ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 28

Excellent progress was made in our program for the duplica-
tion of county land records prior to 1788. Previous to this year
we had completed the following counties: Prince George's, Som-
erset, and Frederick. We had also completed Kent County from
the years 1761 to 1790. For the period through 1760 there had
already been prepared a typewritten copy which was in the vault
of the Clerk's office. We asked the judges of the Second Circuit
if they would be willing to use this typescript in lieu of photo-
stats, and in the course of this year they consented to do so. We
had, therefore, completed our work in Kent County before the
beginning of this fiscal year.

During the present year we finally brought to an end our
work with the enormous Charles County series; we continued
our work in Dorchester County, bringing that series up to 1758,
and we began the Queen Anne's series and completed it through
the year 1759. During the fiscal year 1948 we expect to complete
both Dorchester and Queen Anne's Counties and to begin work in
Talbot County.

It is perhaps worthwhile at this point to summarize our
county work. Completed in Southern Maryland: Prince George's
and Charles Counties. In addition, the Anne Arundel series is
at the Hall of Records, no photostat copies having been requested.
Since both St. Mary's and Calvert County records were lost in
fires, we have finished our work in Southern Maryland. Com-
pleted in Western Maryland: Frederick County. The Baltimore
County series is also at the Hall of Records, no photostat copies
having been requested. Since some of the Western Maryland
counties were created after the effective date of the Act of As-
sembly which authorizes this work, there remains to be done
only a very few years in each of the following counties: Harford,
Washington and Montgomery. Completed on the Eastern Shore:
Somerset and Kent. In progress: Dorchester and Queen Anne's.
Remaining to be done in their entirety: Talbot, Worcester, Cecil,
and the few years of Caroline which come within this period.