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ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 33
Of this total there were 807 reels of microfilm as compared with 616
reels for the previous year. While we are, of course, pleased to see this
continuing growth in circulation, we are also aware of the fact that more
and more of the time of our staff is required for this kind of work and,
consequently, less time is available for the preparation of finding aids and
research. Microfilm is especially time-consuming because there are very few
searchers who are able to use the readers unassisted.
When the Hall of Records opened in October 1935, it had in its vaults
the old court records of which the Court of Appeals had been custodian.
Shortly thereafter, the records of the Prerogative Court, the colonial probate
court, were transferred from the Land Office, and by 1939, when the present
Archivist took office, parts of the historic records of Baltimore and Anne
Arundel Counties had been added. How much our collection has grown since
that time will be indicated by the variety of records listed here below. This
list includes those series which have been called for twenty times or more —
it did not seem practical to list those which had been used less frequently.
Record Series Times Circulated
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1952-1953
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1951-1952
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1950-1951
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|
|
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Wills .......................................................................
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. 1139
|
1059
|
923
|
|
|
|
Testamentary Proceedings .....................................
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.. 855
|
899
|
812
|
|
|
|
Accounts ...............................................................
|
. 821
|
713
|
781
|
|
|
|
Inventories .............................................................
|
,. 455
|
377
|
412
|
|
|
|
Baltimore County Land Records ............................
|
421
|
304
|
200
|
|
|
|
Inventories and Accounts .....................................
|
. 286
|
236
|
213
|
|
|
|
Anne Arundel County Land Records ...................
|
.. 267
|
208
|
147
|
|
|
|
Prince George's County Land Records ...............
|
. 225
|
210
|
143
|
|
|
|
Charles County Land Records ...............................
|
,. 215
|
103
|
155
|
|
|
|
Frederick County Land Records ...........................
|
,. 175
|
95
|
151
|
|
|
|
Provincial Court Judgments ...............................
|
.. 143
|
157
|
153
|
|
|
|
Charles County Wills ..........................................
|
.. 133
|
81
|
165
|
|
|
|
Anne Arundel County Wills, Original ..............
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.. 132
|
47
|
73
|
|
|
|
Testamentary Papers ..............................................
|
117
|
101
|
96
|
|
|
|
Anne Arundel County Testamentary Papers ..........
|
.. 113
|
65
|
126
|
|
|
|
Somerset County Land Records ..........................
|
.. 103
|
97
|
163
|
|
|
|
Balance Books ......................................................
|
96
|
107
|
95
|
|
|
|
Talbot County Land Records ..............................
|
89
|
70
|
7
|
|
|
|
Anne Arundel County Wills ..............................
|
79
|
47
|
73
|
|
|
|
Dorchester County Land Records ......................
|
79
|
95
|
147
|
|
|
|
Prince George's County Wills, Original ..........
|
78
|
55
|
31
|
|
|
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Wills, Original ....................................................
|
76
|
54
|
53
|
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