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This is the eighth volume in Vernon L. Skinner, Jr.’s popular series of transcriptions of 17th-century Maryland probate records. Volume VIII of Abstracts of the Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Maryland, 1697-1700, closes out the 17th-century holdings of the Prerogative Court.

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 VIII consists of abstracts of the records for the period 1697 to 1700. 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. Mr. Skinner notes that with the contents of Volume VIII, the Prerogative Court no longer assigned appraisers for the assessment of individuals’ property. In all, this volume refers to between 6,000 and 7,000 inhabitants of the Province of Maryland at the end of the 17th century.

See also the other volumes in this series:
Volume I: 1658-1674
Volume II: 1670-1674
Volume III: 1675-1677 & 1703-1704
Volume IV: 1677-1682 & 1702-1704
Volume V: 1682-1686
Volume VI: 1686-1689 & 1692-1693
Volume VII: 1693-1697
Volume IX: 1700-1703
Volume X: 1704–1707
Volume XI: 1703-1704 & 1708-1709
Volume XII: 1709-1712
Volume XIII: 1712-1716
Volume XIV 1716-1719
Volume XV: 1719-1721
Volume XVI: 1721-1724
Volume XVII: 1724-1727
Volume XVIII: 1727-1730
Volume XIX: 1730-1734
Volume XX: 1734-1736
Volume XXI: 1736-1739