Listed record inventories
Selected holdings and indexes for Sussex County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.
Deeds and land
- Apprentice indentures · Recorder of DeedsDates not stated in collection gateway
Poor relief and institutions
- Apprentice indentures · Trustees of the PoorDates not stated in collection gateway
- Pauper books indexDates not stated in collection gateway
Court records
- Coroner inquest indexDates not stated in collection gateway
Wills and estates
- Probate index · Register of WillsDates not stated in collection gateway
See the repository's descriptions and search options
Repository access note: Selected county-specific indexes linked by the Delaware Public Archives collection gateway to its current Collections Portal. Dates were not supplied on the gateway; check the portal entry. An index result does not establish online access to the original record.
Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.
Where to find the records
- Sussex County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the recorder of deeds and the register of wills, and any online record search the county offers.
- The recorder of deeds
Deeds and other land records, one office in each county.
- The register of wills
Wills, estates and guardianships.
- The Delaware Public Archives
In Dover: most of the state's older county records, including deeds, wills, estates, court and vital records.
- Delaware Public Archivesfree
The state archives in Dover, which holds most of Delaware's older county records: probate, land, court, tax and vital records.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Delaware, Sussex" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Land not yet in any county
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1673, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Delaware has only three counties, and the Delaware Public Archives holds most of their older records in one place. Check its probate and land records first.