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AAGS 50th Anniversary Celebration
The Anne Arundel Genealogical Society (AAGS) is proud to celebrate its 50th anniversary, marking five decades of dedicated service to genealogists, historians, and the local community. Since its founding in 1974, the AAGS has been at the forefront of preserving family histories and advancing genealogical research in Anne Arundel County and beyond.
Over the past fifty years, the AAGS has grown from a small group of enthusiasts to a robust organization with hundreds of members. The Society has consistently provided valuable resources, educational programs, and a supportive community for those interested in tracing their family roots.
DNA Special Interest Group
 The Anne Arundel Genealogical Society DNA Special Interest Group (SIG) is a member benefit. Kathy Korin and Tom McCarriar are the group moderators.
The group is open to AAGS members at all levels of DNA knowledge and experience. The purpose of the group is to explore the use of DNA as a genealogical tool, and to inform and educate members about the use of DNA in their personal genealogical research.
Our next meeting will be at 7:00pm, ET, Tuesday, November 19, on Zoom. Kathy and I are taking Diahan Southard's new Shared Matches of Matches (SMoMS) Course. We'll share our thoughts on the course, and maybe add a tip or two we've picked up. If any of you are also taking the course, join in! I've been doing some work with WATO this month, and I'll show you how it, assisted by SMoMs, helped me (almost) identify a mystery match who has been nagging me for years. We'll also have plenty of time for everyone to share their problems and brick walls, and discoveries and triumphs - DNA-related, of course. Finally, we'll continue discussing future topics for our DNA SIG meetings, and let you know what we have planned so far for 2025. If you have requests or ideas for program topics, or something you would like to present to the group, email us and we'll put you on the schedule!
We will email the Zoom link to all AAGS members on November 18, the day before the meeting. If you have questions or comments, please contact us at dna@aagensoc.org.
AAGS Upcoming Program - December 12, 2024
"Highlights of the Archives' Collections Through the Eyes of Notable Anne Arundel County Marylanders"
Date: Thursday, December 12, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM
Platform: Zoom
Event Details:
• Speaker: Rhys Burns, Reference Archivist at the Maryland State Archives
• Topic: Explore the lives of notable Anne Arundel County residents through the Maryland State Archives' collections.
• Learn about genealogical records available at the Archives.
About the Presentation: Dive into the rich history of Anne Arundel County through the Maryland State Archives’ collections. Rhys Burns will illustrate the lives of notable local figures using various records such as land deeds, probate files, military documents, newspapers, personal papers, and art. Discover how these historical resources can deepen your understanding of Anne Arundel County’s past and enhance your knowledge of the collections available at the Archives.
Speaker Bio: Rhys Burns is a Reference Archivist at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis. He holds a degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and has extensive experience working with the Archives’ collections, including the Blacks of the Chesapeake Special Collection. His expertise in processing and digitizing historical records makes him uniquely qualified to present on this fascinating topic.
This program is open to the public.
Register:
AAGS Members: You will receive the Zoom link via email before the event.
Non-Members: Please email programs@aagensoc.org to register and receive the Zoom link. We request that you register no later than Wednesday, December 11, so we can send you the link in a timely manner.
Planning to Visit the Kuethe Library?
You can make the most of your time by doing some research online before you arrive. More than 5,000 of our books are now listed in the Anne Arundel County Public Library catalog. We’ve also posted indexes of our Bible records, genealogy (surname) files, and more here on our website. And we are working on an index for our Anne Arundel County obituary records. Take a few minutes to check these resources at home so you can head straight to the information you need when you arrive. We hope to see you soon at the Kuethe Library!
Anne Arundel County Probate Index
The Maryland State Archives is participating in a joint project with the Comptroller of the Treasury, the Registers of Wills, and FamilySearch to Index and scan the state's probate records from 1634 to 1940, and to make them available online. Volunteers are preparing the documents for scanning, and indexing the records. Scanned records from this project are accessible on the FamilySearch website, but they are not yet indexed. Many of the records can be accessed using the new FamilySearch full-text search capability.
Scanning of Anne Arundel County probate records has been completed. We are excited to make the Anne Arundel County Probate Record Index available to everyone researching their Anne Arundel ancestors. Use this index to identify your ancestors' probate documents either before visiting the Maryland Archives, or digging in to FamilySearch records online..
Indexes have also been completed for Caroline, Carroll, and Baltimore counties. They are available on the Maryland Genealogical Society website.
Check here for more information about volunteer opportunities at the Maryland Archives.
AAGS Publications
Grave Matters: Cemetery Inscriptions, Anne Arundel County, Maryland Volumes 1, 2, and 3 provide tombstone inscriptions, and, in some cases, additional information obtained from cemetery records, verbal conversations, privately published records, government records, individuals familiar with the sites, and family members. These books focus on the non-commercial cemeteries north of Route 50 in the county.
  
Volume 1 contains information on 92 cemeteries in Annapolis Junction, BWI Airport, Ft. Meade, Hanover, Harmans, Jessup, Laurel, Severn, and several sites just beyond the county border.
Volume 2 contains information on 45 cemeteries in Brooklyn, Curtis Bay, Glen Burnie, Linthicum, Millersville, and Odenton.
Volume 3 contains information on 69 cemeteries in Arnold, Crofton, Crownsville, Gambrills, Pasadena, and Severna Park.
The books are fully indexed by surname and maiden name. Alternate cemetery names are also included. All three books can be purchased on Amazon for $25 each. A limited number will be available at the Kuethe Genealogical and Historical Library in Glen Burnie for $25.00 each, or for a reduced price of $60 for the three volume set.
AAGS Publication - Abstracts of Land Records Anne Arundel County, Maryland (Volume 8)
 This is the eighth volume of a series started by the Anne Arundel Genealogical Society. It covers the period of 1754-1763. While the title is Abstracts of Land Records there is much more than just land transactions in these volumes. They include all the transactions recorded by the court clerk. The abstracts of land transactions include basic information including; grantor, grantee, date of deed and of recordation; consideration paid, and release of dower. Many of the transactions are not sales but what today we would call a mortgage or a loan. Collateral for such loans were the land, indentured servants, slaves, animals, and other items of value. Other actions recorded include the finding of stray horses, the ships and freight rates for sending tobacco to London, the release of soldiers, and other matters. Some of the transactions were carried out in Great Britain or other Maryland counties but involve current or former Anne Arundel County residents or property in the county.
Abstracts of Land Records, Volume 8 can be purchased on Amazon.com. Click here to buy your copy.
Member Benefits in Readings Online
Two of our publications, Anne Arundel County, MD Wills Index 1777-1918, and Anne Arundel County, MD Marriage Records 1777-1877, are now available to our members in searchable pdf format. The Wills Index provides an alphabetical list of the primary persons in each of the Anne Arundel County (Maryland) will records between 1778 and 1918, and contains the names of over 3,700 persons, the book number and page number where the record is located at the Maryland State Archives, and the year of the record. The Marriage Index is an index for brides, with 4,736 marriage records.
Click on the links above to preview these publications. Members can access complete copies in Readings Online after logging in to our website. And in case you missed it, pdf copies of The Old Stone House, by Margaret Sparrow, and Louisa C. McPherson's Book, edited by Ray Ringgold and indexed by Audrey Bagby, are already available to our members in Readings Online.
If you prefer hard copies of the Wills Index or Marriage Records, you can still purchase them for $5 in our Store, while supplies last.
St. Anne’s Cemetery Committee in Annapolis, MD Needs Your Help!
The St. Anne’s Cemetery Committee is planning to do the first major update in years for both St. Anne’s and St. Anne’s Cedar Bluff cemeteries. If you have information about individuals buried in either cemetery (name, death date or place, plot information, cemetery deed, burial plot receipt, funeral home, or obit), they want to hear from you.
Contact information:
St. Anne's Parish House (for the churchyard, St. Anne's cemetery, and St. Anne's Cedar Bluff cemetery)
199 Duke of Gloucester St.
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-267-9333
AA County Citizen Preservation Stewardship Program
 Until the 20th century, it was common to establish small family cemeteries on private land. These cemeteries hold an important place in the history of our communities. They represent the resting place of those who made Anne Arundel County the place it is today. The names on the headstones are often the same names given to nearby towns, roads, and landmarks. Unfortunately, unchecked development and vandalism are destroying these important cultural resources.
Anne Arundel has the largest number of cemeteries and the oldest tombstones in Maryland. County regulations do not allow cemeteries to be moved from their original location. To preserve these records of the past, and to respect the final resting places of our ancestors, we need your help documenting the current condition of cemeteries in Anne Arundel County.
Join Anne Arundel County’s Citizen Preservation Stewardship Program to help document and preserve the history of Anne Arundel County. For more information see this flyer, or visit aacounty.org/cemeteries.
Join Us on Facebook
 Already on Facebook? Log in to your Facebook page, then enter and choose Anne Arundel Genealogical Society in the search box, and ask to join. We have reached over 1,300 AAGS Facebook Group members nationwide!
New to Facebook? Go to www.facebook.com. Provide the information requested to set up your free account. Then you can "friend" other Facebook members and share your comments, photos, videos, and favorite websites. You can join groups (AAGS, for example) and send public and private messages to your Facebook friends. It's a great way to meet other genealogists and maybe even make contact with long lost relatives. Give it a try! |
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