NGS Research in the States Series: Maryland

“and then on the 3 of March came into Chesapeake bay, at the mouth of the Patomecke, this baye is the most delightfull water I ever saw, between two seet lande, with a channel, 4:5:6:7: and 8 fathoms deepe, some 10 leagues broad, at time of yeare full of fish, yet it doth yeild to Patomecke, which we have made St. Gregories; this is teh sweetest and greatest river have seene, so that the Thames is but a little finder to it, there are noe marshes or swampes about it, but solid firme ground.” — Father Andrew White, S.J.

This Issue: NGS Research in the States Series: Maryland; written by Patricia O’Brien Shawker.

“The Chesapeake Bay described by Father White dominates Maryland… At the time of Maryland’s founding, it was increadibly rich in fish and shellfish, a magnet attracting the Europeans…

“Knowledge of the history of Maryland and the nature of the record keeping is essential when conducting genealogical research. As one of the original thirteen colonies, Maryland had 140 years of colonial history and has one of the most complete collections of colonial records.”

Each guide in this series offers a bit of history behind each type of record or resource as well as names and descriptions for specific archives. For example, under the heading Women of Maryland, you will find the following:

“The Maryland State Archives has three online research aids for women. One is the Women Legislators of Maryland, another is the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame, and the third is Maryland Women Citizen; Women’s History at the Maryland State Archives. All three of these have biographical and genealogical information about women in Maryland. There are more than one hundred items useful for researching women in the Archives’ special collections including the records of women’s clubs in Maryland (minutes and reports) and the records of the Young Women’s Christian Association (directories, minutes, and reports). Other useful records are city directories (which usually list them as a widow), wills, marriage, divorce, church, land, and military pension records. The Maryland Room at the Hornbake Library of the University of Maryland has a resource guide for women, which includes the Female Writer’s of Maryland, Biographies of Women from Maryland, and Maryland Women’s History.”

In the guide, each section is handled in like manner. Plenty of specific information on what records are available and where to find them.

About the Series

Beginning in 1987, the National Genealogical Society began publishing a series of state guides in the organization’s magazine, the Quarterly. These guides were later re-issued as special publications designed to support genealogical research in each state. Eventually those guides became outdated and out of print. The current set of guides represents a refresh of those publications, updated and improved for today’s traditional and digital research resources.

About the Authors

Patricia O’Brien Shawker is a professional genealogist and lecturer. She served as the Director of the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR) and has served as the treasurer for the National Genealogical Society.

More About the State Guides (from the Introduction)

“Readers should be aware that every effort has been made to include current web addresses throughout the publication and all were verified immediately prior to release…”

“Two research facilities used by many genealogists are the Family History Library (FHL) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Most genealogists are familiar with the abbreviations used for these two facilities and they are used in these publications. Otherwise the use of abbreviations and acronyms is kept to a minimum.”

History and Settlements

Archives, Libraries, and Societies

Enoch Pratt Free Library
Maryland Genealogical Society
Maryland Historical Society
Maryland State Archives
Maryland State Law Library
National Archives — College Park
Other Facilities
Other Libraries and Societies

Major Resources

Aids to Research
Archives of Maryland
Atlases, Gazetteers, and Maps
Biographical Directories
Business Records
Cemetery Records
Censuses and Census Substitutes
- Colonial Census
- Federal Census
City and County Directories
County Records
Court Records
- Colonial
- Post-Colonial
- After 1851
Ethnic Records
- African American
- Germans American
- Irish American
- Jewish American
- Native American
Land Records
- Colonial Land Grants
- State Land Grants
- Subsequent Land Records Transactions – County and Baltimore City Land Records
Military Records and Benefits
- Colonial Wars
- American Revolution
- War of 1812
- Mexican War
- Civil War
- Spanish American War
- World War I
- World War II
Naturalization and Immigration Records
Newspapers
Religious Records
State Records
Tax Records
- Colonial Tax Records
- Later Tax Records
Vital Records
- Adoption Records
- Birth and Death Records
- Marriage and Divorce Records
Voter Registration
Women of Maryland
Conclusion

These guides are an excellent resource for state by state research. Available guides, including NGS Research in the States Series: Maryland, are available from Family Roots Publishing.

NGS Research in the States Series: Maryland

Table of Contents

Other guides in series reviewed to date (in alphabetical order):

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