Maryland Genealogical Society
Maryland Genealogical Society

Welcome!

Since 1959, the Maryland Genealogical Society has been promoting genealogical study and research.   Through our publications, programs, resources, and outreach, the Society can help you explore your family history.
 
If you are already a member of the Society, you can log in by clicking on the Members Only link. If you are not already a member, we encourage you to become a member and begin receiving all the benefits of membership.  
 
And we hope that you'll follow us on Facebook for timely news and information.
 
        
    
                      

 

Election Results

By FutUndBeidl; https://www.flickr.com/photos/61423903@N06/8076635893Thank you to all who voted in the recent election. Congratulations to our newly elected MGS Officers, who will start their two-year terms on June 1st.

President – Heather O’Hara
Vice President – Janelle Mummey
Treasurer – Allender Sybert
Recording Secretary – Ellen Ward
 
Thank you to outgoing President John Siemon for his continued dedication to MGS! He will continue in a leadership role as Immediate Past President.
 
 

 

May 2023 MGS News

 
The May 2023 edition of MGS News is now available. If you are a MGS member, you should have received the issue by email. If you are a member and haven't provided us with your email, please contact us at info@mdgensoc.org so that you can begin to receive MGS News
 
Archived copies of this issue and previous issues are available in the Member's Only area
 
 
 
 

 

New Webinar on the Baltimore City Archives

In our latest Maryland Minutes webinar, Finding Family History at the Baltimore City Archives, presenter Malissa Ruffner provides a comprehensive overview of the records available at the Baltimore City Archives, with many record examples. She also provides the history of the Baltimore City Archives, identifies what you won’t find there, and offers guidance if you want to plan a visit. This video is very helpful if you have ancestors in Baltimore City. Some of the specific records discussed include passenger lists, the 1868 city police census, city market records, city directories, ward maps, records pertaining to African Americans in Baltimore, and more. This webinar is available to members in the Members Only section.
 
 

 

MGS Journal

Volume 63, Number 2, the August 2022 issue of the Journal, is now available. Members receive their copies by mail. Earlier issues of the Journal are available for sale, and members receive a discounted price. Click here for information on prices and how to purchase.
 
In this issue, Tony Nardo tells the complicated but fascinating story of the Papa/Parigi family, who immigrated to Baltimore, Texas, and New Orleans from Cefalù in Sicily. A chance conversation and a letter from 1947 led family members to discover branches of their family and connections that they had never known existed. Mike Sapp follows up his article from the last issue of the Journal, “Who Are Catherine Stinchcomb’s Parents?” (Volume 63, No. 1), with a further exploration of the Stinchcomb family in Maryland. He identifies and discusses five major sources of information on the family and delves into the original sources in order to correct some inaccuracies and resolve discrepancies. Nancy Calvert-Koyzis examines the story of Benedict Swingate Calvert, eldest son of Charles Calvert, the fifth Lord Baltimore. Benedict was a Maryland judge, politician, and planter, sent to live in Maryland as a child, but the identity of his mother has been a mystery. Dr. Calvert-Koyzis discusses several possible candidates and makes a convincing case for one, all while telling us much about the “highest ranks” of the nobility.
 
Nancy Lee Waters presents the questions surrounding her paternal great-great-grandmother, Mary Pestorf, as we resurrect our series of Brick Wall articles. Our Photo Vault article by Malissa Ruffner is about Emma D. Sudrow and Mary C. Monk, two Baltimore women whose lives were intertwined and whose stories are a great illustration of the idea of “Smalltimore.” In this issue, we introduce a new series of articles by Sandy Quick, who describes how the global positioning system (GPS) can be used by genealogists to improve our data collecting and recording techniques. Jane Burgess challenges your genealogical knowledge in the crossword puzzle, and Allender Sybert reviews current books and genealogical resources in our review section.
 
For a look at the full table of contents, click here.
 

 

Used Genealogy Books For Sale

(Image by Emma Lopez, posted on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.)MGS has an inventory of used genealogy-related books available for purchase on the For Sale page. MGS members receive a 12% discount on purchases. (Be sure to be signed in on the website as a member before ordering!) All prices already include shipping and handling. Sales are first come, first served!
 
In addition to books on Maryland, our current inventory includes the following topics: family histories; U.S., British, German, New England, Pennsylvania, Polish, Scottish, and Virginia research; photography; lineage societies; royalty and nobility; Norman ancestry; heraldry; and general interest. We will be adding books as they become available.
 

 

We're Looking for Your Photos!

 
Would you like to see images of your ancestors included on the MGS Web site? Members are encouraged to submit photos for inclusion in the gallery of images at the top of the page that rotate and change each time visitors go to a new page on the Web site. (Each has a caption that you can read by hovering your cursor over the image.) For more information about submitting images, click here.