Civil List of New Castle County

Prothonotaries¹

Recorder of Deeds

The first record found bears date April 8, 1727, and is a commission, for Robert Gordon as recorder of deeds and keeper of rolls for the lower counties.

Registers of Wills

On the 26th of August, 1678, Governor Edmund Andros conferred authority upon the court of New Castle to appoint persons to administer upon estates, "having due regard to Widows."

The court before this time had, upon petition, appointed persons to administer upon estates. This was continued until September 16, 1684, when John Cann was appointed register by order of the Provisional Council.

On the 8th of June, 1695, commissions were given to John Donaldson and James Claypoole to attend to probates of wills and to grant letters of administration.

Deputies

For many years the offices of prothonotary, recorder of deeds, register of wills and clerks of the different courts were held by the same person, and the duties in several of these were conducted by deputy, of whom were the following:

Registers of Wills

The first name that appears of record as register of wills after John Cann is John French, who served from 1717 to 1721. The names of a few persons are found, who were registers prior to 1800, from which time they are found recorded:

1.The term being formerly more commonly used in the United States, today only the courts of Pennsylvania and Delaware term their chief clerks "prothonotaries."
2. He was also clerk of the peace and recorder in Kent County at the same time.

Source: History of Delaware, 1609-1888, Volume I, by J. Thomas Scharf, L. J. Richards & Company, Philadelphia, 1888.