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==Online Resources== | |||
*[http://en.geneanum.com/malta/databases/notaries.html Malta genealogy] at Geneanum.com - Database of notarial acts | |||
==History== | |||
Notaries were the official recorders of dowry and marriage contracts, wills, land, mortgage, business, and property records. Because these records exist from before the time of church records, they can be helpful in solving early research problems. Records are generally arranged by the notary and then chronologically. Usually there are no indexes so knowing where the person lived and where the closest notary facilitates use. Records generally include the names of participants in contracts; names of heirs; relationships, residences; dates of death and sometimes of marriage. The earliest notarial records date from 1465. Wills were not mandatory until 1863 however, there are some that date from the late 1300s. | Notaries were the official recorders of dowry and marriage contracts, wills, land, mortgage, business, and property records. Because these records exist from before the time of church records, they can be helpful in solving early research problems. Records are generally arranged by the notary and then chronologically. Usually there are no indexes so knowing where the person lived and where the closest notary facilitates use. Records generally include the names of participants in contracts; names of heirs; relationships, residences; dates of death and sometimes of marriage. The earliest notarial records date from 1465. Wills were not mandatory until 1863 however, there are some that date from the late 1300s. | ||
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