The Archivist's Bulldog

Welcome to new staff member Debbie Gousha who has joined as a reference archivist to do telephone reference and work in the search room. Welcome also to three new reference volunteers: Frank Potter, Donald Thomson and Tony Lindauer.

In his introduction to Settlers of Maryland, 1679-1700 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) Peter Wilson Coldham says his purpose is to extend the work of Gust Skordas' The Early Settlers of Maryland. In its name and in being an index to early provincial land records Settlers resembles Early Settlers, but otherwise it is different.

First, the two authors do not use the term settlers in the same way. In Early Settlers it means immigrants, about 20,000 of whom are listed. In Settlers the term can mean immigrants, about 200 of whom are listed, but usually it refers to landholders. Second, instead of dates of immigration and service, Settlers contains information about the lands granted (or only surveyed) during the period 1679-1700: tract name and acreage, county, and dates of survey and patent. Some entries provide supplemental information about the individual for whom the survey was made or to whom the land was granted, such as family relationships or occupation. Third, Early Settlers is based on indexes compiled by the Land Office, and Settlers on Coldham's reading of fifteen volumes of patent records.

Coldham used microfilm copies of the patent records, obtained from the Maryland State Archives, to compile his entries and included in the introduction to Settlers a table showing volume references and film numbers. Unfortunately by the time his book was published the Archives had retired the WK film he used and refilmed the records, giving each film a new SR number, so better quality films could made be available for researchers. In addition, the targets on the WK film refer to whole number citations that are not used in any of the indexes and only sometimes to the combined letters and numbers that are used in the indexes. The Archives' staff prepared a new table containing correct citations and new SR film numbers. The publishers are inserting this page as an addendum in the books now being distributed.

Coldham's earlier books on Great Britain and America include English Estates of American Colonists: American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1610-1857, Complete Book of Immigrants, 1607-1660, and many others concerning immigrants and convicts He has already finished the sequel to Settlers, and expects to continue the series to the American Revolution.

The October total of 939 reference requests represents a 13.1% increase over the October 1994 total of 830. Not surprisingly, this increase in requests was accompanied by a 27.5% rise in the number of records circulated, from 1177 last year to 1501 in 1995. There were 2 more vital records requests in October 1995 (223) than in 1994 (221). Circulation of district court records decreased by 2.4%, 279 compared to 286. Requests for records of the circuit courts and other agencies rose by an impressive 79.5%, 867 compared to 483.

Overall, the judiciary continues as the largest single user of SLR reference services. The number of reference requests received from the courts increased by 15.8% (242 compared to 209), thus accounting for 25.8% of all requests received and 35.4% of total record circulation.

Requests received by phone again increased in October, accounting for 37.8% of total requests, compared to 32.2% in 1994. Unfortunately, the number of requests faxed to the Archives decreased from 71 to 58. Overall, fax requests made up only 6.2% of the October 1995 total, while accounting for 8.6% of the October 1994 total. Fewer requests were generated from the search room (70) than had been the case in October 1994 (122). Search room requests accounted for 7.5% of October 1995 reference activity as compared to 14.7% last year, a decrease of 7.2%. We also received 35 requests handled in the lobby without requiring the patron to register for the search room.

The number of phone/fax requests (413) again fell short of the number of requests received through the mail (421), but not by very much. Encouragingly, phone/fax requests continue to far exceed the number of requests received through in-person visits (105). Phone/fax requests accounted for 44% of total requests, with the mail accounting for 44.8%.

Revenue from reference activity was up 40.7%, $7540 compared to $5360, in part because SLR is copying many records formerly done in the photo lab.

COURT OF APPEALS (Out of State Attorneys) 1994-1995 [MSA T228]
COURT OF APPEALS (Writs of Certiorari) 1994 [MSA T1214]
COURT OF APPEALS (Miscellaneous Papers, Miscellaneous Docket) 1992 [MSA T1215]
COURT OF APPEALS (Miscellaneous Papers) 1992 [MSA T1216]
COURT OF APPEALS (Opinions) 1992 [MSA T1217]
COURT OF APPEALS (Opinions, Miscellaneous Docket) 1990-1992 [MSA T1219]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE DIVISION OF VITAL RECORDS (Marriage Certificates) 1985-1986 [MSA T315]
DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE (Municipal Charter Amendments and Annexations) 1993-1994 [MSA T336]
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION, BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS (License File) var.d. [MSA T2251]
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION, BOARD OF ARCHITECTS (License File) var.d. [MSA T2419]
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION, BOARD OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANCY (License File) var.d. [MSA T2254]
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION, MARYLAND DEPOSIT INSURANCE FUND CORPORATION (Mortgage File, First Maryland Savings and Loan) var.d. [MSA T2629]
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION, MARYLAND DEPOSIT INSURANCE FUND CORPORATION (Mortgage File, Old Court Savings and Loan) var.d. [MSA T2656]
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION, REAL ESTATE COMMISSION (Minutes) 1953-1989 [MSA T2680]
DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION, SECONDHAND PRECIOUS METALS AND GEM DEALERS AND PAWNBROKERS (License File) var.d. [MSA T2061]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION (Bridge File) var.d. [MSA T2679]
DISTRICT COURT 12, AL (Civil Docket) 1971-1988 [MSA T1089]
DISTRICT COURT 12, GA (Criminal Docket) 1991 [MSA T1091]
DISTRICT COURT 12, GA (Civil Docket) 1971-1984 [MSA T1092]
CHARLES COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Land Records) 1844-1886, 1991-1993 [MSA T2346]
HOWARD COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Land Records) 1853-1929 [MSA T2381]