Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-11-18
A PLEA FOR RECORDS
Priceless Anne Arundel County
Documents Wondering In A
Cellar.
D. A. R. TO PRESERVE THEM.
Mrs. George W. Hodges Reads In
teresting Paper Before Peggy
Stewart Tea Party Chapter.

At the meeting of the-Peggy Stew.
art Tea Party Chapter, d. A. R., held
in thu old Senate Chamber on Wed.
nesday, most interesting paper was
read by Mrs. George W. Hodges, of
the Baltimore Chapter. Mrs. Hodges
making plea for the Anne Arundel
County Court Records. which are
mouldering in damp cellar, not be-
cause of any fault of the court officials,
but because there is no room for
them elsewhere.
The local Chapter expects to take
action toward the preservation of
these priceless records, and invited
Mrs. Hodges, the genealogist, whose
work is along this line, to prepare a
paper on the subject. Mrs. Hodges
submitted and read the following:
Madam Regent and Daughters of
the Peggy stewart Tea Party Chap
ter:-
| have been invited to tell you of
most interesting fact, of interest to
many people in the State of Maryland
- but, more especially of interest to
Anne Arundel county and Annapolis.
Your Regent selected me, | think,
because she knows that in the old rec
ords of Maryland is my life's work,
and that came from a county, so un-
fortunate as to have its priceless
records destroyed by fire. do not
know if you are aware that Anne
Arundel county, the third county es-
tablished in Maryland, 1850. has the
second most complete records in the
State, that at the present time the
Court Records, three hundred bound
books, in velumn and leather in several
grades, to the cheap pasteboard
binding of today, from 1902 to 1911,
are down in the cellar of Anne Arun-
del county local Court House. We
all know why the Court Records, sell
dom used by the Court, find a resting
place in so many of the local court
houses, in out-of-the-way places-not
through any fault of the Court, but
for want of space. The books which
are constantly in demand, fill in gem
orally all the valuable space. These
Court Records of Anne Arundel county
in the most beautiful copy-plate hand
writing, are being ruined by damp
ness. coal dust and heat. In case of a
fire it would be impossible to save
them for, guided by the caretaker of
the Court House, at midday, it is so
dark that one half bent has to follow
his voice, and be very careful to obey
when he says bend your head very
low here" These Court Records ara
the history of the court of the county.
Where is the historian of today,
or the day to come to go for the true
history of a county if not to the Court
Records, and it il surprising what you
do find in these great Court Record
books. Last February was found in
the Court Records from Charles coun-
ty, Nd. in the basement of the State
Land Office, record that has given
Memorial Continental Hall three vol
umes which has caused the board to
say that Maryland is doing the great
est work in the Society of the Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution.
These Charles county records some
years back were attacked by the book
worm, and Charles county court or
dered their records for safe keeping
to he State Land Office at Annapo-
lis. The book-worm is a most de-
structive small worm, but not more
destructive than the conditions sur
rounding your priceless records of
Anne Arundel county. If Charles
county Court could so order its records
to the State Land Office at Annapolis.
why not Anne Arundel county? WHY
wait for the Legislture? That au-
gust body will have many things to
claim its attention. would love to
see this county of Anne Arundel take
the initiative. Mr.. Thos. A. Smith.
Land Commissioner, under whose re-
gime such magnificent work has been
accomplished, is willing and ready
to take charge of these Court Rec
ords, re-binding where the bindings
are ruined by the conditions sur
rounding them.
And your able States Attorney for
Anne Arundel county will do all he
can to get these rcords well cared for.
This is only one more of the MANY
things the people of Maryland will
have to thank the Peggy Stewart Tea
Party Chapter for accomplishing.
In my many recent trips to Memorial
Continental Hall at Washington, l have
had chats with many of the young girls
who day by day work in the light oi
your beautiful picture, ''The Burning
of the brig Peggy Stewart" They
tell me new beauties come out tc
them day by day from that picture
and they love it. There is one thine
more want to tell you of. men
toned the wonderful find from Charlie,
County Court Records. This find O,
1871 men has lead up to three vol
umes being recorded though the Bal
timore Chapter in the library at Me
mortal Continental Hall. Vol. l eacI
county arranged by date of admittanc.
into the State, has as a title page OF
the reverse side the second Grea
Seal of Maryland. The third volum,
is to have Old Glory. Would YOU
Chapter care to be represented in thi
work?
"The flag Old Glory is unique in itself
Maryland is the only State havins
itsxoriginal battleT flag. :. Some few