Baptismal Records: Wilmington Delaware

Built in 1816 while Reverend Patrick Kenny was pastor, the Church of St. Peter was designated the Cathedral for the newly formed Diocese of Delaware in 1868. Father Patrick Reilly established the parish school around 1839.

A facility to query or comment on a particular record is available on the individual record page when displayed. When selected this will generate an automatic email with specific record details predefined therein - this will help us to quickly identify the record relating to your query.

A group of volunteers has transcribed in full the baptismal records you can view here.

Previously, through the kindness of Father Thomas J. Peterman, we had on-line as a temporary measure the computerized extracts that he and his secretary had made of the principals and parents (not witnesses) from the 1796-1834 Register for the early church in Wilmington. Our volunteers have since worked from the microfilm images of the originals. The earliest entries record baptisms, marriages, and burials for the French-speaking refugees from the French Revolution and the Slave rebellion in the French colony of St. Domingue (present Haiti). Each is in the form of a certificate by the priest as to what took place and the principals involved, with parents often described by title and rank. All present then signed as witnesses. You can examine both the images of the originals, in French, and an English translation at A Glimpse of French Refugees in Wilmington, DE in the 1790s.

You will also find a complete listing of the parishes and churches whose baptismal records are held in this on-line repository by visiting our inventory page.

We gratefully acknowledge the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, DE for permitting us to bring these records to you.

The search page also permits restriction of record search to the parish of your choice. The default is to search ALL records for all parishes.