Maryland Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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===Online Resources===

 

*'''1635 – 1743''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Maryland Calendar of Wills 1635-1743] at [http://search.ancestry.com/ Ancestry.com] — index and images $

*'''1796 – 1940''' {{RecordSearch|1542664|Maryland Probate Estate and Guardianship Files, 1796-1940}} at [https://familysearch.org FamilySearch] images

===Record Synopsis===

Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”<ref>Henry Campbell Black, ''Black's Law Dictionary,'' 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."</ref> Various records may be found in probate files. These may include [[United States Probate Wills|wills]], bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about&nbsp;the [[United States Probate Process|probate process]],&nbsp;types of probate records,&nbsp;[[Analyzing United States Probate Records|analyzing probate records]], and to access a [[Glossary of United States Probate Terms|glossary]] of probate terms, see [[United States Probate Records|United States Probate Records]].<br>  

===History===

===Statewide Indexes===

*[http://www.msa.md.gov/megafile/msa/stagsere/se1/se4/000000/html/index.html Probate Records, Colonial, Index, 1637-1777, Index 1, MSA S1393]

===Records===

====Proved in Maryland====

*'''1629-1983''' - {{RecordSearch|1803986|Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1629-1983}} - free, courtesy: FamilySearch. [[Maryland, Register of Wills Books - FamilySearch Historical Records|Description]]. Currently includes Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Talbot, Washington and Worcester counties.

*Will books, 1635 to 1777 {{FHL|12841|}}-{{FHL|12858}}

*Testamentary proceedings, 1657 to 1777 {{FHL|12930}}-{{FHL|12940}}

*Accounts of estates, 1718 to 1777 {{FHL|12899}}-{{FHL|12917}}

*Inventories and accounts of estates, 1674 to 1718 {{FHL|12918}}-{{FHL|12928}}

*Inventories of estates, 1718 to 1777 {{FHL|12862}}-{{FHL|12897}}.

|'''Vol.'''

|'''Years'''

|'''Websites'''

|1

|1635-1685

|[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Ancestry] ($); [http://books.google.com/books?id=Da8sAAAAIAAJ Google Books]; [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/md/state/wills/ USGenNet]; [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_marylandcalendarwills1635 World Vital Records] ($)

|2

|1685-1702

|[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Ancestry] ($); [http://books.google.com/books?id=PycQAAAAYAAJ Google Books]; [http://www.archive.org/details/marylandcalenda00cottgoog Internet Archive]; [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/md/state/wills/ USGenNet]&nbsp;(partial); [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_marylandcalendarwills1635 World Vital Records] ($)

|3

|1703-1713

|[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Ancestry] ($); [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_marylandcalendarwills1703_vol3-4 World Vital Records] ($)

|4

|1713-1720

|[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Ancestry] ($); [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_marylandcalendarwills1703_vol3-4 World Vital Records] ($)

|5

|1720-1726

|[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Ancestry]&nbsp;($); [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_marylandcalendarwills1720 World Vital Records] ($)

|6

|1726-1732

|[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Ancestry]&nbsp;($); [http://books.google.com/books?id=XwoQAAAAYAAJ Google Books]; [http://www.archive.org/details/marylandcalenda00whitgoog Internet Archive]; [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_marylandcalendarwills1720 World Vital Records] ($)

|7

|1732-1738

|[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Ancestry] ($); [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_marylandcalendarwills1732 World Vital Records] ($)

|8

|1738-1743

|[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3250 Ancestry]&nbsp;($); [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=gpc_marylandcalendarwills1732 World Vital Records] ($)<ref>Michael Neill, [http://rootdig.blogspot.com/2008/01/maryland-calendar-of-wills-on-world.html "RootDig.com: Maryland Calendar of Wills on World Vital Records,"] 28 January 2008.</ref>

*Hume, Joan. Maryland, ''Index to the Wills of . . .'' Four Volumes. Baltimore, Maryland: Carta Book Company, 1970.&nbsp; These volumes cover seven counties and index the names of persons leaving a will. The indexes generally extend to 1960 (Family History Library various call numbers: do an author search to locate.)

*''Index to Inventories of Estates, 1718-1777''. Annapolis, Maryland: Hall of Records Commission, 1947. {{FHL|12898}}

*Magruder, James M., Jr. ''Index of Maryland Colonial Wills, 1635-1777''. 1933. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. {{FHL|975.2 P22m 1967}} This is a name index of early wills. The 1933 edition is available in book {{FHL|975.2 S2m}}, 3 volumes and on microfilm {{FHL|1425640}} Items 1-3. This indexes the Maryland colonial wills that are contained in the Prerogative Court records (see listing above).

*Skinner, Vernon L., Jr. ''Abstracts of the Balance Books of the Prerogative Court of Maryland, 1751-1777''. Four Volumes (Vol. 1 is under the title ''Maryland Balance Book''), Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications. 1995. {{FHL|975.2 P28m}} These books show the distribution of an estate to heirs after payments had been made. These books only existed for 1751 through 1777.

*Skinner, Vernon L., Jr. ''Abstracts of the Inventories and Accounts of the Prerogative Court of Maryland, 1674-1678, 1699-1718''. 11 Volumes. Ongoing. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1992. {{FHL|975.2 P28sa}}

*Skinner, Vernon L., Jr. ''Abstracts of the Inventories of the Prerogative Court of Maryland, 1718-1777''. 17 Volumes. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1981-1988. {{FHL|975.2 P28s}}

*Skinner, Vernon L., Jr. ''Abstracts of the Administration Accounts of the Prerogative Court . . .''11 Volumes. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line, 1995. {{FHL|975.2 P28sk}} These cover 1718 to 1777.

====Proved in London====

*Coldham,&nbsp;Peter Wilson. ''English Estates of American Colonists: American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1610-1699''. Baltimore:&nbsp;Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980. Digital version at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48506 Ancestry]&nbsp;($).

*Coldham, Peter Wilson. ''English Estates of American Colonists: American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1700-1799''. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980. Digital version of 1991 reprint available at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48554 Ancestry] ($).

*Coldham, Peter Wilson. ''English Estates of American Colonists: American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1800-1858''. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. Digital version at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48507 Ancestry] ($).

*Coldham, Peter Wilson. ''American Wills &amp; Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1610-1857''. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1989. {{FHL|942 P27c}}; digital version at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48453 Ancestry] ($).

*Coldham,&nbsp;Peter Wilson. ''American Wills Proved in London, 1611-1775''. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992. {{FHL|973 P27ca}}; digital version at [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48497 Ancestry] ($).

#[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (1384-1858)] ($) at The National Archives,&nbsp;UK.<br><br>

#[http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/user/subscriptions.php#record_sets PCC&nbsp;Wills Index and Images (1384-1858)] ($) at The Genealogist.<br><br>

====Proved in Edinburgh====

===Research Guides===

*"Probate Records," ''Maryland State Archives - Guide to Government Records'', available [http://guide.mdsa.net/viewer.cfm?page=probate online].

*Rose, Christine.''Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures.'' San Jose, California: CR Publications, 2004. Of particular interest are the chapters, "Estates Galore," "Estate Documents," "Milking Every Clue from Estates," and "Strategies that Work." {{FHL|1202197|item}}

===State Statutes===

===Websites===

===References===

[[Category:Maryland, United States|Probate]]

[[Category:United States Probate Records]]