Abstracts of the Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Maryland. Volume VI

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.