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Readers of this excellent series know that the Prerogative Court was the focal point for probate in colonial Maryland. All matters of probate went directly to the Prerogative Court, which was located in Annapolis, Maryland's colonial capital. The following documents were filed with the court: administration, bond, will, inventory, administration accounts, and final balances. 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.

Volume XI contains abstracts of the records for 1703-1704 and 1707-1709, as found in Libers 20 and 21. As such, it overlaps chronologically with Volume X, which deals with the years 1704-1707. 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 8,000 residents.

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 VIII: 1697-1700
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
Volume XXII: 1739-1741
Volume XXIII: 1741-1744
Volume XXIV: 1744-46
Volume XXIV: 1744-46
Volume XXV: 1746-1749
Volume XXVI: 1749-1750
Volume XXVII: 1753, 1750-1751
Volume XXVIII: 1751-1752, 1755
Volume XXIX: 1755-1758
Volume XXX: 1758-1761
Volume XXXI: 1761-1762
Volume XXXIII: 1764-1765
Volume XXXIV: 1765-1767
Volume XXXV: 1767-1768
Volume XXXVI: 1768-1770
Volume XXXVII: 1770-1771
Volume XXXVIII: 1771-1772