M genealogical glossary terms

M

Mac'

 * A prefix meaning "son of" used on Scottish and Irish surnames.

Magistrate divisions of district court, Idaho

 * A court in Idaho with citywide jurisdiction over cases assigned to them by the various district courts. Magistrate divisions of district courts usually handle minor civil and criminal cases, probates, and juvenile matters.

Magistrate's court, Alaska

 * A court used in Alaska since 1959.

Magistrate's court, Arizona

 * A court with citywide jurisdiction over violations of state law committed within the city's limits. Also called police court.

Magistrate's court, Delaware

 * A court in Delaware during the 1670s held by the king's authority.

Magistrate's court, general

 * A court that typically hears cases involving minor offences and small claims. The jurisdiction of magistrate's courts varies from state to state.

Magistrate's court, Kansas

 * A court in Kansas with citywide jurisdiction over minor criminal cases and traffic matters. Also called city court.

Magistrate's court, Missouri

 * A court in Missouri that has citywide jurisdiction over minor criminal cases and some small claims.

Magistrate's court, New Mexico

 * A court in New Mexico with citywide jurisdiction over minor misdemeanors and minor civil cases. These courts have been used since the 1800s.

Magistrate's court, New Mexico

 * A court in New Mexico with citywide jurisdiction over minor misdemeanors and minor civil cases. These courts have been used since the 1800s.

Maiden name

 * A woman's surname before she marries. In some cultures, a married woman adopts her husband's surname.

Main file

 * A portion of the International Genealogical Index® that contains most of the names in the index. Additional data is published in addenda.

Maine Old Cemetery Association

 * A society that collects transcripts of tombstone records in Maine.

Maine Old Cemetery Association

 * A society that collects transcripts of tombstone records in Maine.

Major general

 * An officer in the army, air force, or marines who ranks above a brigadier general.

Majority, court records

 * The state of having reached the legal age of adulthood.

Majority, general

 * More than half of a group of people or a body of decision makers; also a group of people whose influence or votes are dominant.

Mameluco

 * A term used in Brazilian Catholic Church registers to describe a person whose ancestry is a mix of Indian and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

Mamie G. McCubbins Collection, North Carolina:

 * A collection of genealogical information on people from North Carolina. It includes transcripts of Bible, cemetery, church, will, marriage, death, and obituary records.

Manifesto, Latter-day Saint:

 * An official declaration by President Wilford Woodruff in 1890 clearly stating that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members had submitted to the law of the land and no longer entered into plural marriage (Official Declaration 1 in the Doctrine and Covenants). President Woodruff issued the Manifesto following a vision and revelation from God.

Manorial court, Great Britain:

 * A court with jurisdiction over a manor (an estate held by a landlord). It regulated the day-to-day life and interrelationships between the lord, his steward, his bailiff, and the people in the village. Cases heard included petty crime, land transfer, manorial appointments, customs, rental fees, and so on. These courts existed between 1066 and the early 1900s.

Manorial records:

 * Records kept by manors, which were large tracts of land that a king granted to an individual, who had several tenants living on the land in exchange for rent or part of the crop.

Manorial system:

 * A system of landownership with roots in medieval England. In this system a person was granted a large tract of land on which many people lived as tenants. The tenants leased this land, and the owner administered the land. Some manors had their own courts and exercised civil and criminal jurisdiction over their tenants. In New York this system, also called the patroonship system, ended with the Antirent movement.

Mantalslängd:

 * The Swedish word for census.

Manufacturing or industrial schedule:

 * Census data on business and industry. The 1810, 1820, and 1850 to 1880 United States censuses have a manufacturing or industrial schedule.

Manuscript:

 * A document written by hand, typed, or produced by a computer; also an unpublished document.

Manuscript collection:

 * A collection of materials that are usually in manuscript (handwritten) form.

Map, general:

 * A drawing or other type of representation of a geographical area.

Maps, Family History Library Catalog™:

 * A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize maps.

Maps, PERiodical Source Index:

 * A record type used in the Locality and Research Methodologies sections of the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) to identify articles that contain information about maps.

Margrave, German:

 * A title of German nobility, equal in rank to a British or French marquess or marquis.

Mariage:

 * The French word for marriage.

Maritime provinces, Canada:

 * A term that refers to Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

Markgraf:

 * A German word for margrave, a title of nobility. The English translation is margrave.

Marqués:

 * The second highest title of Spanish nobility, ranking below a duque (duke). It is equivalent to a marquess or marquis.

Marquis:

 * The second highest title in the British and French peerage, ranking above an earl and below a duke. In Britain, the marquis is generally the oldest son of a duke. The wife of a marquis is called a marchioness. In Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, the marqués (marquis) is also below the duque (duke). In English, marquis is also spelled marquess.

Marriage allegation, England:

 * A statement filed by a bride and groom in England as part of the process to obtain a marriage license. It records the couple's names, ages, and parishes of residence.

Marriage application:

 * A record showing a couple’s intent to marry. Marriage applications gradually replaced marriage banns, intentions, and bonds.

Marriage bond:

 * A written guarantee or promise of payment made by the groom or another individual to ensure that a forthcoming marriage would be legal.

Marriage certificate:

 * A legal document containing the details of a marriage, such as the date; location; and names of those being married, witnessing the marriage, and performing the marriage.

Marriage contract:

 * A document outlining legal agreements made prior to marriage that specify ownership of property. Marriage contracts were primarily made by women who wanted to protect property they had gained during previous marriages. Also called a marriage settlement.

Marriage contract, Jewish:

 * A civil document, usually drawn up by a notary, in which a bride and groom specify property arrangement. It is equivalent to a prenuptial agreement. It includes the names of the bride and groom and may include the marriage date and parents' names.

Marriage license:

 * An official document issued by a department of civil government giving a couple permission to marry.

Marriage proclamation:

 * A custom practiced in many European countries and colonies in which a couple announced to their local community and/or congregation that they planned to marry. The minister or civil registrar may also have posted a written notice on the church or city hall. Also called banns.

Marriage record:

 * A generic term used to describe all of the documents required for a couple to marry.

Marriage records after 1853, Virginia:

 * Marriage records kept in Virginia after 1853 by the government. They include marriage licenses and certificates.

Marriage register:

 * A list of marriages, usually kept by either a church or a civil government.

>Marriage return:

 * A record of marriages, usually returned by a justice of the peace, minister, or cleric to a civil record clerk to record in county or town records.

Marriage Search:

 * A search available in the International Genealogical Index®, Ordinance Index™, and Scottish Church Records that lists marriage entries.

Marriage settlement:

 * A document outlining legal agreements made prior to marriage that specify ownership of property. Marriage contracts were primarily made by women who wanted to protect property they had gained during previous marriages. Also called a marriage contract.

Marriage supplements:

 * A file created in connection with a civil marriage application. The file may include information about the couple's births, their parents' deaths, permission documents, and the groom's release from the military. The German word for these documents is Heiratsbeilagen. The French terms are pièces annexes and pièces justificatives.

Maryland State Papers:

 * A collection of records that contains petitions, letters, resolutions, muster rolls, and military returns. These records include four series of books called the "Rainbow Series": the Black Books, Blue Books, Brown Books, and Red Books.

Masonry:

 * A name for the Free and Accepted Masons, the world’s largest fraternal organization.

Massachusetts Bay Colony:

 * A colony founded in 1630 by Puritans. In 1691 the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Plymouth Colony combined.

Master Index:

 * An index to an entire set of records, such as an entire census or group of censuses

Master, shipping and military:

 * The person who commands a merchant ship; also an officer in the British navy charged with maintaining discipline on the ship.

Master, trade:

 * A tradesman who is the owner of the shop or the most skilled person in a trade.

Matrículas:

 * PA Spanish word for enrollment records.

Matrimonios:

 * A Spanish term for marriage records. The term matrimonio means marriage. Also used in the Philippines.

Mayflower genealogies:

 * Genealogical records of people who came to Massachusetts on the Mayflower.

Mayor court, Ohio:

 * A court in Ohio with jurisdiction over some criminal and civil cases in a city.

Mayor's court, New York:

 * A court in New York City and Albany with citywide jurisdiction over civil suits, apprenticeships, and naturalizations. Mayor's courts were used from 1674 to 1784.

McInerney actions:

 * Claims for land made in San Francisco, California, after the 1906 earthquake and fire. It established a process by which the ownership of land was determined.

Media:

 * The forms on which a source is stored. Common media used in family history research include books, microfilms, microfiche, compact discs, and so forth.

Medlemsprotokoller:

 * Lists of Danish guild members.

Membership Card Index, Latter-day Saint:

 * An index to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England, the United States, Mexico, and Australia between the 1830s and 1930s. Also called the Minnie Margets File.

Membership directory:

 * A list of people belonging to a certain organization, such as a church, fraternal organization, or historical or genealogical society.

Membership record form:

 * The type of form used to record a membership record.

Membership records:

 * A general term referring to records of people who belong to a particular organization, such as a church, fraternal society, or historical or genealogical society.

Membership roster:

 * A list of the people who belong to a society or organization.

Memorial:

 * A statement of facts addressed to a government and often accompanied by a petition, such as an application made by a person seeking a land grant.

Mennonites:

 * A group of Protestant churches originating in 1525 in Zurich, Switzerland, out of the Anabaptist (rebaptizer) movement.


 * Mennonites believe in a separation of church and state. They believe the Bible forbids going to war, swearing oaths, and holding offices that might require the use of force. They reserve baptism for those who are mature enough to commit to their beliefs and who have demonstrated sincerity in choosing their way of life.


 * Persecution forced many members to emigrate. Some went to Polish West Prussia in the 1500s. From there, some moved to Russia in the late 1700s. Many moved to Pennsylvania in 1683 and became part of the Pennsylvania Dutch movement. In the 1870s many moved to Canada and the Great Plains states in the United States.


 * The Amish originated in the Mennonite faith.

Merchant Marine, Family History Library Catalog™:

 * A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize information about people who work on commercial ships.

Merchant marine, general:

 * A person who works on a commercial ship.

Meridian, Canada:

 * A term used in the legal description of land that refers to an imaginary north-south line from which land was surveyed. The Prairie Provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta) cover six meridians. The First Meridian (also called the Prime or Principal Meridian) is a few miles west of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The baseline for surveys is the 49th parallel, the boundary between the United States and Canada. Land is described as the number of townships north of the baseline and the number of ranges east or west of the First Meridian or west of one of the other meridians.

Meritband, Sweden

 * Swedish army pension records. Also called handlingar.

Mestizo

 * A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian (1/2) and Spanish Caucasian (1/2). Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate. Metes-and-bounds system:


 * A method of surveying land that uses compass directions and distances from one boundary to another. It is also called courses and distances or an indiscriminate survey. This method was commonly used in the United States before 1785.

Methodist Church:

 * A Protestant religion that formed in England during the 1700s as a movement to reform the Church of England. The Methodists broke away from the Church of England in 1795, after which Methodism spread rapidly throughout Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.


 * Methodism is based on the teachings of John Wesley, who emphasized the need for personal religious experience and methodical study and devotion.


 * Many churches split off from the Methodist Church, including the Methodist New Connexion, Independent Methodists, Bible Christians (Bryanites), and Primitive Methodists. The Nazarene and Pentecostal churches also grew out of Methodism.


 * In Wales, the Methodist Church was founded by George Whitefield. It was more Calvinistic than its English counterpart and had a presbyterian form of government.


 * In the United States from 1820 to 1920, approximately one-third of the Protestant population was Methodist. Methodism has no central organization, but many denominations are part of the World Methodist Council.

Methodist conference, Ireland:

 * A gathering held in 1816 in Ireland in which it was decided that Methodists should be baptized by, be married by, and receive communion from their own ministers rather than by the ministers of the Church of Ireland. This decision resulted in a division among Methodists. The group who agreed with and followed this decision was known as the Wesleyan Methodists. The Primitive Methodists chose to continue associating with the Church of Ireland. Other groups that split away included the New Connexion and the Primitive Methodist Connexion. In 1878 the Primitive Methodists and the Wesleyan Methodists united. The two Connexion groups rejoined the main body of Methodists in 1932.

Methodist conference, Ireland:

 * A gathering held in 1816 in Ireland in which it was decided that Methodists should be baptized by, be married by, and receive communion from their own ministers rather than by the ministers of the Church of Ireland. This decision resulted in a division among Methodists. The group who agreed with and followed this decision was known as the Wesleyan Methodists. The Primitive Methodists chose to continue associating with the Church of Ireland. Other groups that split away included the New Connexion and the Primitive Methodist Connexion. In 1878 the Primitive Methodists and the Wesleyan Methodists united. The two Connexion groups rejoined the main body of Methodists in 1932.

Métis, Canada:

 * A French term meaning "mixed blood" that is used in Canada to refer to people whose ancestry is a mix of Plains Indian and French Canadian or Scottish.

Mexican Archives of New Mexico:

 * Records kept by the Mexican government of New Mexico between 1821 and 1846.

Mexican Archives of New Mexico:

 * Records kept by the Mexican government of New Mexico between 1821 and 1846.

Mexican Archives of New Mexico:

 * Records kept by the Mexican government of New Mexico between 1821 and 1846.

Mexican Archives of New Mexico:

 * Records kept by the Mexican government of New Mexico between 1821 and 1846.

Mexican land grant:

 * A land grant given to an individual or organization by the Mexican government.

Mexican records:

 * Land records kept in the American Southwest when the Mexican government controlled that area.

Miami Purchase:

 * Land between the Great and Little Miami Rivers in Ohio that was purchased partly with military bounty land warrants by John Cleves Symmes. The survey for this land was done privately and does not conform to the rectangular survey system. Also called the Symmes Purchase.

Michigan Fever, Canada:

 * A term used to describe the emigration of thousands of Canadians to the United States during the 1830s. Most people left to obtain good farm land in Michigan. By the 1840s over 20,000 Canadians were moving to the United States annually.

Michigan Genealogical Council:

 * Representatives from several genealogical societies that focus on genealogical issues in Michigan.