Genealogical Research in Maryland & Anne Arundel Co - from selected sources
prepared by D Phelps 4/2009
Most of the documents named in this report are available at the State Library of North Carolina, in Raleigh, NC. The purpose for this inventory was to find the origin of James Phelps d 1786 Caswell County.
Prerogative Court
Abstracts of the administration accounts of the Prerogative Court
Abstracts of the testamentary proceedings of the Prerogative Court
Maryland Wills and Probate
Abstracts of the inventories and accounts of the Prerogative Court
Abstracts of the balance books of the Prerogative Court
Researcing Anne Arundel Co
Hints for genealogical researching in Anne Arundel Co, Md
Church records, marriages, newspapers, cemeteries
Abstracts of land records & Maryland rent rolls : Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties, 1700-1707, 1705-1724 :
Anne Arundel County Newspapers
The early settlers of Maryland; an index to names of immigrants compiled from records of land patents, 1633-1680, in the Hall of Records, Annapolis, Maryland.
A supplement to The early settlers of Maryland : comprising 8,680 entries correcting omissions and errors in Gust Skordas, The Early Settlers of Maryland
Maryland Marriages 1634-1777 by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishing Co. 1975.
Maryland Marriages 1778-1800 by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishing Co. 1978.
Maryland Marriages 1801-1820 by Robert Barnes, Genealgocial Publishing Co. 1993.
Abstracts of the administration accounts of the Prerogative Court of Maryland / V.L. Skinner, Jr.
1718-1724 (Libers 1 through 5).
1724-1731 (Libers 6-10)
1731-1737 (Libers 11-15)
1737-1744 (Libers 16-20)
1744-1750 (Libers 21-28)
1750-1754 (Libers 29-36)
1754-1760 (Libers 37-45)
1760-1764 (Libers 46-51)
1764-1768 (Libers 52-58)
1768-1771 (Libers 59-66)
1771-1777 (Libers 67-74)
Abstracts of the testamentary proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Maryland / by V.L. Skinner, Jr. (available in Raleigh State Library)
V.1. 1658-1674 (Libers: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 4C)
v.2. 1670-1674 (libers: 5, 6)
v. 3. 1675-1677, 1703-1705 (libers: 7, 8A, 8B, 9a (1-371))
v. 4. 1677-1682, 1702-1704 (libers: 9A (372-524), 9B, 10, 11, 12A, 12B)
v. 5. 1682-1686 (liber: 13 (folios 1-432))
v. 6. 1686-1689, 1692-1693 (libers: 13 (folios 433-519), 14, 14A, and 15A)
v. 7.1693-1697 (libers: 15B, 15C, 16)
v. 8. 1697-1700 (libers: 17, 18A)
v. 9. 1700-1703 (Libers: 18B, 19A)
v. 10. 1704-1707 (libers: 19B, 19C)
v. 11. 1703-1704, 1708-1709 (libers: 20, 21 (pp. 1-206))
v. 12. 1709-1712 (libers: 21 (pp. 207-347), 22 (pp. 1-147))
v. 13. 1712-1716 (libers: 22 (pp. 148-500), 23 (pp. 1-43))
v. 14. 1716-1719 (liber: 23 (pp. 44-402))
v. 15. 1719-1721 (liber: 24, 25 (pp. 1-87))
Wills and Probate procedings from 1635 to 1777 were recorded at the state level in Maryland with the Prerogative Court. After 1777, the Wills and Probate were filed with the Orphans Court of the Appropriate County. As a result most wills, inventories of estates, and administrative filings for estates prior to 1777 are existent and held by the Maryland State Archives at Annapolis. However, there are a few wills that are referred to in land records, but apparently were never filed or have been lost. Most of the publications of wills and probate records for the era prior to 1777 deal with the state of Maryland as a whole and are not by county.These records have been abstracted and published.
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 1, 1635-1685, compiled and edited by Jane Cotton Baldwin, 1904, reprinted by Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 2, 1685-1702, compiled and edited by Jane Cotton Baldwin, 1906, reprinted by Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 3, 1703-1713, compiled and edited by Jane Cotton Baldwin, 1907, reprinted by Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 4, 1713-1720, compiled and edited by Jane Cotton Baldwin, 1914, reprinted by Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 5, 1720-1726, compiled and edited by Jane Cotton Baldwin, reprinted by Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 6, 1726-1732, compiled and edited by Jane Cotton Baldwin, reprinted by Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 7, 1732-1738, compiled and edited by Jane Cotton Baldwin, reprinted by Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 8, 1738-1743, compiled and edited by Jane Cotton Baldwin, reprinted by Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 9, 1744-1749, compiled and edited by F. Edward Wright, Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 10, 1747-1753, compiled and edited by F. Edward Wright, 1991, Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 11, 1753-1760, compiled and edited by F. Edward Wright, Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 12, 1759-1764, compiled and edited by F. Edward Wright, Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 13, 1764-1767, compiled and edited by F. Edward Wright, Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 14, 1767-1772, compiled and edited by F. Edward Wright, 1993, Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 15, 1772-1774, compiled and edited by F. Edward Wright, Family Line Publications. (in print)
The Maryland Calendar of Wills Vol 16, 1774-1777, compiled and edited by F. Edward Wright, Family Line Publications. (in print) This volume also contains corrections to early volumes.
There is also an index for Maryland Wills: Index of Maryland Colonial Wills 1635-1777, J. M. Magruder Jr, 1967 Genealogical Publishing.
The Probate Records include inventories of estates and adminstrative papers filed. Early inventories include extensive lists of debts owed the estate, chattel goods, persons making the survey, in later years the next-to- kin are identified. Adminstrative accounts identify the disposition of the estates assets, often a good source to find who a widow remarried as adminstrator/administrix. Astracts of these records are avaiable/being compiled.
Abstracts of the inventories and accounts of the Prerogative Court of Maryland / compiled by V.L. Skinner, Jr.
1674-1678 and 1699-1703 (Libers 1-5)
1679-1686 (Libers 6, 7A, 7B, 8)
1685-1701 (Libers 9, 10, 10c, 11A, 11B)
1688-1698 (Libers 12, 13A, 13B, 14, 15)
1697-1700 (Libers 16, 17, 18, 19, 19-1/2A, 19-1/2B)
1699-1704 (Libers 20-24) 1699-1708 (Libers 25-28)
1708-1711 (Libers 29, 30, 31, 32A, 32B)
1711-1713 (Libers 32C, 33A, 33B, 34) 1712-1716 (Libers 35A-36C)
1715-1718 (Libers 37A-39C)
1691-1706 (supplement)
1718-20 (Libers 1-4)
1720-24 (Libers 5-9)
1724-27 (Libers 10-11)
1726-29 (Libers 12-14)
1728-34 (Libers 15-17)
1733-38 (Libers 18-23)
1738-44 (Libers 24-28)
1744-48 (Libers 29-36)
1748-51 (Libers 37-47)
1751-56 (Libers 48-60)
1755-60 (Libers 61-69)
1760-1763 (Libers 70-80)
1763-1766 (Libers 81-90)
1766-1769 (vols. 91-100)
1769-1772 (vols. 101-109)
1772-1774 (from vols. 110-118) - -
1774-1777 (from vols. 119-126)
Abstracts of the balance books of the Prerogative Court of Maryland / Debby Moxey.
liber 1. 1751-1755
libers 2 and 3. 1755-1763
libers 4 and 5. 1763-1770
libers 6 and 7. 1770-1777.
Wills and Probate preceeding were at the County level. Another set of documents of interest in this era were guardian bonds that were required when a minor became owner of property (often through inheritance). Indexes, abstracts, and copies (or original documents) a of these documents are in repositories such as the Maryland Historic Society and and Maryland State Archivesr.
Anne Arundel County Wills Index 1777-1918, By John M. Powell, 1985.
Heirs and Orphans: Anne Arundel County Distributions 1788-1838, by Walter E. Arps Jr., 1984.
[SELECTED] GENEALOGICAL SOURCES IN PERIODICALS AT THE MARYLAND STATE ARCHIVES PERIODICAL BIBLIOGRAPHY: M (found at the Maryland State Archives )
MAPS
MARRIAGE RECORDS
MARRIAGE REFERENCES
MARYLAND-HISTORY
MARYLAND-HISTORY, 1634-1775
MARYLAND-HISTORY, 1776-1785
MARYLAND-HISTORY, 1786-1812
MARYLAND-HISTORY 1812-1815
MARYLAND-HISTORY 1815-1860
MARYLAND-HISTORY 1861-1865
MARYLAND-HISTORY, 1866-
MARYLAND – IMMIGRATION GROUPS
MARYLAND – LAND RECORDS
MARYLAND – MILITARY RECORDS
MARYLAND STATE ARCHIVES
MARYLANDERS IN DELAWARE
MARYLANDERS IN INDIANA
MARYLANDERS IN PENNSYLVANIA
MARYLANDERS IN VIRGINIA
MARYLANDERS IN WEST VIRGINIA
(Also See "Information on How To Research In Anne Arundel County" at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mdannear/ )
1650 to 1692 Time Period.
There are very few Vital Records in MD before 1692, except for a few Society of Friends meeting records, and a few apparently postdated entries in the Anglican Church Registers. The resources available for researchers in this period include:
Wills: Oldest existent will in Maryland is from 1635. Extracts of Wills through 1777 have been published in a 17 Volume series The Maryland Calendar of Wills. (There are a few errors of course, but overall very useful). Wills, in additon to naming heirs provide information on tracts of land owned, sometime a chain of title, neighbors, and the witnesses. The actual wills and copies are available at MSA. Wills and Probate were Providence, not county, level records up until 1777.
Inventories and Accounts of the Perrogative Courts from 1674 to 1777 have be extracted and published. As sterling was in short supply, IOUs seem to have been commonly used. These extracts will often list 100s of persons in debt or (usually fewer) receiving payments from an estate along with limited information on heirs. It will commonly have the executrix of estate showing her new husband. Copies of the actual inventories are available at the Maryland State Archives (MSA). It is very interesting to see what personality our ancestors owned.
Land Grants. A signficant resource in searching early Marylanders. Up until 1680, the proprietorship granted 50 acres for each person transported into Maryland to reside. Thus most people coming into Maryland or transporting others into Maryland took advantage and requested warrants for land, naming the individuals transported. In some cases, these were for family, or for indentured servants, and in some cases it seems for business deals and family/religious groups. Thus a significant number of all persons coming into MD in that era can be found named in these requests for land warrants. This information has been extracted and an index of names, dates of warrants (which may be later than the date the person entered MD), the person claiming the warrant, and cites to the liber/folio of the records. It is available in The Early Settlers of Maryland by Gus Skordas. Land grants and patents continued to be issued after the headright system was phased out. In some cases landowners had resurveys done to increase their holdings by incorporating any adjacent vacant land. I have seen land patents and surveys as late as the 1850s. A record of of land grants can also be found in some of the rent rolls for Anne Arundel Co. Maryland was a proprietorship and settlers were expected to pay rent for the lands they "owned" to the Calvert family. Rent rolls will list the grant of the land and the possessor of the land when the roll was made.
Land Records. The original Anne Arundel County land records were lost in the fire of the State house 0n 18 October 1704. However beginning in 1705 a special court was held to rerecord the various land records. Thus many, but not all, old land records were rerecorded and are existent today. Also later deeds sometimes will state a chain of title from the original grant. These land records often will have Grantor and his wife named. Some records can contain very useful genealogical material, including references to now non-existant wills, listing of heirs, and tracking the title to tracts of land. Land could pass through several generations in a family without any deeds, so tracking tracts of land is one method to help identify a family. The existent rent rolls (Maryland was a Proprietorship) also identify grant holders & possessors of the land (for example in 1707)
Court and Legislative Records. Records of court cases and actions of the legislature can sometimes provide early genealogical material.
1692 to 1777
In addition to the records discussed for the earlier period, the following records can be found.
Church Records. In June of 1692, the Church of England (Episcopal) Church was designated as the established church of Maryland. One of the responsibilites of each Parish was to maintain a register of births, deaths, and marriages in the Parish. The original parishes in Anne Arundel Co were: St James (basically the area south of West River), St Annes( between the South River and Severn River), All Hallows (the area between South and West River), and St Margarets (the area north of the Severn River). In 1728 Queen Caroline Parish was established in what is now Howard County. In addition the minutes of the Soicety of Freinds West River Meeting contain births and marriages for early Anne Arundel Co. These records have been collected in a Volume Anne Arundel County Church Records of the 17th and 18th Centuriesby F. Edward Wright
Land records also continue to be a major source of information for genealogical research in this period, Also check the land surveys and patents, and the rent rolls. The Maryland state level collection of material of wills and probate is also a good source of information.
The Maryland Gazette newspaper began publication in 1728 and extracts from the newspaper can provide useful data for genealogical research it also offers glimses of 18th century life in Anne Arundel and surrounding counties. The Maryland Gazette 1727-1761 contains extracts of the early issues of the newspaper.
1777 to 1850
About 1777 Maryland made many changes as a result of going from a province to a state. Wills and probate were administered and recorded at the County level. Also county issued marriage licenses came into being.
Marriage licenses exist for Anne Arundel Co from 1777 onward. One compilation of these records that has been printed is Anne Arundel County, Maryland Marriage Records, 1777-1877compiled by John W. Powell
An index to Anne Arundel Co. wills has been published Anne Arundel County Wills Index, 1777-1918 by John W. Powell. a source on probate information is Heirs and Orphans: Anne Arundel County Distributions 1788-1838 by Walter E. Arps
There are also the standard sources of information available including the Federal Census, cemetery inscriptions, early histories, and collections of genealogies.
Index to Anne Arundel County, Maryland, wills, 1650-1777 / by Raymond B. Clark, Jr.
Anne Arundel County Wills Index, 1777-1918 by John W. Powell.
A source on probate information is Heirs and Orphans: Anne Arundel County Distributions 1788-1838 by Walter E. Arps (not in Raleigh NC librariy)
Anne Arundel County church records
Quaker records of Southern Maryland : births, deaths, marriages and abstracts from the minutes, 1658-1800 /
Anne Arundel County, Maryland Marriage Records 1777-1877 compiled by John W. Powell, Anne Arundel Genealogy Society, Pasadena, Maryland, 1991.
The Maryland Gazette 1727-1761 by Karen Mauer Green, Frontier Press, Galveston, 1989. This is an extract of articles and advertisements appearing on the Maryland Gazette from 10 Dec 1728 to 31 Dec 1761 with an index. The Maryland Gazette was printed in Annapolis,first by William Parks. Contains notices of deaths, sales, lost and found livestock, runaway indentured servants, ship arrivals, and much more information.
Abstracts of land records : Anne Arundel County, Maryland / edited by Rosemary B. Dodd, Patricia M. Bausell.
v. 1. Bk. IH 1 (1662-1703); Bk. IH 2 (1662-1702); Bk. IH 3 (1658-1701); Bk. WH 4 (1656-1702); Bk. IT 5 (1653-1699).
v. 2. Bk. WT1 (1699-1702); Bk. WT2 (1703-1709)
v. 3. Bk. PK (1709-1712); Bk. IB 2 (1712-1719)
v. 4. Bk. CW1 (1719-1723); Bk. RCW2 (1722-1724; Bk SY1 (1724-1728)
v. 5. Bk. RD 1 1728-1729; Bk. TI 1 1729-1730; Bk. IHTI 1 1730-1733; Bk. RD 2 1733-1737
v. 6. Liber RD No. 3 (1737-1740); Liber RB No. 1 (1740-1744)
v. 7. Bk. RB No. 2 1744-1747; Bk. RB No. 3 pp. 1-361 1748-1750; Bk. RB No. 3 pp. 362-748 1750-1754
Also: Anne Arundel County, Maryland land records. by T.L.C. Genealogy, c1993
1708/12 1712/18 1719/24 1724/28 1728/30 (missing years) 1784/85 1786/87 1787/88 missing 1731-1783 and TLC never published it.
(Therefore no abstracts for years 1755-1783 ! This is key for those who may have moved from there during that period.)
Maryland rent rolls : Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties, 1700-1707, 1705-1724 : a consolidation of articles from the Maryland historical magazine / with a new pref. by Robert Barnes ; and a foreword by George B. Scriven ; reprinted with a new index by Anita Comtois. A record of of land grants can also be found in some of the rent rolls for Anne Arundel Co