The United Methodist Historical Society located at Lovely Lane Methodist Museum and Archives: Just though I would share this with you. Each time I go to the archives, I am amazed at what I find. While I realize now from my research that most of my relatives were Methodist in Baltimore, I never realized all the information that I would find at the archives. I have found baptismal records with parent’s names and birth date. I have found marriages far easier than at the MSA. I have found address changes and church changes when they moved to a new area of town. I have found death notices and I have also found cemetery information. All of these for 19th century, pre-vital governmental record keeping days. But beside the vital data information, I have also found why couples came to marry. (they were members of the same church as children) but also where and what type wedding they had. (Parsonage, church, home—and what home). Instead of searching through poorly photographed microfilm, I get to touch and use the original records. I even found notes that my grandmother placed on little pieces of paper in one church’s old books 50 years ago. The notes told me where to find the information that had been eluding me for the last 5 years. I recognized her handwriting immediately and the notes simply said “page xx, line xx”. I looked there and low and behold, there it was. I was only the next person to have touched the books—50 years later! Which brings me to another point—very few people visit or use the records they keep there. Also while they are doing a great job now, they still need more money to preserve the records for future generations. And do they have records…many more that I can touch on here. Membership is only $10.00 yearly for an associate membership. Other Membership categories are available. I am considering a lifetime membership, which is a bargain at $200.00. But if not a member, a visit is only $2.00. I found it much less expensive to join because I now go fairly often. Also there are other benefits if you cannot visit. The staff will do research for $15.00 per hour if not a member and $10.00 per hour if a member if you are not in the area. Lovely Lane is the mother church of Methodism in the United States. The records include the Baltimore, Washington, DC and western Maryland conferences. The Baltimore fire of 1904 did affect their records but they still have records back to the early 1800’ s. Their telephone number is 410—889-4458. Their email is lovlnmus@bcpl.net <mailto:lovlnmus@bcpl.net> Suni Johnson is the new director and Wanda Barnes Hall is the new archival assistant. Wanda does the research requests. Please think of this resource when doing Maryland research. AND PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING! Jane Thursby >From England to Maryland by the early 1700’s and still Maryland. Researching Thursby, Stinchecum, Seward, Clag(g)ett, McNamara, Barnes, Muckelroy, Watkins, Kennard, Snyder, Griffin, Benson, Cullison, Shipley, Beall, White, Wheatly, Mullineaux, Lee, Norris, Waugh, Oldner, Davis, Sasscer, Fell, Purdum, Benton, Moxley, Norwood, Lewis, Tydings, Lamb, Gassaway, Holland Also through husband: Schaffer, Appel, Dinsmore, Fischer, Yeagle, Suman, Soellner, Franz, Baker, Albert, Miller, Buzzard, Kitzmiller, Loeb, Stougel, Rohr, Turner, Wilson, Schichadanz