preservation
Research does not stop at the county line.
Worcester neighbors Somerset County, Maryland, Wicomico County, Maryland, Sussex County, Delaware, and Accomack County, Virginia.