Maryland Land and Property: Difference between revisions

|[[Image:Maryland land.jpg|thumb|right|300px|<center>Maryland Land<center>]]

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Early Maryland land records are available at the [[Maryland State Archives|Maryland State Archives]] with copies and indexes to many of them available in other libraries and archives. A joint Government service of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland State Archives provides a digital image retrieval system ([http://mdlandrec.net/ MDLandRec.net] - requires free registration) to Maryland land records. This includes digital scans of Maryland county deed indexes and deed books, an index to land patents (land transferred from the government to individuals), and digital scans of survey certificates. This site allows you to conduct the majority of your Maryland deed research online.

All Maryland land was first owned by the Calvert family proprietors who obtained it from the Crown. From 1633 to 1683 they issued headrights, or land grants, in return for immigrants transporting themselves and others to Maryland. In 1680 the headright system under Charles Calvert, the third Lord Baltimore, and the Land Office was created. The names of individuals receiving land through the headright system and later through cash sales have been published. The [[Maryland State Archives]] has digitized books by Skordas and Gibb, and [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=49058 Ancestry] ($) has digitized Coldham's five volume set:  

The 1759 Maryland land tax return reveals the proportions of land, county-by-county, owned by Catholics in contrast to land owned by Protestants. The highest percentages of Catholic landholdings were in [[Charles County, Maryland Genealogy|Charles]], [[Prince George's County, Maryland Genealogy|Prince George's]], and [[St. Mary's County, Maryland Genealogy|St. Mary's]] counties. The lowest percentages of Catholic landholdings were in [[Calvert County, Maryland Genealogy|Calvert]], [[Cecil County, Maryland Genealogy|Cecil]], [[Somerset County, Maryland Genealogy|Somerset]], [[Talbot County, Maryland Genealogy|Talbot]], and [[Worcester County, Maryland Genealogy|Worcester]] counties. Most land in those counties was owned by Protestants.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=-nLPAAAAMAAJ "An Account of the Number of Acres of Land in each County, in the Province of Maryland; distinguishing what Number of Acres are held by Protestants, and what Number of Acres are held by Papists, in each County, as it was returned by the Several Collectors of the Land Tax on Sept. 29, 1759,"] ''The Gentleman's Magazine,'' Vol. 35 (1765):15.</ref>

During the Revolutionary War, Maryland offered land grant lots as a bounty to entice recruits to fill Maryland's enlistment quotas. These lots, located "Westward of Fort Cumberland" in present day Allegany and Garrett counties, are described in indexed land records and maps available at the Maryland State Archives. Those men receiving this land are mentioned in two publications, both of which are indexed:  

*Long, Helen R. ''Index to Scharf’s History of Western Maryland: Volumes I and II''. Westminster, Md.: Clearfield Co. &amp; Family Lines Publications, 1995. {{FSC|231288|item|disp=FS Library Book 975.2 H2s index}}. This indexes John T. Scharf's book above.

The [[Maryland State Archives|Maryland State Archives]] has the original land office records, dating from 1634 to the present, and other early records that were once filed in each county. The land office records include land patents, surveys, grants, warrants, and proprietary rent rolls and debt books. A list of the land office records is in the inventory compiled by Morris Radoff, mentioned in [[Maryland Archives and Libraries]]. The Maryland State Archives also has a card index arranged by grantee, by later owners, and by county and tract name, see: [http://mdlandrec.net/ MDLandRec.net]. These records have also been microfilmed by FamilySearch (1636-1852): {{FSC|296677|item|disp=FS Library Films 13063-13141}}.  

*''Provincial Court Judgments, 1679 to 1778.'' {{FSC|271666|item|disp=FS Library Films 12941-12968}}.

After land was transferred to private ownership, deeds and mortgages were filed with the county clerk. See [http://mdlandrec.net/ MDLandRec.net] for digital scans of Maryland county deed indexes and deed books. Many deeds and mortgages were also recorded with the Provincial Court and General Courts from 1637 to 1805.  

FamilySearch has microfilmed many of these records.

*[http://www.mdihp.net/ Inventory of Historic Properties ]- access full nomination files of places listed in Maryland on the National Register of Historic Places. Files include the name of site, location, approximate date, public or private ownership, if occupied, if open to the public, description of physical appearance and condition, and photographs.&nbsp; Site maintained by the Maryland State Archives.

== References  ==