Genealogical Research in the Maryland Department
Before You Begin Your Library Research
Before coming to the library, try to identify facts, such as the spelling of names, relationships and dates. Talk to your relatives to see if they can provide any information you can use, perhaps in family bibles or previously researched family history.
You will want to know the following before you contact the library:
- Which time period do I need to search?
- What county or counties does my family come from?
- What have I already found, or which documents do I already have?
Genealogical Resources in the Maryland Department Collection
Statewide Books
This portion of the collection includes books that cover the entire state of Maryland. These books are usually one of three types:
- Indexes: alphabetical lists of names, subjects, etc., that point you to places you can find related information. Researchers will find general indexes, indexes of vital records, wills, court and land records, church and cemetery records, as well
as records from a specific institution, and more.
- Bibliographies: listings of other books or articles that may be helpful in finding genealogical information. Many genealogy magazines and journals contain bibliographies of useful sources.
- Directories: refer you to other locations that may have information on the person or institutions you are trying to find.
Individual Family Histories
Though not generally collected, there are a few hundred family histories in the Maryland Department. Most of these works
are non-circulating; however, photocopying is permitted from all sources.
County Specific Books
Though the Maryland Department attempts to get many statewide resources,
available information varies by county.
The following are some of the county-based genealogical resources in the Maryland Department:
- County histories: especially useful in finding surnames and family homes
- City directories: help you locate a person, family or business for a specific year or a span of years. Directories may provide a person's occupation, or listings of government agencies, houses of worship, and charitable institutions.
- Telephone directories
- Criss-cross directories -- or reverse telephone directories -- list residents by street address rather than by name
- Indexes of marriage and death announcements in newspapers, including obituaries dating back to the early 18th century
- Listings of interments from local cemeteries
- Land patents
- Yearbooks from high schools and colleges
Special Indexes
Many of the indexes in the Department contain genealogical information, and there are others that supplement this type of work very well.
- Indexes to the decennial censuses for Maryland, 1790-1870
- Index to the Maryland Historical Magazine, 1906-2009 (1979-2009 only available online)
- Index (Soundex) to Passenger Arrivals at the Port of Baltimore, 1820-1952
- Index (Soundex) to Passenger Lists of Vessels arriving at Baltimore (City Passenger Lists), 1833-1866
- Index to Naturalization Petitions in U.S. Circuit and District Court of Maryland, 1797-1951
- Internal Revenue Assessment Lists for Maryland, 1862-1866
- Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers (Union and Confederate) Who Served in Organizations from the State of Maryland, 1861-1865
- Index to the Baltimore Sun, 1891-1959, 1983-1989
- Index to the Evening Sun, 1910-1955
- Maryland Picture File: analytics to illustrations of persons and places found in books and periodicals in the collection
- Ephemera Collection: database which provides access to a collection of miscellany which may include, but is not limited to posters, letters, photographs, menus, programs and other items
Newspapers
Newspapers are a rich source of information for family research. You can find obituaries, death notices, marriage and birth announcements, and legal notices. Social and political
events, disasters, and ship arrivals and departures may identify ancestors. Even advertisements provide valuable information on family businesses. The Maryland Department receives 23 subscriptions to Maryland newspapers and holds some historic
newspapers. However, the Library’s Periodicals Department houses most of our historic papers.
Biography, Query and Vertical Files
These files contain hundreds of thousands of cards that will direct you to sources in various formats, both in the Maryland Department
and in other departments of the Library.
- Query File: contains entries on places, events, institutions, businesses and, in some cases, people
- Biography File: includes references to persons and families only
Maps/Atlases
Maps can provide valuable clues when tracking ancestors. The Maryland Department's map collection includes over 2000 maps, dating from 1630-present. Maps show neighborhoods, businesses
and the distance from home to a place of work or worship. In Baltimore City, 19th century street maps identify ward numbers necessary in locating census enumerations. County maps show election districts for the same purpose.
Many Maryland county atlases, published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, identify landowners, the approximate boundaries of their property, and election districts.
Sanborn fire insurance maps show characteristics like house numbers, names of businesses and water and sewer lines. They are available in the Department on microfilm, or through the Library’s databases.
Our collection cover volumes produced from 1890 - the early 1980s for Maryland.
Online Resources
Genealogy/Family History Resources at the Enoch Pratt Free Library
This page
provides a description of services, resources, and guidelines for several departments at the Central Library of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, including the Maryland Department.
State Library Resource Center Web Guides
Library subject specialists created these guides to direct users to informative websites on a variety of topics. Extensive genealogical information will be found in the Biography & Genealogy, and the Maryland & Baltimore categories.
Databases
The Library subscribes to many useful databases, that you can access with a Pratt Library card. Those useful to genealogists include:
How can Maryland Department staff help with my genealogical research?
As the State Library Resource Center, specialists are available to conduct basic genealogy training for library systems, organizations, and the public. Maryland Department librarians are eager to assist the public or other librarians with the materials
mentioned above. The staff are happy to help. Come in anytime the Central Library is open -- no appointment necessary.
Ask Us
If you are interested in more help or have questions, please e-mail us through our Ask-A-Librarian service, call (410) 396-5468, or you can write to us at:
Maryland Department
Enoch Pratt Free Library
State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201