What is the Deans of Dorchester?
The Deane/Dean genealogy traced down from William Gilbert Dean of Dorchester, Dorset England (and/or possibly Wigan, England)through his son William Henry Deane, also of England, and through William Henry's son William Richard Deane, the first Deane to establish residence in Dorchester County, Maryland at Fox Creek on or about 26 FEB 1678/79 is a long and complex genealogy. The advent of the internet has helped carry research to higher levels, but one must also be wary of the validity of data acquired through that research. It is the main goal of this association to validate the research concerning this particular bloodline.
In 1939, an avid Deane/Dean researcher named Rev. John William John Wesley Dean, D. Sc., D.D. formed a family association and named it the Deans of Dorchester Association. Rev. Dean's personal genealogy traces down through one of the four male lines to East New Market, Maryland. This association, organized and developed under the auspices of Rev. Dean, was based in Kulpmont, Pennsylvania. It appears from writings of Rev. Dean that the association was very active between the years of 1939 to at least 1973 (as evidenced by the preface on our home page).
During the life of the association, much information was amassed and stored in bank vaults in or around the Kulpmont area. The final disposition of that amassed knowledge is what this "new" association seeks to uncover.
There are possibly at least 7 main branches of this particular bloodline (Specifically through William Richard) in existence, with four of those lines continuing the Dean name. There are many descendants from the Marriage of William Richard Deane and Elizabeth Meredith, also of England, removed to Dorchester County.
This website is the electronic home of this association. It is a private site with databases containing data, resources, and other information, including full source citations with digital copies of all verified source materials accessible only to members of these bloodlines. This information is a private collection of the Deans of Dorchester Association research group, and is for members that trace their genealogy through one of these mentioned branches of the tree. As with any genealogical endeavour, it is a contant work-in-progess with records and data being uploaded and updated on an almost daily basis.
If your genealogy is through one of these lines, then you are most welcome to become a member, and we would strongly recommend that you do so. Joining can only enhance not only your personal research by making available data not available online at any other site, but it also gives you the power of a research group to help your research in ways that one individual cannot accomplish. There are no dues or fees to become a member. There are, however several membership requirements. Please use this link , or the ones located in the menu on the left or top menu for more information on our membership requirements.