Abstracts of the Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Maryland. Volume I: 1658-1674

Description

This volume consists of abstracts of Prerogative Court of Maryland records for the period 1658 to 1674. 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, and 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, Mr. Skinner identifies some 6,000 17th-century Marylanders whose existence and activities would otherwise remain hidden in some rich but very obscure records.