The Prerogative Court was the focal point for probate in colonial Maryland. A judge and various clerks staffed the court. All matters of probate went directly to the Prerogative Court, which was located in Annapolis, MarylandΓ s colonial capital. Volume VI in this series consists of abstracts of Prerogative Court of Maryland records for the period 1686-1689 and 1692-1693. (The abstracts are arranged in chronological order by court session.) For the most part, the transcriptions state the names of the principals (testators, heirs, witnesses, administrators, and so forth) as well as the details of bequests, names of slaves, appraisers, and more. Volume VIrefers to about 8,000 17th-century Marylanders whose existence and activities would otherwise remain buried in some rich but very off-the-beaten-track records.

Genealogist V. L. Skinner, Jr., resumes his transcriptions of 17th-century Maryland probate records with this volume, which consists of abstracts of Prerogative Court of Maryland records for the period 1670 to 1674. The abstracts are arranged in chronological order by court session. In every instance they give the names of the principals (testators, heirs, witnesses, administrators, and so forth). In many cases we also learn the details of bequests, names of slaves, appraisers, and more.

This is the tenth volume of "Abstracts of the Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Maryland (1704-1707)," by V. L. Skinner. Volume X consists of abstracts of the records for the period 1704 to 1707. Mr. Skinner has combed through administration, bond, will, inventory, administration account, and final balance entries to produce this collection. The abstracts are arranged chronologically by court session. For the most part, the transcriptions state the names of the principals (testators, heirs, witnesses, administrators, and so forth) as well as details of bequests, names of slaves, appraisers, and more. In all, this volume refers to roughly 7,000 residents of the Province of Maryland between 1704 and 1707.

Genealogist V. L. Skinner, Jr., resumes his transcriptions of 17th-century Maryland probate records with the third volume of his series, "Abstracts of the Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Maryland." Volume III covers the periods 1675 to 1677 and 1703 to 1704 and is based on Libers 7, 8A, 8B, and 9A (1-371).

The Prerogative Court was the focal point for probate in colonial Maryland. A judge and various clerks staffed the court. All matters of probate went directly to the Prerogative Court, which was located in Annapolis, Maryland's colonial capital. Eventually, administration of probate was delegated to the several county courts; however, many documents related to probate continued to be filed at the Prerogative Court and not in the corresponding county. It should be noted that the Prerogative Court was also the colony's court for equity cases-resolution of disputes over the settlement and distribution of an estate. (Beginning in 1674, inventories and accounts were recorded in a separate series.)

Volume XV of this series consists of abstracts of the records for the period 1719-1721, as found in Liber 24 and part of 25. The abstracts are arranged chronologically by court session. For the most part, the transcriptions state the names of the principals (testators, heirs, witnesses, administrators, and so forth) as well as details of bequests, names of slaves, appraisers, and more. In all, this volume refers to between 7,500 and 8,000 residents of the Province of Maryland during the first quarter of the 18th century.

Volume IV in this series consists of abstracts of Prerogative Court of Maryland records for the period 1677 to 1682, as well as some inventories for 1702 to 1704. (Beginning in 1674, inventories and accounts were recorded in a separate series.) Mr. Skinner has combed through administration, bond, will, inventory, administration account, and final balance entries to produce this collection. The abstracts are arranged in chronological order by court session. In every instance, they give the names of the principals (testators, heirs, witnesses, administrators, and so forth). In many cases, we also learn the details of bequests, names of slaves, appraisers, and more. In all, what we have here are probate references to over 6,500 17th-century Marylanders whose existence and activities would otherwise remain hidden in some rich but very obscure records.