Card Catalogs
While helpful, there are far more indexes and resources available beyond our card catalogs, so check out our Topic Specific Research Guides for more, or email us at msa.helpdesk@maryland.gov for research suggestions.
Below you'll find indexes to colonial probate records, for instance, but depending upon the type of record referenced, these card catalogs are limited. People often find they need to look at original archival indexes for probate records after the revolution.
Feel free to talk to our archivists in order to figure out what record will be helpful to you, whether probate, naturalization, land, etc. Then we check to see if these card catalogs already have an index to these collections. Some indexes reference multiple collections, which can make it difficult to identify and locate the record found on the index card.
As a background note, these card catalogs were created from around the 1930s to the 1960s by archivists and volunteers at the Hall of Records (now the Maryland State Archives).
For further assistance, please contact us.
Also note that Maryland County Information - includes historical information on counties and county acronyms used throughout the finding aids.
PROBATE RECORDS - View
Probate Records 1. (Probate Records, Colonial, Index), 1634-1777. MSA S1393 MSA SE4 available online related Bulldog article
2. (Testamentary Proceedings, Index), 1657-1777. MSA S1394 available online related Bulldog article
3. (Probate Records, Index), 1777-1854, incomplete. MSA S1395 available online related Bulldog article
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MARRIAGE RECORDS - View
Marriage Records 6. (Marriage Licenses and Records, Index), 1649-1720; 1774-1886, incomplete. MSA SE27 available online
7-15. (Marriage Licenses, BA, Male Index), 1777-1851. MSA S1398 available online
16-26. (Marriage Licenses, BA, Female Index), 1777-1851. Indexes 16-26. MSA S1399 available online
123. (Maryland Marriage References) var.d. MSA S1527 available online
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BIRTH & DEATH RECORDS - View
Vital Records 28. (Church Records, Birth and Baptism Index), 1663-1967, various dates for 15 churches. MSA S1401 available at the archives related Bulldog article
29. (Church Records, Death and Burial Index), 1686-1958, various dates for 13 churches. MSA S1402 available online related Bulldog article
30. (Birth Records, Index), 1649-1720, 1804-1877, 1898-1923, incomplete. Birth records restricted 100 years. MSA S1403 available online related Bulldog article
31. (Death Records, Index), 1648-1720, 1865-1880, 1898-1918, incomplete. MSA S1404 available online related Bulldog article
32. (Bible and Tombstone Records, Index), var.d. Refers to printed or manuscript records. MSA S1406 available at the archives related Bulldog article
96. (Death Record, BC, Index), 1875-1877, 1943-1949. MSA S1483 available online related Bulldog article
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FREEDOM RECORDS34. (Freedom Records, AA, Index), 1805-1864. MSA S1407 available online related Bulldog article
35. (Freedom Records, AA, Owner Index), 1785-1867. MSA S1408 available online related Bulldog article
38. (Freedom Records, PG, Index), 1806-1869. MSA S1411 available online related Bulldog article
39. (Freedom Records, QA, Index), 1807-1864. MSA S1412 available online related Bulldog article
40. (Freedom Records, QA, Owner Index), 1807-1864. MSA S1413 available onlinerelated Bulldog article
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NATURALIZATION RECORDS - View
Immigration and Naturalization Records 41. (Naturalizations, Provincial, Index), 1637-1776. See also Jeffrey and Florence Wyand, Colonial Maryland Naturalizations. MSA S1414 available online related Bulldog article
42. (Naturalizations, Index), 1777-1917. Indexes General Courts of the Eastern and Western Shores, 1781-1805, and some county courts. See Passenger and Immigration Lists Index for citations to printed works on immigration (most not available at the Archives). MSA S1415 available online related Bulldog article
43. (Naturalizations, BA and BC, Index), 1796-1933. Indexes all courts in Baltimore County before 1851 and Baltimore City. Please include all information on the card on your request slip. See also Michael H. Tepper, Passenger Arrivals at the Port of Baltimore, 1820-1834. MSA S1416 available online related Bulldog article
44. (Naturalizations, BA, Index), 1852-1918. See also Indexes 42 and 43. MSA S1417 available online related Bulldog article
142. (Naturalizations, Federal, Index), 1797-1906, 1925-1951 and naturalizations of soldiers, 1918-1923. For 1797-1906, the index card is the only record. After 1906, the records are at the Federal Records Center in Philadelphia. MSA S1463 available at the archives related Bulldog article
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CENSUS RECORDS - View
Census Records and
Combined Census search46. (Census, Index), 1776 and 1778. MSA S1419 available online related Bulldog article on Census of 1776related Bulldog article on Census of 1778
121. (Census of 1870, AA, Index), 1870. Anne Arundel County. MSA S1526 available online
100. (Census, Index), 1870. Baltimore City and County. MSA S453 available online
122. (Census of 1880, AA, Index), 1880. Anne Arundel County. MSA S1525 available online
107. (Census, Index), 1890. Maryland veterans. available at the archives
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MILITARY & RELATED SERVICE - View
Military Records 45. (Muster and Pay Rolls, Index), 1732-1772. MSA S1418 available online related Bulldog article
47. (Oaths of Fidelity, Index), 1778. MSA S1420 available online related Bulldog article
48. (Pension Records, Revolutionary War, Index), 1778-1861. See also Archives of Maryland, Volume 18. MSA S1421 available online
49. (Revolutionary War Papers, Index), 1775-1789. See also An Inventory of Maryland State Papers: The Revolutionary War Era, 1775-1789. MSA S1422 available online related Bulldog article
50. (Revolutionary War Records, Index), 1776-1798. MSA S1423 available online related Bulldog article
51. (Militia Records, Index), 1794-1824. Includes appointments, arms suppliers, and BA militia registration of 1794. MSA S1424 available online related Bulldog article
52. (Pension Records, War of 1812, Index), 1867-1889. MSA S1425 available online related Bulldog articleanother Bulldog article
53. (Civil War Records, Index), 1861-1865. Covers Union service only. Index retired; see printed index to History and Roster of the Maryland Volunteers, 1861-1865. Confederate service records are found in W. W. Goldsborough, The Maryland Line in the Confederate Army, 1861-1865; Daniel P. Hartzler, Marylanders in the Confederacy; or at the National Archives. MSA S1470 available at the archives
119. MILITARY DEPARTMENT (Service Records, Maryland National Guard, Index), 1888-1933. MSA S1499 available online
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LAND RECORDS - View
Land Records 54. (Patents, Index), 1634-1985. Pink cards refer to unpatented certificates of survey. MSA S1426 available online related Bulldog article
55. (Patents, Tract Index), 1634-1985. Arranged by county. See Plats for (Patents, Tract Index) for each county. Index 55 also lists tracts of land formerly in Maryland, indexed by tract name, that are now located in the District of Columbia, Delaware and Pennsylvania. MSA SE33 available online related Bulldog article
56. (Rent Rolls, Index), 1639-1776, Only volumes 1-13 are indexed here. See also Calvert Papers Rent Rolls and their indexes on microfilm. MSA S1428 available online related Bulldog articleanother Bulldog article
57. (Rent Rolls, AA, Tract Index), 1651-1776. See cards in front of index for coding scheme. MSA S1429 available at the archives related Bulldog article
58. (Debt Book, Index), Eastern Shore, 1733-1775; Western Shore, 1753-1774. Arranged by county. MSA S1430 available online related Bulldog article
64. (Patents, Manor Index), 1634-1804. Index to private and proprietary manors found in (Patent Record). MSA S1436 available online related Bulldog article
117. (Settlers, Index), var.d. Contains names not included in Gust Skordas, The Early Settlers of Maryland, 1633-1680. MSA S1503 available online
138. PROVINCIAL COURT, GENERAL COURT OF THE WESTERN SHORE, and COURT OF APPEALS (Land Records, Tract Index), 1658-1815. 1 vol. MSA S555, MSA S503, MSA S447 available online
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COURT RECORDS - View
Court Records Before 1776 4. (Admiralty Papers), 1776-1812. MSA S1471 available online
136. PROVINCIAL COURT and GENERAL COURT OF THE WESTERN SHORE (Judgment Record, Index), 1658-1778. 3 vols. MSA S543, MSA S496 available online
143. (Judgment Record, Provincial Court, Index), 1679-1696, 1698-1717. Available on request at the Circulation Desk. MSA S1465 available at the archives related Bulldog article
137. PROVINCIAL COURT, GENERAL COURT OF THE WESTERN SHORE, and COURT OF APPEALS (Land Records, Index), 1658-1815. 1 vol. MSA S545, MSA S502 MSA S446 available online
138. PROVINCIAL COURT, GENERAL COURT OF THE WESTERN SHORE, and COURT OF APPEALS (Land Records, Tract Index), 1658-1815. 1 vol. MSA S555, MSA S503, MSA S447 available online
139. (Land Records, Provincial and State, Index), 1658-1790. Includes Provincial Court (Judgment Record), 1658-1679, 3 vols. MSA S1466 available online
59. (Chancery Records, Index), 1668-1807, 1817-1851. Records between 1807 and 1817 are not indexed. MSA S1431 available online
60. (Chancery Papers, Index), 1713-1851. See CHANCERY COURT (Chancery Papers) MSA S512 available online
61. (Chancery Papers, Tract Index), 1713-1851. MSA S1433 available online
62. (Chancery Papers, Petitions Index), 1713-1851. MSA S1434 available online related Bulldog article
63. (Chancery Papers, Trustee Index), 1713-1851. MSA S1435 available onlinerelated Bulldog article
94. (Equity Papers, SM, Index), 1815-1873. MSA S1481 available online related Bulldog article
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TAX LISTS65. & 66.(Assessment of 1783, Index), 1783. Electronic index available for AA, BA, CV, CA, CE, CH, DO, HA, KE, and MO, QA, SO, and TA; card index available for WA, WO. Index 65 & 66. Includes MSA S1438 (Assessment of 1783, Tract Index). MSA S1437 available online related Bulldog article This index does not include Patapsco Hundred, Baltimore County.)
67. (Tax List, AA, Index), 1764-1766. MSA S1439 available online related Bulldog article
68. (Federal Direct Tax, AA, Index), 1798. The following counties are available on microfilm but not indexed: BC, BA, CA, CH, HA, PG, QA, SM, SO, TA. See county microform guides in the Microfilm Room for film numbers. MSA S1440 available online related Bulldog article
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COUNTY & MUNICIPAL RECORDS - View
Maryland County Information 33. (Miscellaneous Records, AA, Index), 1703-1705, 1788-1867. MSA S1405 available at the archives related Bulldog article
69. (Judgment Record, AA, Index), 1703-1792. Subject index, 1703-1721. Name index available by request slip at the Circulation Desk. MSA S1441 available online related Bulldog article
81. (Chancery and Land Commission Papers, BA and BC, Index), 1785-1908. MSA S1472 available online
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STATE RECORDS85. (Board of Public Works, Index), 1875-1981. MSA S1473 available online
86. (Boundary Records, Index), 1720-1985. State and county boundaries. MSA S1474 available online
87. (Bulldog, Index), 1987- . Staff newsletter. MSA S1475 available online
88. (Governors Records, Index), 1850-1981. MSA S1476 available online
91. (Provincial Papers, Index), 1714-1775. Miscellaneous colonial era papers. MSA S1478 available online
93. (Series, Index), 1635- . List of records at the Archives. Most entries also in Guide to Government Records at the Maryland State Archives. available at the archives
97. (Maryland State Papers, Index), 1775-1789. Miscellaneous state government papers. MSA S1484 available online
110. (State Publications, Index), 1829- . Indexes publications and reports of State agencies and officers. Card index for documents received through 1975 available by request slip at circulation desk. See also Government Publications & Reports. available online
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LIBRARY AND MARYLAND HISTORICAL MAGAZINE101. (Library, Index), var.d. Cards retired. Includes old Index 92. (Periodicals Index) MSA S1452 available online
102. (Maryland Historical Magazine, Index), 1906-1919. MSA S1453 available at the archives related Bulldog article
103. (Maryland Historical Magazine, Author Index), 1906-1975. MSA S1454 available at the archives related Bulldog article
104. (Maryland Historical Magazine, Title and Subject Index), 1906-1975. MSA S1455 available at the archives related Bulldog article
105. (Maryland Historical Magazine, Index), 1906-1960. Valuable for genealogical research and Maryland history. Available by request slip at the Circulation Desk. MSA S1453 available at the archives related Bulldog article
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SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (Photographs, Newspapers, State Publications, Maps, Plats)
89. (Photographs, Index), var.d. Other guides to photographs are also available at the Guide Table. available online
95. (Topic File, Index), var.d. Archives' research files. MSA SC 1456 available online
106. (Maryland Gazette, Annapolis Items, Index), 1745-1820. The Gazette itself is available on microfilm; see Guide to Maryland Newspapers. MSA S1456 available at the archives related Bulldog article
108. (Special Collections, Index), var.d. Indexes private manuscripts by donor and subject. available online related Bulldog article
115. (Charles Carroll of Carrollton Family Papers, Index), 1651-1877. MSA S1502 available online Contains entries from Guide to the Microfilm Edition.
116. (Photoduplication Orders, Index) 1986 - Contains record citations from copy orders. available at the archives
111. (Maps, Index), var.d. Cards retired. See also Guide to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps in Microfilm Room. Self service maps and guides to them are available at the far end of the Search Room. available at the archives
112. (Plat References, Index), var.d. Indexes plats recorded among the records of the county courts, Chancery Court, and Land Office. Arranged by county. related Bulldog article; see also plats.net available at the archives
113. (Plats on Microfilm, Index), 1697-1955. Indexes plats found in county records. Arranged by county. related Bulldog article; see also plats.net available at the archives
90. (Plats, Index), 1724-1962. Indexes plats and plans itemized in series unit lists; see also plats.net available online
118. (Biographies, Index) var.d. Index to biographies done by the Archives. MSA SC 1138 See also Historical & Biographical Research at the Maryland State Archives
available online
NEWSPAPER RECORDS
MSA SC 6211 Bill Earle Niles' Register Index Collection
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