Early Landowners of Maryland, Volume 1

Mr. Hall has abstracted the earliest of the land records (the patents) and grouped the information by owners and by hundreds. The level of detail included clearly separates this work from rent roll abstracts and land records and makes it more useful. Patentees and other persons named in the patent document are identified and the relationships or involvement of such persons is defined. This includes relatives, former tract owners, persons transported, persons completing service, surveyors, public officials, contributors of rights to acreage, trades and, occasionally, employers. The work is amply footnoted to include any unusual information found including personal relationships, disputes, and even an occasional reference to a burial site. Also included are tracts now located in adjoining counties that were granted as Anne Arundel tracts. Hall has identified virtually all the Anne Arundel patentees along with others who owned the land or warrant or acted as owner. In addition, he includes references to tract location by river, creek, or branch. In nearly all cases he identifies neighbors and their tracts and, using data gleaned from other records such as probate, judicial proceedings, church and marriage records, he has identified and included many grants not included in the Rent Rolls. An every-name index and an Index of Tracts add to the value of this work.