114 PREROGATIVE COURT RECORDS

INDEXES

Except for a general index of wills listed in 1776,⁵⁹ there appear
to have been no other indexes to the Prerogative Court Records than
the self-contained indexes which may still be found in practically
all of the volumes. Even that index seems to have disappeared by
1874, for in that year the Register of Wills for Anne Arundel
County was authorized to make an index to the will books.⁶⁰ This
was the only general index until 1894, when f 1,500 was appropriated
for making indexes to the other series.⁶¹ This amount proved in-
sufficient, particularly since part of it was set aside for rearranging
and jacketing the original wills. Therefore, additional sums were
appropriated in 1896⁶² and 1898⁶³ for completing the job. As a
result of this effort, general indexes were provided for all of the
Prerogative Court series, except the Testamentary Proceedings. The
indexing of this series was also begun and libers 1-26 were com-
pleted. No further work was done until the records were turned
over to the Land Office.

From 1904 to 1906, the indexing of libers 27-30 was completed by
John B. League, apparently of his own initiative, for it was not
until 1906 when the work had already been finished that the General
Assembly appropriated the money to pay him.⁶⁴ After a lapse of
twenty years, the Commissioner of the Land Office reported in 1926
that the indexing of liber 31 was nearly completed.⁶⁵ By 1932,
thirteen more volumes had been done.⁶⁶ Ths three libers remaining
were indexed before December 1935, for the index was complete when
it was transferred to the Hall of Records.

Meanwhile, a card index to wills had been made during the
biennium 1932-1934.⁶⁷ A new index to accounts was also made, but
the typing of the cards had only been partially completed when they
were turned over to the Hall of Records.

⁵⁹ Arch. Md., XI. 114.

⁶⁰ Laws of Md., 1874. ch. 381.

⁶¹ Ibid., 1894, ch. 441.

⁶² Ibid., 1896. ch. 34.

⁶³ Ond., 1896. ch. 237.

⁶⁴ Ilnd., 1906, ch. 303.

⁶⁵ Triennial Report of the Commissioner of the Land Office of Maryland
from October 1, 1923 to September 30, 1926, p. 12.

⁶⁶ Biennial Report of the Commissioner of the Land Office of Maryland
from October 1, 1930 to September 30, 1932, p. 17.

⁶⁷ Biennial Report of the Commissioner of the Land Office of Maryland
from October 1, 1932 to September 30, 19S4, p. 17.