The National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) recognizes not only the services of those who bore arms in the Revolution, but also those who rendered service in civil capacities and provided other support, material or verbal. Material support included the payment of taxes that were in support of the War, or honored requests of the Continental Congress to the States. These (qualifying) taxes provide evidence of Patriotic Service for an ancestor for membership of a descendant in the SAR.
The Maryland Revolutionary War Era Tax Lists are arranged by county/district/hundred. Researchers may use them to discover distant ancestors. SAR members and prospective members may use them as supporting evidence of Patriotic Service for new and supplemental applications.
In Maryland, landowners were listed on most tax records (but not all) with the specific land tracts that were taxed. So the tax records are useful in proofs of identity and lineage in addition to proofs of Patriotic Service. The tract names are a benefit to researchers because ancestor names and the lands they owned were listed in land records and often bequeathed to sons or other descendants in probate records. Collectively this provides a more precise opportunity to match one's ancestor with the names on these lists.
Overview of the Maryland Revolutionary War Era Tax Lists
We suggest that anyone exploring these lists first read the Overview document (linked below). This will provide a general sense of the arrangement of the files, the Acts that resulted in the tax collections, and the qualifying circumstances for those listed. it also discusses the abstracted version of these lists available on the Maryland State Archives website.
Overview of the Maryland Revolutionary War Era Tax Lists
Reports of the NSSAR Subcommittee on Revolutionary Taxes
Maryland Tax Laws in force during the American Revolution
Maryland Tax Records Lists that provide a Basis of Patriotic Service
Maryland Qualifying Revolutionary Tax Files
Please note that these files are large -
National Society Sons of the American Revolution Terms of Use
John D. Sinks, NSSAR Genealogy Committee
Chair, Subcommittee on Revolutionary Taxes
jsinks@comcast.net(link sends e-
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