The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-05-18
NO. 20.

rogative Court of the province of
Maryland, and administration &C
counts, inventories and balance book,
and for the re-arrangements of orig
inal wills of early settlers of Mary
land, and their preservation against
destruction by fire. Whereas there
are at this time in the office of the
Register of Wills of Anne Arundel
County, formerly belonging to the
office of the Commissary General of
the province of Maryland, forty-seven
volumes of the proceedings of the pre-
rogative court of the said province;
also "a volumes of administrators &C
counts, 126 volumes of inventories
and volumes of final distribution on
balance books from all the counties of
the State in existence prior to the war
of the revolution, containing valuable
historical matter, now inaccessible to
the public, for the reason that large
proportion of said volumes are with
out indexes; and whereas also there
are on file in the said Register of
Wills office at this time l5 900 origina
wills of the early settlers of the prov
ince of Maryland, covering the period
from 1885 to III, A. D., also of great
historical interest, but which for lack
of suitable appliances for their ar
rangement and examination are also
and because of the fimsy and conbus-
they are stored are in great danger of
destruction by fire therefore.
SECTION l. Be it enacted by the Gen
Register of Wills of Anne Arundel
County and the Governor of the State
be and they are hereby authorized and
to have indexed, in proper
books to be purchased by them for that
purpose, the aforesaid forty-seven vol
umes of the proceedings of the Preroga-
tive Court of the Province of Maryland,
volumes of the administra-
ton accounts. one hundred and twenty
six volumes Of inventories, and six vol
umes of distribution or balance books,
and to arrange in patent file-holders and
jackets, to be purchased by them for
that purpose, fifteen thousand original
Wills of early settlers of the Province of
as aforesaid.
Sec. 2. And be it enacted. That the
two officials aforesaid be and they are
hereby authorized and empowered to
have the said office of the Register of
Wills, wherein the said records are
stored, made fire-proof by having it
fitted up with an iron door, iron shelves
and window frames, and stone or
cement or other incombustible floor.
Sec. 8. And be it enacted, That the
sum of one thousand five hundred
dollars, or so much thereof as may be
found necessary, be, and the same is,
hereby appropriated: First, to pay the
cost of making fire proof said Office and
ndexing the said several volumes
mentioned in the preceding section and
or purchasing the books necessary for
hat purpose, providing that the cost of
said indexing shall be paid for at the
same rate now fixed by law for index
ng the books of the Office of the said
Register of Wills; and second, to pay
he cost of the number of patent "File
Holders and Jackets" necessary for the
proper arrangement therein of the said
original wills, and the cost of arranging
he same, provided that the cost of said
File Holders and Jackets" and the ar
of said wills shall not exceed
he sum of two hundred and fifty dollars,
Ind the Comptroller of the Treasury
If Maryland is hereby authorized
md directed to issue his warrants to the
treasurer, payable to the order of the
aid Register OF Wills, from time to
ime as the said work shall have been
lone and Purchases shall have been
made, and the said indexing and
arranging shall have progressed, for the
necessary to pay the costs
hereof, not to exceed in the whole the
'um of one thousand five hundred dol
ars, provided the said Register of Wills
md Governor shall from time to time
lie with the Comptroller itemized &C
counts for such purchases, indexing and
duly certified by them to be
Sec. 4. And be ii enacted, That this
Act shall take effect from the date of it's
passage.
Approved April 6, 1894.
FRANK BROWN, Governor.
JOHN WALTER SMITH.