THE
ARCHIVIST'S BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 1
March 1987
Recent Books
Each week Doug will be briefly reviewing a book or two that have been added to the library that may be of interest to the staff or our researchers. This week's selection is Daniel D. Hartzler, Marylanders in the Confederacy (Silver Spring, 1986). Doug says that it is a vast improvement over W. W. Goldsborough's The Maryland Line in the Confederate Army, 1861-1865 which dates from 1900. The book has a lengthy narrative introduction (which is indexed) in which Hartzler challenges earlier appraisals of the numbers of Marylanders who served in the union army. The major corpus of the book is an alphabetical list of volunteers with citations (often many for a single name) which appear in a bibliography which has 1700 entries.
RECORD SERIES OF THE WEEK
This section of the Archivists' BULLDOG will present a short scope and
content note on a record series that is already accessioned. All archivists
and library assistants are invited to contribute to this forum.
This week we look at confiscated British property. The records on this
property stem from the Confiscation Act (Laws, October 1780, Chapter 45,
and as later revised on numerous occasions) which responded to increased
attacks on Maryland shipping, a worsening state financial and military
situation, British seizure of patriot property in South Carolina and a
refusal of British bank trustees to draw bills of exchange on bank stock
in London owned by the state. The law provided for confiscation of all
British property, defined as property of those who had not openly joined
or assented to the Revolution and those who left Maryland after April 30,
1775 and had not returned. Absentees who had not declared subjection to
Britain or aided the British were given until March l, 1782 to return and
take an oath of fidelity (few did). Certain British subjects with Whig
sympathies could apply for restoration of property. The law specifically
disallowed certain legal ruses aimed at avoiding confiscation. The law
provided for three commissioners who began sales in April 1781. Funds generated
were to aid the war effort and pay any creditors (at first only of lands
sold, then of any lands seized which led to certificates in lieu of specie
for payment). Creditors claims, particularly of smaller estates, slowed
the process, but most larger estates sold during 1781-82. Another round
of sales to meet financial exigencies occurred in 1785 under the Intendant
of the Revenue who had taken over for the Commissioners. Later laws vested
the sales of land first in an agent of and then directly to the Governor
and Council. After 1785 a discoverer of British property would receive
one-third of its value. Sales ended in 1817 when a law declared all unsold
land vacant and available by warrant. Ultimately the state seized considerable
land (over 100,000 acres) and chattel from 150 companies and individuals.
All of the records are fully indexed by name of previous owner and purchaser.
The records of the Commissioners to Preserve Confiscated British Property
include a Ledger and Journal (1781-1782) which also has a subject index
and includes proceedings, deeds, applications, advertisements, sales, surveyor
instructions, letters, orders and lists of black slaves by name in estate
inventories; a Sale Book (1781-1785) which lists sales for each former
property owner; and a Ledger of Sales (1781-1785) which lists purchasers
and creditors in roughly chronological order and cross-referenced to the
Sale Book. The Intendant of the Revenue Sale Book (1785) lists sales arranged
by former owners. The Agent Sales Books (1786-88,1792-95) list sales arranged
by original owner and the Agent's List of Claims Against Confiscated British
Property (1787-89) lists claims accepted and rejected (with causes given
in the back of the volume). Finally the Governor and Council Sale Book
(1803-1817) lists sales in a more or less journal fashion.
The Maryland State Papers include numerous documents relating to confiscation,
particularly from individuals seeking relief from the law. For those, of
course, see the blue covered Calendar.
For more information on confiscated property see Richard Arthur Overfield's
dissertation "The Loyalists of Maryland During the American Revolution"
(1968) in our library. A more general work on loyalists is William H. Nelson's
The American Tory which is in the Primer library. On Maryland's most famous
loyalist see Philip Evanson, "Jonathan Boucher: The Mind of an American
Loyalist," Maryland Historical Magazine, 24:347 (1962).
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1 No. 2
16 March 1987
Recent Books
The Records of a City: A Guide to the Baltimore City Archives, ed. by
William G. LeFurgy (Baltimore, 1984) {MdHR Library 622}
A Name Index to the Baltimore City Tax Records, 1798-1808, of the Baltimore
City Archives, ed. by Richard J. Cox (Baltimore, 1981)
{MdHR Library 622}
These two publications should help us answer some of the questions we
receive about Baltimore City records that are not available here. The Records
of a City lists and describes 61 record groups of which the Passenger Arrival
Records (RG 55) and the Civil War Records (RG 56) appear to be of particular
interest for genealogists. A Name Index to Baltimore City Tax Records serves
as a useful supplement to the census and directories available for Baltimore
City.
These two books are located in the area of Historical Society and Archival
Agency publications (the range behind the wills and cemeteries books).
One should also be familiar with Patricia M. Vanorny's "A Series Summary
Guide to the Public Records of Baltimore City" (Annapolis 1977) which is
located in the same area, on the reference shelves (near Skordas) and in
Pat's office.
Record Series of the Week
This week we look at the equity papers for St. Mary's County Court (1815-1851)
and Circuit Court (1852-1873). One should remember that this description
of equity papers in this county would be in most ways similar to descriptions
of these papers in the other counties for which we have this record series.
They consist of case files of equity proceedings. Types of cases include
settlement of a decedent's estate, mortgage foreclosure, injunction against
an action such as sale of land to satisfy a judgment rendered in a civil
case, sale or partition of property in which minors or nonresidents have
an interest, dispute over title to land, dissolution of a partnership,
execution of a trust estate, and divorce. Documents include bills of complaint
, petitions, answers, exhibits, testimony, court orders, reports of sales,
and decrees. The files are arranged by the year in which the cases were
instituted. For docket entries see (Docket) and (Equity Docket). In the
series unit description for this series is found an inventory of each case
file which contains, if known, the case number(s), names of petitioners
or plaintiffs and defendants, and subject matter of the proceeding. The
names of the litigants and tracts of land are found in the index for this
series. Many case files have more than one number because of record keeping
practices. Prior to 1862 the court had created three equity dockets, each
of which contained a new numbering system beginning with No. 1. When a
new docket was started, pending cases were transcribed into the new record
and given a new number. In addition, if the docket space allocated for
a case was filled before proceedings were completed, the entries were continued
on a different page and the case was given an additional number. In the
series unit description, the first number(s) listed pertains to the latest
docket reference(s) and number(s) in parentheses to the previous docket
reference(s).
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1 No. 3
23 March 1987
Recent Books
George H. Callcott, Maryland and America, 1940 to 1980 (Baltimore, 1985)
LHP Shelves
Bradford Jacobs, Thimbleriggers: The Law v. Governor Marvin Mandel (Baltimore,
1984) MdHR Library 995
These two books offer contrasting treatments of recent events in Maryland's
history. Dr. Callcott of the University of Maryland describes his theme
as "American history working itself out in the moods and problems of Maryland."
By focusing on suburbanization, bureaucratization, and modernization, he
explores the transformation of politics and culture in Maryland. Although
written with a scholar's attention to documentation, this book reads quite
well. Jacobs takes a journalist's approach to one major episode in the
recent past: the Mandel scandal. The longtime writer and columnist for
the Sun surveys developments in Maryland politics beginning with the Civil
War, thus placing Marvin Mandel's rise in its historical context. In addition
to describing the actual events of the scandal, Jacobs tries to answer
the difficult question of why it happened. His informal style gives the
book a detective novel quality that is quite enjoyable.
Serendipitous News
A patron asked for an interesting book last week entitled Judicial Cases
Concerning American Slavery. There are a number of volumes in this series
which was published by the Carnegie Institution. Volume IV contains Maryland
cases. The Carnegie volumes are located with the other institutional reports
(e.g. NARA, LC); the call number is 820.C2.
Another patron asked for Chapter 477 of the Laws of 1870 which provided
pensions of $480 annually to soldiers of the War of 1812 and their widows.
The law names the individuals, arranged by county. An alphabetical list
of all the pensioners may be found in the Laws Indexes under Pensions,
War of 1812, located at 2/2/6. This law supplemented earlier acts enacted
in 1867 and 1868 which also include a few individuals listed by name. The
laws index also lists Revolutionary War pensioners by name.
Nancy is gradually recording the accession numbers for division and
resurvey plats in that index. For now, you can look up division and resurvey
plats in STAGSER under MARYLAND SURVEY PAPERS. The plats are arranged by
county with additional information provided in the description field.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1 No. 4
30 March 1987
Recent Books
Jane C. Sween, Montgomery County: Two Centuries of Change (Woodland
Hills, CA, 1984) MdHR Lib 1075
Brice Neal Stump, Somerset County: A Pictorial History (Norfolk, VA,
1985) MdHR Lib 1079
Alan Virta, Prince George's County: A Pictorial History (Norfolk, VA,
1985) MdHR Lib 1076
There has been a veritable flood of coffee-table size illustrated county
histories in the past few years. The three titles listed above are not
an exhaustive list of recent publications in this genre, but they do provide
an interesting comparison in approaches. Sween is one of two pictorial
histories of Montgomery County published in 1984. In many ways this book
reflects the "boosterism" found in the county histories of a hundred years
ago. The text is generally well-written, and there are plenty of photographs
both modern and historical, but one cannot ignore the emphasis placed on
histories and photographs of several Montgomery County institutions that
were patrons of this publication. Stump is basically a book of pictures
with captions. There does not seem to be any attempt to use the photographs
to illustrate themes in the history of Somerset County, but with no text,
you certainly get more photographs for your money. Virta also lacks a running
text, but the author does provide some fairly lengthy explanatory captions
to photographs that help give some substance to his presentation.
In addition to county histories, a number of large-format illustrated
local histories have been published recently. Our library has copies of
histories of Frederick, Easton, Takoma Park, Bay Ridge and manufacturing
villages in Baltimore County to name a few.
Record Series of the Week
Land Records Abstracts were mandated by Chapter 9 of the Laws of 1785,
"An Act to Aid Conveyances of Land Improperly Enrolled, and for other Purposes."
The General Assembly, noting that "questions and doubts as to the validity
of deeds recorded" had arisen, defined a valid deed, provided for transmittal
of deeds recorded in the General Courts to the counties and required county
clerks to file "the substance of any deed for conveying lands or other
real estate" with the General Court annually by the end of May. For their
efforts county clerks received two shillings per deed to be divided with
the clerk of the General Court whose major task was to index them. The
reorganization of the courts of common law in 1805 saw this function pass
to the Eastern and Western Shore clerks of the Court of Appeals. In 1874
the Land Office took over the abstracts and indexing, and after 1900 also
extracted mortgages, releases, and leases. The Land Abstracts ended in
1949 when microfilm of land records and mortgages was substituted for a
security copy.
The abstracts themselves include a date, name of the parties, name of
the land, number of acres, place, consideration, the habendum (from the
Latin, the to have and to hold clause detailing any restrictions), recording
date and clerk's signature. Most include a citation to the county land
records and after 1806 courses, metes and bounds for portions of lots or
tracts of land. Following the St. Mary's Courthouse fire in 1830, the General
Assembly used the abstracts to reconstruct the land records of that county.
Calvert County did not fare as well following the 1882 fire; its clerks
evidently collected the money but sent no abstracts for much of the 19th
century. Needless to say, the Land Office had several thousand abstract
books by 1949 and supported an army of indexers.
The law stipulated that the Eastern and Western Shore clerks collect
the annual county abstracts until there were enough to bind into county
books. While there are county books from the earliest period, evidently
the clerks found this impractical as there are also three series of miscellaneous
books (M.S. 1-12 [1785-1817], A.G. 1-19 [1792-1812], and E.H. 1-35 [1815-1849]).
with counties intermingled. Each of these series has its own general index
and E.H. has a tract index (I believe the other two had tract indexes also,
but these evidently are lost). Several of these volumes have been taken
out of their series and renumbered as T.H. volumes in the St., Mary's County
series (even though they contain other counties as well), I assume as part
of the effort to reconstruct the St. Mary's County records. Two of the
E.H. volumes are missing. Of the county series, only the St. Mary's and
Calvert abstracts (1785-1949) remain, along with general and tract indexes
(up until the 1890s). For these two counties remember that part of their
records are in the miscellaneous books and part in the county books. Finally,
all county abstract indexes to tracts (from roughly 1785-1900, except for
the miscellaneous volumes) have been preserved.
The abstracts have two major uses I believe. For Calvert and St. Mary's
Counties they are important for tracing title to land. We recently had
a researcher from Calvert County who used the volumes in a title search.
For the periods before the fire (1785-1817, 1863-1867, 1873-1882), they
are the only record we have. Second, the tract indexes provide the only
means to locate property by name in most counties during the 19th century,
a particularly important asset when tract names have been changed.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1 No. 5
6 April 1987
Record Series of the Week
You will note above that the St. Mary's County (Estate Papers) have
recently come from Cheltenham. The following description of those papers
is representative of the types of estate papers one would find in any county.
Estate papers are original papers filed during the administration of
estates. Documents include administration bonds, inventories, accounts
of sale, administration accounts and petitions. As a result of record-keeping
practice the papers are arranged in three different ways. The series units
dated 1830-1917 are alphabetically arranged by name of the decedent and
the ones dated 1900-1951 chronologically by file date. The third group
reflects an incomplete attempt to bring together into one file all papers
pertaining to an individual estate. Each file was assigned an estate number
as listed in (Estate Docket) PHD#1. For an estate number or list of papers
filed see (Estate Docket). For the recorded papers see (Accounts of Sales),
(Administration Accounts, (Administration Bonds), (Inventories), (Orphans
Court Proceedings) and (Petitions and Orders). The alphabetical and chronological
series units also contain guardianship papers recorded in (Guardian Bonds),
(Guardian Accounts) and (Receipts and Releases).
Serendipitous News
Mame reports we had a patron last week who requested a name out of Index
52 (Pension Records-War of 1812). These pensions were generated by Chapter
477 of the Laws of 1870 (and several earlier private bills) which I told
you about two weeks ago. After some struggle we located the book which
is COMPTROLLER OF THE TREASURY (Pension Roll) 1851-1888, located at 2/64/11/39.
This is the volume which used to be located immediately after the CR film,
near the dumbwaiter on the second deck in the old building.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1 No. 6
13 April 1987
Recent Books
Nancy Sahli, MARC for Archives and Manuscripts: The AMC Format Chicago,
1985
Max J. Evans and Lisa B. Weber, MARC for Archives and Manuscripts: A
Compendium of Practice Chicago, 1985
The archival community has generally welcomed the appearance in 1985
of the Archival and Manuscripts Control format (AMC) for MAchine Readable
Cataloging (MARC) as the "wave of the future" in archival description and
bibliographic control. These two SAA publications should help the uninitiated
understand some of the capabilities and applications of the format. Sahli's
manual begins with a useful introduction that seeks to answer some of the
more common questions concerning the background and specific characteristics
of the AMC format. The format itself presents a more formidable challenge
unless one takes perverse pleasure in reading descriptions of the numerous
fields and subfields available. At this point it would be wise for the
hopelessly confused reader to turn to the compilation by Evans and Weber.
This work provides examples of the applications employed by seven major
institutions that have adopted the AMC format. As with Sahli's description
of AMC, the arrangement is by field number. SAA is also offering workshops
on MARC for archives, and there will be a predictable onslaught of manuals
and workbooks that should help improve understanding in the profession.
Our resident expert is Ben, so direct all your questions to him.
Editor's note: My alleged expertise comes from having used AMC at Hopkins,
having been trained by the folks at RLIN (Research Libraries Information
Network). A more readable explanation of what AMC is designed to do is
found in Steven Henson's Archives, Personal Papers and Manuscripts which
is a revision of Chapter 4 of the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd
Edition, better known as AACR2. What Henson, a big shot in the Library
of Congress' manuscript division has done is to make a system designed
for librarians workable for archivists. RLIN currently is working with
seven state archives on the application of the system to our sorts of problems.
Record Series of the Week
This week we learn about (Certificates of Freedom) thanks to Phebe Jacobsen.
Between 1752 and 1790 no Maryland slave could be freed except by deed.
These deeds of manumission were recorded by the clerks of the County Courts,
usually among the land records of their respective counties.
In the decades after the Revolution due to religious and philosophical
pressures against the institution of slavery by whites, the number of free
blacks greatly increased. Natural increase also added to their numbers.
According to James M. Wright, free blacks numbered 8043 souls in 1790,
by 1800 their number was almost 20,000 and by 1810 free blacks totaled
almost 54,000.
Fearful of the rise in this segment of the black population, the Maryland
legislature took steps to secure their hold on the mobility of free men
of "colour." By the Act of 1805, Chapter 66, all persons freed by will
after June 1, 1806 were to register with the clerks of the County Courts
or Orphans Courts in counties where they resided (Act of 1807, Chapter
164 restricted the registration to the counties where the manumission had
occurred). Height, age, complexion, where raised, where freed and identifying
marks were to be recorded on the certificates. The clerks of course kept
record of these certificates and a copy was issued to the person applying.
Section 6 of the 1805 law made it mandatory for all Maryland-born free
blacks intending to travel out of county to register his or her freedom
in like manner.
Thanks to the efforts of Mattie, Connie and Elaine, the Hall of Records
has recently filmed the Certificates of Freedom in our custody. These are
listed as follows:
Anne Arundel County Register of Wills (1805-1864)
Anne Arundel County Court (1806-1851)
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court (1851-1864)
Baltimore City Superior Court (1851-1865)
Baltimore County Register of Wills (1805-1830)
Baltimore County Court (1806-1851) Caroline County Court (1806-1851)
Caroline County Register of Wills (1807-1863)
Caroline County Circuit Court (1852-1864)
Cecil County Register of Wills (1815-1826)
Charles County Register of Wills (1826-1860)
Dorchester County Court (1806-1851)
Dorchester County Circuit Court (1851-1864)
Frederick County Court (1806-1827)
Frederick County Register of Wills (1815-1863)
Frederick County Circuit Court (1855-1864)
Harford County Court (1806-1842)
Howard County District Court (1840-1851)
Howard County Circuit Court (1851-1863)
Kent County Court (1849-1851)
Kent County Circuit Court (1852-1864)
Prince George's County Court (1806-1829)
Prince George's County Register of Wills (1820-1852)
Queen Anne's County Register of Wills (1807-1863)
St. Mary's County Court (1806-1851)
St. Mary's County Register of Wills (1806-1852)
St. Mary's County Circuit Court (1851-1864)
Somerset County Court (1821-1851)
Somerset County Circuit Court (1851-1864)
Talbot County Register of Wills (1806-1860)
Talbot County Court (1807-1828)
Washington County Register of Wills (1827-1863)
Serendipitous News
We had an interesting request this week out of Index 5 (Hodges) for
a marriage reference to be found in "Memories of the Dead" which the card
said was in the Land Office in Annapolis. No one I talked to had ever heard
of this, and it is not in the library catalog. Any ideas?
There is now a section of the primer/primer for information intended
for anticipated researchers.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1 No. 7
20 April 1987
Library Libations
Archivaria (Journal of the Association of Canadian Archivists) Frequency:
semi-annual
From time to time this column will feature a periodical that may be
unfamiliar to the staff. This week's selection, Archivaria, is interesting
because it reveals many similarities and some surprising differences among
the archival issues discussed by our neighbors to the north. The most recent
issue (Summer 1986) includes articles about preserving machine-readable
records, in-house conservation, and studies of specific records documenting
the activities of Canadian government agencies. These is also an entertaining
letter to the editor of particular interest to us, as it discusses the
Australian techniques of series level control that we employ. The tone
of the letter is reminiscent of the character assassinations and violent
diatribes that occasionally characterize scholarly exchanges in Great Britain.
Our own archival publications (American Archivist in particular) would
benefit from a little more invective and somewhat less of the pusillanimous
milquetoast tradition of discussion.
Record Series of the Week
This week's contribution comes from Pat Melville on (Divorce Record).
These are recorded copies of divorce decrees. Information shown includes
names of plaintiff and defendant, equity case number, date of decree and
terms of decree.,l The original decree and all other papers filed in a
divorce case are found in equity papers. The recording of divorce decrees
by the county and Baltimore City circuit courts was mandated by a law passed
in 1908. Before then the decrees were not recorded.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1 No. 8
4 May 1987
Recent Books
Arlene Eakle and Johni Cerny, eds. The Source: A Guidebook of American
Genealogy, Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing Company, 1984. (MdHR Library
Number 400)
The Source is one of the best single-volume guides to genealogy currently
available. Its division into sections on major records sources, published
genealogical sources and special resources provides convenient access to
the type of information our patrons often require to continue their research.
Copious illustrations of various types of records and good bibliographies
at the end of each chapter are another useful feature. You should also
be aware of the appendices which feature lists of addresses for historical
societies, genealogical societies, archives and libraries in the United
States
Record Series of the Week
This week Phebe Jacobsen tells us about the Census of 1776.
Beset by skyrocketing debts created by the military demands of the Revolution,
Congress took measures to fill the empty coffers of the Continental treasury.
On the 26th of December 1775 the members resolved to raise another three
million dollars by the further emission of bills of credit.
Congress intended to secure the bills by levying a tax on each colony
according to a quota to be determined by population. A copy of the resolution
was sent to each of the now united colonies requesting that a census be
made of the total population according to race, age and sex. The results
were needed to set the quotas. Not until June 1776 did the Council of Safety
in Maryland send copies of the Congressional resolution to the Committees
of Observation in each county. These extra-legal committees were authorized
to employ persons to take the number of inhabitants and return it to them.
The Council agreed to pay for the services of the census takers.
The census takers returns varied. Baltimore, Talbot, Dorchester, Queen
Anne's, Caroline and Anne Arundel counties listed only the heads of households,
grouping the number of other individuals in the household by age and sex
as is common in the early federal censuses. Other counties like Harford,
Prince Georges, and Frederick named each of the individuals, giving their
ages, sexes and races.
Serendipitous News
Chris made us aware this week of a useful set of maps known as the Historic
Shoreline and Erosion Rate Maps which are unaccessioned and located in
005/2/1. These are four large yellow-covered books created by the Maryland
Geologic Survey which show how the Maryland coast line looked at varying
periods of time.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 9
11 May 1987
Record Series of the Week Ben Primer
This week's series is the so-called Census of 1778. This "census" was
much less a census of all individuals living in the state than it was a
means to determine who had not signed the Oaths of Fidelity. The law which
demanded that all free male inhabitants take an oath or affirmation of
fidelity to the state (Chapter 20 of the Acts of 1777) provided in Section
7 that the constable of every hundred prepare before March 1, 1778 (the
deadline for taking the oath) an alphabetical list of all free male inhabitants
over age eighteen on that date. The list should include those resident
in the hundred and not out of state unless the individual was exempted
from taking the. The Governor and Council were to make a list of all persons
not taking the oath by comparing this "census" with the lists of those
signing the oath in order to determine who would be subject to the treble
tax specified in the law. Constables were given considerable incentive
to prepare the list since they would receive a per diem wage for their
efforts and would be fined 200 pounds for failure to create the list. The
lists were to be sent both to the Governor and Council and to the county
courts. Surprisingly few of these lists seem to have survived. Our (Census
of 1778) records are from the county courts and thus may be found in COAGSER.
We have records from hundreds in Caroline (found in Land Records, Liber
A), Charles and Queen Anne's counties. These are no more than alphabetical
lists of names of free males over 18 unlike the Census of 1776 which covered
all ages, races and sexes.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 10
18 May 1987
Record Series of the Week Ben Primer
The (Oaths of Fidelity) were taken under provisions of Chapter 20 of
the Laws of 1777, "An Act for the Better Security of the Government." The
act required every free male over 18 on or before March 1, 1778 to take
an "oath of fidelity and support to this state." Quakers, Mennonites and
Dunkers were required to "solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm"
their allegiance. The oath itself came from an earlier act which had applied
only to delegates, members of the council, lawyers, civil officers and
other persons holding offices of trust or profit. It read "I do swear [solemnly,
sincerely and truly declare and affirm] that I do not hold myself bound
to yield any allegiance or obedience to the king of Great-Britain, his
heirs or successors, and that I will be true and faithful to the state
of Maryland, and will, to the utmost of my power, support, maintain and
defend, the freedom and independence thereof, and the government as now
established, against all open enemies, and secret and traiterous conspiracies,
and will use my utmost endeavours to disclose and make known to the governor
or some one of the judges or justices thereof, all treasons or traiterous
conspiracies, attempts or combinations, against this state or the government
thereof, which may come to my knowledge; so help me God."
The oath was to be taken before a magistrate of the county in which
one resided. Magistrates were to keep two books, one for oath takers and
one for affirmers, which would be signed or marked. Fair copies of these
books were to be sent by magistrates to the Governor and Council after
March 1. The originals were to go to the county court to be recorded. The
Magistrate was required to spend one day per week at the "most convenient
places in his neighborhood" to administer the oath. These places were to
be advertised and magistrates were subject to a 500 pound fine for failure
to perform these duties. Those not taking the oath were subject to a treble
tax on real and personal property; could not bring suit, vote or hold civil
or military office; and could not engage in retail trade, law, medicine,
pharmacy, gospel ministry or public or private education. A fine of 5 pounds
per 100 pounds of property was imposed for violation of these provisions.
Those overseas were given until September 1, 1779 to sign within a month
of their return (except those who had served in the British armed forces).
The oaths can of course be useful in identifying Quakers since their
names appear on the affirmation lists, although many Quakers presumably
refused even to do this. Whether the lists identify patriots is more problematic
given the heavy penalties provided in the law. The index to the oaths covers
those in various county records and in the Maryland State Papers as well
as those found in the two blue boxes of oaths of fidelity. Some of the
items labelled oaths are in fact the lists of those subject to the treble
tax made by comparing the oaths with the census of 1778 which I discussed
last week.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 11
25 May 1987
Record Series of the Week Pat Melville
During the next several weeks I will be describing records of the Court
of Appeals. The Court of Appeals dates from 1694, when it began to hold
regular terms of court. As the highest tribunal in Maryland, the court
hears appeals from decisions of lower courts. For any series spanning the
years 1806-1851, it is important to remember that the court sat in Annapolis
and Easton and for each place maintained records separately.
(Docket) 1695-1805, 1851-1933 STAGSER 412 1/66/14/16
(Docket, Eastern Shore) 1807-1851 STAGSER 413 1/67/6/6
(Docket, Western Shore) 1806-1851 STAGSER 414 1/66/14/19
These series give brief descriptions of the proceedings in each case.
Each entry gives names of plaintiffs and defendants, case number, chronology
and outline of the proceedings, opinion of the court and references, if
any, to recorded proceedings. The records are arranged by court term and
each volume is indexed by names of the plaintiffs and defendants. There
is a set of docket entries for each court term which varies from one to
three per year. Each time a particular case is docketed from term to term,
it receives a different docket or case number. For finding the records
pertaining to a case, the most important docket entry is the one where
the opinion is rendered. Recorded proceedings are referenced and the court
term and case number can be used to locate papers filed in a case. As will
be shown later, the papers for a case may be found in several series.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 12
1 June 1987
Library Libations Doug McElrath
James C. Neagles, Summer Soldiers: A Survey & Index of Revolutionary
War Courts-Martial. Salt Lake City: Ancestry Incorporated, 1986.
As part of our preparations for the summer interns, I am updating our
Bibliography of Published Sources to include some recent accessions. Neagles'
is one new title that provides access to frequently overlooked information
contained in the Continental Army orderly books located at the National
Archives. It lists over 3000 names of men who faced court-martial proceedings
during the Revolution, the charges against each individual, and the verdict
in the form of an acquittal or some form of punishment. You should bear
in mind that only the regular Continental regiments were covered by these
records. Some of the entries reflect the spirit of the times as in the
case of Jonas Carvel Hall of Smallwood's Maryland Regiment who was charged
with "unofficerlike behavior in threatening to blow out the brains of any
officer who should lead a party to execute a general order." He was acquitted.
Record Series of the Week Mame Warren
The Robert G. Merrick Archive of Maryland Historical Photographs 1840-1940
(MdHR G 1477) is a collection of approximately 1,900 copy photographs that
illustrates every county of the state. It was created at the time my father
and I were working on Maryland Time Exposures. As we traveled around the
state, we copied any and all images we thought we might use in the book
so that we would have a wide selection to choose from. Photographs were
copied in county historical societies, local museums, libraries, etc.,
and most importantly, in many private collections. Ed had us make a set
of copy negatives and study prints for the Archives, and Mr. Merrick gave
us a generous grant to do this research, thus the collection was named
for him.
The item level numbering system reflects the numbers that were assigned
to each image in my father's files; there are some large gaps because some
sources would not allow copy negatives and prints to be given to the State
Archives. (This is the reason why some photographs that appear in the book
are not in the Merrick Archive, and in these cases patrons must be referred
to the original source by checking that index in the back of the book.)
There is no logic to how the photographs are arranged in the collection--they
were simply accessioned as we copied them. They do tend to fall into big
chunks, e.g., lots of Cumberland and Allegany County items are in the 5500s,
but there are also Cumberland items here and there throughout the collection.
The way to find one's way around in the Merrick Archive is to use the
finding aid located in a blue binder in the search room (another copy is
in my office). It is organized several ways. First, there is a SHELF LIST
in numerical order of every image in the collection. It's good for quick
reference of specific item numbers, and often tells you what other similar
items are available (items from the same source). Second, there is a LOCATION
guide that breaks down images by specific location, like cities, towns
or counties (when the specific location was not given); a brief description
of the contents of the image is given. Third, after I had produced this
I realized that it was too detailed for many of our requests, so I consolidated
the locations into the more general headings of COUNTIES, BALTIMORE CITY
and the CHESAPEAKE BAY. Fourth, I have also created a list of the PHOTOGRAPHERS
whose work is represented in the Merrick Archive. There is no subject index.
Please note that if someone comes in requesting a specific photograph
from Time Exposures, Susan has a copy of the book with item numbers written
on or near each image. It is kept on the bookshelf on the wall opposite
the door to her office. Also, the catalog to the exhibit in the conference
room has the item numbers printed under each caption (if we have the photograph).
Currently, if someone wants to order a photograph it is very important
to check and see if there are restrictions on that image. Restrictions
are listed on the label on the folder holding the print. Most have no restrictions,
but some do. If there is a restriction, advise the patron that it is up
to him or her to contact the original source and obtain permission in writing
before we can provide a copy. The name, address, and often the telephone
number is right on the label. Once permission has been obtained, photo
orders should be sent to my attention so that I can keep copies of permission
letters in my files. In the coming months I plan to create a donor file
as part of the finding aid which will provide all of this information in
a single place.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 13
8 June 1987
Library Libations Doug McElrath
Helen R. Long, Index for the Frederick County Section of Scharf's History
of Western Maryland (Wichita, Kansas: ADR, Inc., 1986) [Loc LIB 7/4/6]
Helen R. Long, Index for the Washington County Section of Scharf's History
of Western Maryland (Manhattan, Kansas: Helen R. Long, 1984) [Loc LIB 7/4/6]
These two publications should improve our access to the vast amount
of information available in Scharf. In addition to indexing personal names
and tract names, Mrs. Long includes the names of churches, schools, businesses,
newspapers and various organizations and institutions. The major problem
with her indexes is that she chose to list the names of these latter groups
under the subject (i.e. churches, schools, etc.) rather than under the
name itself.
Among recent index accessions is Filby and Myers, Passenger and Immigration
Lists Index, 1986 Supplement. We are also anticipating the arrival of an
index in book form to the History and Roster of the Maryland Volunteers.
Record Series of the Week Pat Melville
This is a continuation of the series on the Court of Appeals records.
This week we look at (Decree Record) STAGSER 410, 1851-1891 and (Decree
Record, Western Shore) STAGSER 411, 1844-1851, both of which are located
in 1/66/12.
These are recorded proceedings in equity cases appealed from the county
and Baltimore City courts and from the Chancery Court and estates cases
appealed from the county and Baltimore City orphans courts. References
are found in (Docket) and (Docket, Western Shore) which were described
two weeks ago.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 14
15 June 1987
Library Libations Doug McElrath
Grace L. Tracey and John P. Dern. Pioneers of the Old Monocacy: The
Early Settlement of Frederick County, Maryland 1721-1743. Baltimore: Genealogical
Publishing Co., 1987 (Lib Loc 905)
This book is the final version of Dr. Tracey's Notes from the Records
of Old Monocacy (905.T1) which is already in the library. Anyone doing
research on the settlement of Maryland's frontier will find Tracey and
Dern to be the best source for information on the early surveys and patents
in that part of the state. The authors are also quite familiar with the
church records and other sources that help identify the names and origins
of western Maryland's first settlers. I would recommend that this book
be used in tandem with Tracey's tract maps in the map collection as it
will save researchers most of the work necessary to document the land and
people of this region.
Record Series of the Week Pat Melville
This is a continuation of the on-going description of the records of
the Court of Appeals:
(Judgment Record) 1694-1804, 1851-1891 STAGSER 421 1/66/10/62
(Judgment Record, Eastern Shore) 1812-1847 STAGSER 421 1/66/12/5
(Judgment Record, Western Shore) 1806-1850 STAGSER 420 1/66/11/9
These are recorded proceedings in civil and criminal cases appealed
from the county and Baltimore City courts, the Provincial Court (1694-1776),
and the General Courts of the Western and Eastern Shores (1777-1805). The
records through 1843 also include equity and estate cases. These series
also include minutes (1694-1780). References to cases are found in (Docket),
(Docket, Eastern Shore) and (Docket, Western Shore) described previously.
Serendipitous News
A book located in Phebe's office, Percy G. Skirven, First Parishes of
the Province of Maryland (1923) has a map of the early Protestant Episcopal
parishes of Maryland.
Index 6 had a cryptic reference to Judgments, Volume 97 (with of course
no date supplied). As is often the case, the number was not the volume
number we use (usually clerk's initials and number) but rather a numbering
added later by the office of origin to keep books in order on the shelves.
After trying Provincial Court and Anne Arundel Judgments, Richard hit upon
the right solution, Court of Appeals Judgments, described above by Pat.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 15
22 June 1987
Library Libations Doug McElrath
Ira Berlin, et. al., eds. Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation,
1861-1867. Series I, Volume I: The Destruction of Slavery (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1985)[MdHR L 1450; location: Reference Collection, Black
History]
This is the second published volume of the Freedom series, the first
being Series II, Volume I, The Black Military Experience. Of greatest interest
to us is the chapter on Maryland which features a succinct history of the
collapse of slavery in the state. The editors emphasize the fact that the
official end to slavery completed a process, accelerated by the Civil War,
which has left Maryland with the largest free black population in the United
States. The main portion of the Maryland chapter consists of documents
illustrating the details of emancipation, particularly as it involved federal
entities such as the Freedmen's Bureau, the Army, etc. The remainder of
this volume covers the sections of the South under federal control during
the war, the slave states that remained in the Union, and the
Confederacy.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 16
6 July 1987
Library Libations Doug McElrath
Henry Putnam Beers. The Confederacy: A Guide to the Archives of the
Government of the Confederate States of America. Washington, D.C.: NARA,
1986.
Kenneth W. Munden and Henry Putney Beers. The Union: A Guide to Federal
Archives Relating to the Civil War. Washington, D.C.: NARA, 1986.
Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives. Washington,
D. C.: NARS, 1982.
Copies of all three of these guides, previously available only in the
library proper, are now located in the reference area outside the Library/Special
Collections office. The Civil War guides both feature thorough indices
that should help researchers overcome the frequently incomprehensible Record
Group arrangement of entries. Those of you not yet familiar with the genealogical
guide should take the opportunity to glance through this well-designed
volume. My only complaint is that it is difficult to discover where a patron
should write for the records described in a particular section. we also
have received a National Archives guide to civilian records concerning
blacks. This volume is in Phebe's office.
Record Series of the Week Nancy Bramucci
The circulating map collection really consists of five separate collections
of which the first four listed below have been combined into one comprehensive
collection index arranged by cartographer. Those five collections are:
MdHR G 1427 --the Hall of Records Map Collection
MdHR G 1399 -- the Huntingfield Map Collection
MdHR G 1213 --the Hammond Harwood Atlas collection
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (on microfilm)
Maps illustrated in published sources
The Hall of Records Map Collection (MdHR G 1427) contains a variety
of maps ranging from Stoddert's plan of Annapolis in 1718 to Fielding Lucas's
maps of the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore, Maryland and Delaware (1832-1852)
or to various topographic maps produced by the Maryland Geological Survey,
the United States Geological Survey, and other state and federal agencies.
The collection includes a wealth of topographic, geologic and highway
maps. In general, patrons searching for topographic or geologic maps should
be directed to the sections in the map index for the Maryland Geological
Survey (1897-1981), the Department of Geology, Mines, and Water Resources
(1914-1963), the United States Topographic Bureau (1807-1818), the Survey
of the Coast of the United States (1844-1887), the United States Coast
Survey (1843-1877), the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (1843-1937),
and the United States Geological Survey (1863-1957). For highway maps,
see the Maryland State Roads Commission (1930-1971) or the Maryland State
Highway Administration (1971-1981).
Inquiries regarding maps produced by state or federal agencies should
be referred first to this collection.
The Huntingfield Map Collection (MdHR G 1399) is a reference collection
derived from what is probably the best privately-owned collection of maps
of the Chesapeake. The collection is focused directly on the Chesapeake
Bay in a historical context. Highlights among the maps and related items
in the collection are Fernando Bertelli's 1565 chart of the North Atlantic
Ocean; John White's map of 1590, the first to place the Chesapeake "on
the map"; John Smith's map of Virginia, the first printed map of the whole
extent of the Bay based on personal observation; and the "Lord Baltimore
Map," used in the boundary dispute between Calvert and the Penns. Also
included are panoramas dating from the Civil War, various county atlases,
and coastal survey charts.
The collection is being moved to the map cases in the search room and
can be circulated once the transfer is complete. Security copies of the
maps are stored in 005 and do not circulate. Photocopies may be made for
reference purposes only. Any request for a non-reference use of a map in
this collection, such as for exhibit or publication use, must be referred
to me in writing.
The Hammond Harwood Atlas Collection (MdHR G 1213) consists of reference
photostats from Papenfuse and Coale, The Hammond Harwood Atlas of Historical
Maps of Maryland, 1608-1908. There are no original maps in this collection,
although the archives does own some of the maps illustrated in the book.
The map index should give you the necessary collection cross-reference.
The location of originals is given in the illustration captions and patrons
should be referred to those institutions if originals are desired. As with
the Huntingfield Map Collection, permission for non-reference photostats
must be directed to me in writing.
The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are highly detailed maps of urban areas.
We have the microfilm only for Maryland cities. In Fire Insurance Maps
in the Library of Congress: Plans of North American Cities and Towns Produced
by the Sanborn Map Company, the maps are described as follows:
The maps were designed to assist fire insurance agents in determining
the degree of hazard associated with a particular property and therefore
show the size, shape, and construction of dwellings, commercial buildings
and factories as well as fire walls, locations of windows and doors, sprinkler
systems, and types of roofs. The maps also indicate widths and names of
streets, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers.
They show the location of water mains, giving their dimensions, and of
fire alarm boxes and hydrants. Sanborn maps are thus an unrivaled source
of information about the structure and use of buildings in American cities.
However, much of the information on these maps is color coded, which
unfortunately is lost in the microfilm. Patrons wishing to see original
Sanborns can be referred to the Library of Congress, which has the largest
extant collection of maps produced by the Sanborn Map Company. A detailed
listing of Sanborn maps available in the Library of Congress is included
in Library of Congress, Fire Insurance Maps in the Library of Congress:
Plans of North American Cities and Towns Produced by the Sanborn Map Company.
The volume is located in my office. For maps of Baltimore City, patrons
can be directed to the Peale Museum or the Enoch Pratt Free Library (Maryland
Department). The patron should call these institutions first to make sure
that the particular map is available.
The final collection consists of references to maps illustrated in published
volumes. The two works currently included in the index are Richard W. Stephenson,
The Cartography of Northern Virginia: Facsimile Reproductions of Maps Dating
from 1608 to 1915 and Library of Congress, Railroad Maps of North America:
The First Hundred Years. These references are already in the map index
database, but this section has been compiled since the last search room
map index was printed. This section of the database will be available the
next time the search room index is updated. The volumes are located on
the bookshelves in the rare books room.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 17
13 July 1987
Record Series of the Week Pat Melville
DHMH, Miner's Hospital
(Operations Record) 1936-1951
TRANSER 1356 0/4/6
Lists of operations performed in Miners Hospital, a state hospital established
for the purpose of providing hospital facilities to miners and their families.
It also served as a general hospital for other residents of the Frostburg
area. The records list date of operation; name, sex, race of the patient;
diagnosis; type of operation; name of the operator.
The records might be used for studying health care in Western Maryland,
particularly occupational diseases, for local history (since the hospital
apparently served as Frostburg's general medical facility in its later
years) and for the history of Maryland's state hospital system.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 18
20 July 1987
Library Libations Doug McElrath
Newspaper Indexes and Abstracts Available in the Library
At the beginning of the Newspapers on Micro-
film finding aid, Chris Allan lists some published and unpublished indexes
to Maryland newspapers. This list tells you where the indexes are located
and whether the indexed newspapers are available here or elsewhere. In
addition to this list, there are a number of newspaper indexes and abstracts
located in the 407-419 section of the library (LIB-3-2-1). These publications
are one type of source you can suggest to the patron voicing the familiar
complaint of finding little or nothing in our indexes to records. The following
citations combine the published indexes in Chris' list with other titles
in the library.
Walter E. Arps, Jr., Departed This Life: Death Notices from the Baltimore
Sun, 1851-1853. MDHR Lib 407
Robert W. Barnes, Gleanings from Maryland Newspapers, 1776-1785. MdHR
Lib 419
Robert W. Barnes, Marriages and Deaths from Baltimore Newspapers, 1796-1816.
MdHR Lib. 410
Robert W. Barnes, Marriages and Deaths from the Maryland Gazette, 1727-1839.
MdHR Lib 410
[We also have the card index #106 to the Maryland Gazette, Annapolis
items, 1745-1820--Editor]
Lester J. Cappon and Stella F. Dugg, Virginia Gazette Index, 1736-1780.
2 vols. MdHR Lib 419
Linda B. Clark-Washington County Free Library, An Index to Hagerstown
Newspapers, 1790-1819. 5 vols. MdHR Lib 419
Thomas Hollowak, Marriages and Deaths in the Baltimore Sun, 1837-1850.
MdHR Lib 410
Thomas Hollowak, Marriages in the Baltimore Sun, 1851-1860. MdHR Lib
410
[One should also be aware of the indexes to the Baltimore Sun (1891-1959)
and Evening Sun (1910-1955) available in the Maryland Department at the
Pratt Library. Obituaries and I think marriages, are indexed--Editor]
F. Edward Wright, Delaware Newspaper Abstracts, 1786-1795. MdHR Lib
419
F. Edward Wright, Maryland Eastern Shore Newspaper Abstracts, 1790-1834.
8 vols. MdHR Lib 419
F. Edward Wright, Newspaper Abstracts of Cecil and Harford Counties,
1822-1830. MdHR Lib 419
Record Series of the Week Ben Primer
Dorchester County Board of County Commissioners
(Federal Assessment Record)
1862-1864 COAGSER 699
1/6/2/39
This is the "annual valuation and enumeration of articles of taxation"
for Division 3 of Collection District 1 of the State of Maryland (Dorchester
County) as provided by "An Act to Provide Internal Revenue to Support the
Government and to Pay Interest on the Public Debt" enacted by Congress
in 1862. Most of these books are at NARA, on film for the 1862-1867 period.
This book was prepared by an assistant assessor who was paid the princely
sum of $3 per day. My guess is that some county official served in this
capacity which explains its presence among the county records. From the
valuations in this book, two lists {residents and non residents [rebels?]}
were to be transmitted to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue of the Treasury
Department.
The valuations are recorded in a standard record book showing name,
residence, quantity, valuation, rate, total tax and signature of the person
taxed. There were three basic sections of the tax: 1) an annual ad valorem
tax on profits (basically an income tax) which for Dorchester County included
iron manufacture, cattle production, boots and shoes, leather; 2) an annual
license for doctors, lawyers, retailers ($10), retailers of liquor ($20),
peddlers (by class), hotels (1st through 8th class; only 7th and 8th class
hotels in this county--ask the editor what this means), stable keepers,
horse dealers, milliners, confectioners, bowling alley keepers ($10), billiard
table keepers ($5). auctioneers, distillers; 3) an annual tax on certain
enumerated articles like yachts (none of these in the county, but there
were carriages, silver, cattle [horned and calves], sheep, hogs, tobacco
and cigars).
The valuations provide a picture of the economy of Dorchester County
during the Civil War and would provide occupational data on individuals
named. Given the sentiments of the region regarding the rebellion (not
to mention the normal resistance to revenue agents--for instance the law
provided for a stamp tax on legal documents), one must wonder about the
accuracy of the reporting.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 19
27 July 1987
Library Libations Doug McElrath
John W. Roberts, "Archival Theory: Much Ado About Shelving," American
Archivist, 50 (Winter 1987) 66-74 [LIB/17/1/3]
Those of you following the celebrated Burke-Cappon Debate on archival
theory will be excited to know about the latest salvo in the controversy.
If you are tuning in late on this one, here's a brief recap. Acting Archivist
of the United States Frank Burke opened the debate with a bold statement
in support of a philosophy of archives transcending the practical concerns
of day-to-day operations [American Archivist, 44 (Winter 1981)]. His position
was soon challenged by Lester J. Cappon [American Archivist, 45 (Winter
1982)] who argued that the archivist should not confuse his role with that
of a historian. Eminent archival theorists from the Ham-Cook-Berner coterie
rushed to the Burkian standard with visionary descriptions of an Archival
Weltanschauung, yet even their virtuosity was eclipsed by a brilliant exposition
by our very own former intern, Gregg Kimball who appeared to have left
Cappon with little but a choice between hemlock or the sword. Now the Capponites
have a new champion in John W. Roberts who suggests that an emotional desire
for acceptance as professionals accounts for the popularity of the Burkian
School. Is archival theory in disarray? Are we headed toward Gotterdammerung
in the archival world? Stay tuned.
Serendipitous News
The Anne Arundel County Judgments Index
(Index #69, located in stacks at 3/52/8/58) has references to an Anne
Arundel County Minute Sheet. The reference refers to Anne Arundel
County Court Minutes (1725-1775) on microfilm, MdHR CR 11,668-1.
Vicki reports success in using Baltimore City (Wills) to find dates
of death for time periods for which we have no vital records indexes (and
for others for which we have no death certificates). Apparently the clerk
in the Register of Wills recorded the date of death when the will was filed.
Index of the Week Chris Allan
Index 41 - PROVINCIAL COURT (Naturalizations Index), 1634-1776
Provisions for denization (which granted limited rights of citizenship)
and later for the full naturalization of aliens were made throughout the
colonial period in Maryland. Although the authority to confer denization
and naturalization were not referred to in the Charter of Maryland granted
to Cecil Calvert in 1632, the Governor and General Assembly issued them
nonetheless.
During the early period of colonial government the only means of obtaining
citizenship was by denization. Denization confers rights which fall somewhere
between those of a natural born subject and an alien. A denizen may not
hold Index of the Week (continued)
public office. Neither he nor his children born before his denization
may inherit property, but heirs born after denization may. A denizen is
not required to renounce his natural citizenship. Unlike denization, naturalization
confers rights of citizenship enjoyed by natural born subjects. However,
during the colonial period naturalized citizens were not eligible for public
office.
Little effort was made during the early years of settlement in Maryland
to attract non-English immigrants to the colony. Yet, judging from the
revised Conditions of Plantation issued in 1649, which allowed grants of
land to those "not of British or Irish descent," there appear to have been
at least a few aliens in the colony during this early period. The revised
Conditions of Plantation confirmed patents previously issued in 1642, which
specifically prohibited such grants.
The first denization recorded in Maryland was issued in 1660 to Augustine
Herman by the Governor and Council The Council stopped issuing denizations
after 1675, although no legislation prohibited this activity. The Council
probably ceased issuing denizations because no one wanted one. That they
were perceived as inferior to naturalizations is evident from the case
of Herman who successfully petitioned the legislature for a naturalization
in 1663.
The General Assembly passed private acts granting naturalizations throughout
the colonial period, but relatively few aliens were naturalized by the
Assembly (67 private acts naturalizing 252 individuals passed between 1663
and 1771).
Some immigrants who came to Maryland already had benefit of naturalizations
obtained in England. These men took the precaution of exhibiting their
naturalizations at the Provincial Court for recordation. In 1735 the Governor
was given the authority to grant naturalizations. Naturalizations obtained
from the General Assembly or the Governor were not valid outside the colony.
The majority of individuals naturalized in Maryland during the colonial
period did so under the provisions of Acts of Parliament 13 George II,
1740, Chapter 7, and the modifications introduced by the passage of Acts
of Parliament 20 George II, Chapter 44, in 1747. Passage of these acts
coincided with a dramatic increase in foreign immigrants to the colonies.
An alien was eligible for naturalization under these acts if he had been
a resident of the colony for seven years, was a Protestant willing to swear
an oath of abjuration rejecting Catholicism, and was able to pay a two
shilling fee.
Card Index 41 provides access to the following records:
PROVINCIAL COURT (Judgments), 1679-1776
PROVINCIAL COURT (Proceedings), 1656-1669
GOVERNOR (Commission Book), 1733-1750, 1761-1773
MARYLAND STATE PAPERS (Black Books) 1, 1701-1773
Bacon's Laws, 1637-1763.
There are naturalizations, and information about them, not found in
the index. The general indexes for PROVINCIAL COURT (Land Records) 1658-1790 should be examined since persons naturalized
in England might have their papers recorded here. The index does not identify
the type of document recorded. Naturalizations conferred by the Governor
and recorded in the (Commission Record) 1774-1776 (MdHR 4012a) have not
been indexed. Additional information about naturalized citizens can be
found in the Council Proceedings and the Proceedings of the General Assembly
which have been published in the Archives of Maryland. See Jeffrey A. and
Florence L. Wyand, Colonial Maryland Naturalizations (LIB-3-2-3) for a
book index to naturalizations and denizations granted by the Governor and
Council, General Assembly and Provincial Court. This work is especially
useful because witnesses are indexed as well as the ministers who certified
the alien was a Protestant. Finally, one may want to look at M. S. Guiseppi,
Naturalizations of Foreign Protestants in the American and West Indies
for the annual lists of naturalized citizens submitted to the Commissioners of Trade and Plantation in London under
the provisions of 13 George II, Chapter 7. Although there are few entries
for Marylanders, some of the naturalizations included in this work are
not found in extant Maryland records.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 20
3 August 1987
Record Series Robert A. Oszakiewski
A short time ago some patrons were sent here by the Baltimore City Archives
to do research involving the use of the (Miscellaneous Court Papers). Since
few members of the staff had ever dealt with this particular collection,
confusion arose over finding the material and locating specific items.
This article will consider how to find items in the collection, what is
and what is not in the collection, and the history of the papers themselves.
From 1935 to 1942 the Historical Records Survey of the Works Progress
Administration produced typescript indexes to the (Miscellaneous Court
Papers) under the supervision of O. Webster Shinnock. The papers were then
located at the Bureau of Archives in Baltimore City which explains why
the indexes are to be found under Baltimore City Archives in COAGSER. The
indexes are chronologically arranged in three volumes. The papers for each
year are arranged first by record type and then alphabetically. For example,
all Bills of Sale for 1796 are grouped together, beginning with Dunn, Jas.
and ending with Young, Jane. This holds for all the various groups discussed
below. The papers have been assigned item numbers, each year beginning
with number one (1). A brief description of each item is given in the index.
For example, item 112 for 1798 is "Gable, Jacob to Gable, Rebecca, Articles
of Separation."
Having located a particular item in the indexes, one goes to the Baltimore
County or Baltimore City accessions list and locates the year, item number
and appropriate box and folder number. Once the box had been located and
pulled, the same information may be found on the folder itself: the accession
number in the upper left hand corner; the particular folder number; the
year; and what item numbers are found in that folder. A typical folder
reads as follows: MdHR 50,206-591, 1814, Items 1-47.
As the series title implies, this is a mixed collection of papers associated
with various court cases in the Baltimore County Court and, after 1851,
in the Baltimore City Superior Court. Among the papers are bonds and commission
of public officials (collectors, sheriffs, constables, justices of the
peace); summons issued to parties involved in civil and criminal cases
brought before the courts; land records; grants of powers of attorney;
and insurance company reports. Among the papers are items of interest for
anyone doing research on Black history in Maryland, including manumissions,
certificates of freedom, declarations of slaves brought into Maryland (for
the most part from Haiti at the time of the rebellion against French rule
there) and permits for free Blacks traveling from Baltimore to other cities
or states. There are also several naturalizations which are not indexed
in the Baltimore City and County Naturalizations Index.
What is not in the collection should also be noted. The indexes have
listings for Baltimore County tax lists from 1737 to 1773. These lists
have been removed from the collection and made into a separate series:
BALTIMORE COUNTY COURT (Tax Lists) COAGSER 428, located at 2/60/10/45.
The provenance of the papers is in many ways reflective of the history
of the Baltimore City Archives and its predecessor agencies. The papers
had originally been stored in the Baltimore County Courthouse, then located
in Baltimore Town. In 1839 the papers, as part of the records of the County
Court, were transferred to the Baltimore Record Office, which stored and
preserved the records of the Baltimore County Court and Orphans Court.
After the 1851 separation of Baltimore City from Baltimore County, the
Record Office added papers from the Baltimore City Superior Court to the
series. Later the papers passed to the Baltimore City Library and then
to the Bureau of Archives. Nothing of archival significance happened until
the Historical Records survey cataloged them, placed them in protective
envelopes and produced the indexes. In the 1970s Richard J. Cox, then Baltimore
City Archivist, shipped the papers to the Hall of Records since they were
judicial records belonging to the State. The author accessioned them in
1986 and 1987.
For more of the background of these papers and other records of the
Baltimore City Archives and its predecessors, see Richard J. Cox's article,
"The Plight of American Municipal Archives: Baltimore, 1729-1979," American
Archivist 42 (July 1979) 281-292 (LIB 17/1/3).
Serendipitous News Susan, Ben, Diana
There is a new Revolutionary Records finding aid at 1/1/4 and at the
Circulation Desk for records found in index 50 (Revolutionary War Records).
The asterisk found on cards in Index 1 (Colonial Probate) indicates
that the person named is an administrator of the estate, not the decedent.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 21
7 August 1987
Serendipitous News Ben, Nancy
Nancy and I have been working on means to help people use the 1910 census.
As most of you know, the Census comes with a section called (Census Descriptions
of Geographic Subdivisions and Enumerations Districts) which is on MdHR
M-3274. The film is of books which describe the boundaries of the enumeration
districts in each county in the state. For most counties, the enumeration
districts follow election district lines, except that larger cities like
Annapolis are further subdivided by wards. For finding individuals in the
counties, the Maryland Geologic Survey maps from this time period showing
county election districts would be helpful. Another approach for land owners
might be to use the (Assessment Record) of 1910 which for most counties
is also arranged by election district. We now have these records here for
most Maryland counties and they are indexed.
The Baltimore City enumeration districts are arranged by ward, tract
number (I'm not sure what this refers to), and then very specific street
boundaries are given. Those boundaries are also shown on a Bureau of State
and Municipal Research map (MdHR 1427-1288) published in 1914. For Baltimore
City the approach would seem to locate the individual at an address in
the 1909-1911 city directories, then use the map to locate the enumeration
district.
Index of the Week Chris Allan
INDEX 43 - BALTIMORE CITY AND COUNTY (Naturalization Index) 1793-1933
Baltimore City was, of course, the main port of entry for foreigners
arriving in Maryland so it is not surprising that a large number of naturalizations
may be found among the records of the courts there. Index 43 was created
by the Court of Common Pleas. It is neither comprehensive nor entirely
accurate. It does, however, provide the most immediate access to naturalization
performed by the courts in Baltimore for the period from 1793 to 1933.
Remember that for Baltimore County naturalizations after 1851, one should
consult Index 44.
If a researcher feels certain an individual was naturalized in Baltimore
and cannot find a reference in the index, one should refer that person
to the volume indexes to some of the records series. The records available
are listed below, with an asterisk by those included in Card Index 43
BALTIMORE CITY COURT, 1816-1851
*(Naturalization Record) 1845-1851
(Naturalization Record, Index) 1845-1851
*(Naturalization Record of Minors) 1827-1851
BALTIMORE CITY COURT, 1851-1906
*(Application for Naturalization) 1897-1904
*(Declaration of Intention) 1867-1906
(Declaration of Intention, Index) 1867-1906
*(Naturalization Record) 1867-1904
(Naturalization Record, Index) 1867-1906*(Naturalization Record of Minors)
1867-1906
BALTIMORE CITY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
*(Application for Naturalization) 1897-1906
*(Declaration of Intention) 1852-1933
(Declaration of Intention, Index) 1906-1933
(Declaration of Intention, Original) 1894-1910
(List of Certificates of Naturalization) 1911-1933
(List of Declarations of Intention) 1911-1933
(List of Petitions for Naturalization) 1911-1933
*(Military Naturalizations) 1872-1900
(Military Petitions for Naturalization) 1918-1924
(Military Petitions for Naturalization, Index) 1918-1923
(Naturalization Applications, Original) 1897-1900
(Naturalization Depositions) 1911-1927
(Naturalization Petitions, Original) 1900-1906
(Naturalization Petition Stubs) 1906-1926
(Naturalization Petitions, Withdrawn) 1904-1905
*(Naturalization Record) 1852-1906
*(Naturalization Record and Petitions) 1906-1929
*(Naturalization Record of Minors) 1852-1905
(Preliminary Form for Declaration of Intention) 1907-1929
BALTIMORE CITY CRIMINAL COURT
*(Declaration of Intention) 1851-1903
*(Naturalization Record) 1851-1900
*(Naturalization Record of Minors) 1851-1900
BALTIMORE CITY SUPERIOR COURT
(Application for Naturalization) 1897-1902
(Applications for Naturalization) 1897-1900
*(Declaration of Intention) 1866-1906
*(Naturalization Docket) 1852-1864
*(Naturalization Record) 1852-1903
*(Naturalization Record of Minors) 1852-1903
(Petition for Naturalization) 1900-1903
(Petitions for Naturalization) 1900-1906
BALTIMORE COUNTY COURT
*(Naturalization Docket) 1796-1851
*(Naturalization Record) 1832-1851
*(Naturalization Record of Minors) 1846-1851
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
*(Naturalization Docket) 1852-1856
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 22
17 August 1987
INDEX 44 - BALTIMORE COUNTY (Naturalization Index), 1852-1918
As you will recall, last week we looked at the Baltimore City and County
Naturalization Index (Index 43). Before we look at Index 44, we should
gain some sense of how the various county courts handled the naturalization
process.
From 1790 until the present, the federal government has passed a variety
of laws regulating the process by which a naturalization can be obtained.
the basic requirements, however, have changed very little. An alien must
file a declaration of intention to start the formal process of obtaining
a naturalization. In this document the alien renounces all allegiance to
his native country and swears to uphold the Constitution of the United
States. Three years after filing a declaration of intention, the alien
may petition for a naturalization if he has been living in the country
at least five years. He must have been residing in the jurisdiction of
the court to which the petition is made for at least one year. A declaration
of intention obtained at one court is valid in any other court. For example,
one could declare intent to become a citizen at the United States District
Court in Baltimore and petition for naturalization at the Anne Arundel
County Circuit Court.
Over time, Congress provided several variations on this general procedure.
In 1822 the federal law concerning naturalization was amended to provide
minors with another course for obtaining citizenship. An alien who arrived
in the United States as a minor was able to file a petition for naturalization
when he became twenty-one years old without making a declaration of intention.
These records are called naturalization record of minors.
Individuals who served in the armed forces of the United States or in
the merchant marine while aliens are also able to apply for naturalization
without filing a declaration of intention. These military record of naturalization
were introduced in 1862.
Until 1922 the wife of a man who was naturalized automatically acquired
citizenship. Thereafter, an alien woman was required to file a separate
petition for naturalization, but did not have to submit a declaration of
intention. Prior to 1922, very few women applied for naturalization in
Maryland courts.
Not all courts in Maryland accept petitions for naturalization. The
St. Mary's County Circuit Court ceased issuing naturalizations in 1918.
Records for residents of this county usually may be found among circuit
court records of Charles and Prince George's counties or at the federal
courts. Since 1930, aliens applying for naturalization in Dorchester, Somerset
and Worcester counties have been processed by the Wicomico County Circuit
Court. The Wicomico court did not accept naturalizations from 1915 to 1920.
The Baltimore County Circuit court relinquished jurisdiction over naturalizations
in 1918, which explains why Index 44 ends in that year. The Baltimore City
Court of Common Pleas stopped conferring naturalizations in 1933 and referred
applicants to the United States District Court in Baltimore.
Card Index 44 provides access to the following records:
BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT:
(Proceedings) 1852-1868
(Certificates of Naturalization) 1868-1906
(Declaration of Intention) 1868-1918
Remember that naturalization records for Baltimore County, 1798-1851,
are found in Index 43.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 23
24 August 1987
Library Libations Doug McElrath
New Developments
Pamphlet Collection - Susan King is now transferring the library pamphlet
collection from the third deck to boxes located throughout the mezzanine.
As a rule, the pamphlet boxes will be located in the same section of shelving
as the books of similar subject categories. Labels will soon appear on
the boxes making it clear what is in each box. Please continue to mark
the location with a yellow marked when pulling any book or pamphlet.
Genealogies - We have also moved the pamphlet genealogies to the Reference
Collection shelves outside the library office. Search room staff should
try to return pamphlets to the
appropriate box when reshelving. Spiral and soft-bound materials are
particularly vulnerable to wear-and-tear on open shelving.
Reference Collection - Red REF labels now adorn reference collection
books. We are also putting up section and shelf labels to help improve
access.
Historical Records Survey - LIB/4/4/1 is the beginning location for
our recently shelved collection of published inventories and calendars
of the HRS. Maryland comes first, followed by the other states in alphabetical
order. The HRS still stands as a monument from a heroic age that we moderns
may emulate but never equal. An index to the approximately 1000 items in
this collection is available in the library office. The HRS is still a
good place to begin when answering questions about records in other states.
Record Series of the Week Pat Melville
This week we look at (Certificates of Slaves)
as found in the St. Mary's County Commissioners of the Tax (1804-1821)
and the St. Mary's County Levy Court (1831). Please remember that the descriptions
for St. Mary's county are applicable to comparable records in other counties.
These records are lists of slaves prepared by owners for inclusion in
assessors' returns during a general assessment of property. The papers
are arranged alphabetically by name of owner and show name, age and value
of each slave. After evaluation by the supervisory agency this information
was summarized in the (Assessment Record) of the county according to age
and value.
THE ARCHIVISTS' BULLDOG
Vol. 1, No. 24
31 August 1987
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