Archdiocese of Baltimore Archives

Archbishops of Baltimore
The archdiocese has had fifteen Archbishops over the course of its history. Researchers are currently able to access the papers of the first archbishop, John Carroll (d. 1815), through the tenth archbishop, Michael J. Curley (d. 1947). The papers of Abp. Francis P. Keough (d. 1961), Cardinal Lawrence J. Shehan (d. 1984), Abp. William D. Borders (ret. 1989), and Cardinal William H. Keeler (ret. 2007) are closed. Biographies of the Archbishops are available on the Archdiocese of Baltimore's website. Please click here to learn more about them.

The papers of Abp. Francis P. Keough are scheduled to open in the fall of 2011.

The Archbishops' Papers have been arranged alpha-chron in order of succession. Every document has been assigned a document number in sequential order and a corresponding index card has been prepared describing each document, with the exception of the Abp. Curley Papers, which were catalogued according to a different numbering system. The correspondence is accessed through the name of the correspondent in all of the Archbishops' papers. A strictly chronological index is available for the papers of Cardinal Gibbons. For now, the only way researchers are able to access the collections deposited in the Associated Archives is through the existing card catalog system and typed finding aids. The papers of Archbishops Carroll through Bayley are also available on microfilm at the University of Notre Dame.

Abp. John Carroll Papers (Born: 1735, Upper Marlboro, MD; Prefect Apostolic of the U.S., 1785-1789; Bishop of Baltimore, 1789-1808; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1808-1815; Died: 1815, Baltimore, MD). Size: 11 document cases and 3 letterbooks; available on microfilm; date range: c. 1750-1815.

Letters to Abp. Carroll, 1786-1815. 7 document cases. Incoming correspondence.

Letters from Abp. Carroll, 1786-1815. 1.5 document cases. Some of these letters are rough drafts, others originals apparently returned to the archives.

Administration of Abp. Carroll, 1750-1815. 2 document cases. Contains both incoming and outgoing correspondence, although mostly the former, and pertains more directly to Carroll's administration of the archdiocese. Also included in this series is the account book Carroll maintained regarding Bohemia Plantation, 1790-1815, decrees of the first Diocesan Synod (1791), and Carroll's copy of the Roman Ritual (1775).

Letterbooks of Abp. Carroll, 1799-1815, 3 vols. Copies of outgoing letters. Arranged chronologically; index of names. Vol. 1, 1784-1792; vol. 2, 1792-1799; and vol. 3, 1799-1815.

See also Special A, B, and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Carroll.

Abp. Leonard Neale, S.J., Papers (Born: 1746, Port Tobacco, MD; Died: 1817, Washington, D.C.; Coadjutor Bishop of Baltimore, 1800-1815; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1815-1817). Size: 1 document case and 1 letterbook; available on microfilm; date range: c. 1785-1817.

Administration of Abp. Neale, 1785-1817. 1 document case. Incoming and outgoing correspondence of Neale as priest, bishop, and second Archbishop of Baltimore.

Letterbook of Abp. Neale and Abp. Maréchal, 1814-1827, 1 vol. .5 document case. Contains copies of Neale's incoming and outgoing letters for the period 1816-1817 together with official copies of supporting documents ranging in date from 1814-1817. Arranged chronologically; no index.

See also Special B and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Neale.

Abp. Ambrose Maréchal, S.S., Papers (Born: 1768, Ingres, France; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1817-1828; Died: 1828, Baltimore, MD). Size: 9 document cases, 2 pamphlet boxes, and 1 letterbook; available on microfilm; date range: c. 1803-1827.

Letters to Abp. Maréchal, 1803-1827, 5.5 document cases. Incoming correspondence.

Letters to and from Abp. Maréchal, 1817-1828. 2.5 document cases. [Originals and photocopies from other archives.]

Administration of Abp. Maréchal, 1783-1827. 5.5 document cases and 2 pamphlet boxes. Correspondence and personal papers, including a collection of sermons and pastorals, a diary maintained for the years 1818-1825, a photocopy of Maréchal's 1819 Letter addressed to the Catholics of Norfolk, VA, and account books.

Letterbook of Abp. Neale and Abp. Maréchal, 1814-1827, 1 vol. Contains copies of Maréchal's incoming and outgoing letters for the period, 1817-1826 together with official copies of supporting documents ranging in date from 1814-1827. Arranged chronologically; no index.

See also Special B and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Maréchal.

Abp. James Whitfield Papers. (Born: 1770, Liverpool, England; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1828-1834; Died: 1834, Baltimore, MD). Size: 1.5 document cases and 1 letterbook; available on microfilm; date range: c. 1807-1834.

Administration of Abp. Whitfield, 1807-1834. 1 document case. Correspondence and personal papers of Whitfield's as priest and fourth Archbishop of Baltimore.

Letters from Abp. Whitfield, 1828-1834. .5 document case. Photocopies of letters from Whitfield found in other archives, including Abp. Rosati of St. Louis.

Letterbook of Abp. Whitfield, 1828-1832, 1 vol. Copies of Whitfield's letters with Roman officials on various subjects.

See also Special B and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Whitfield.

Abp. Samuel Eccleston, S.S., Papers (Born: 1801, Chestertown, MD; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1834-1851; Died: 1851, Washington, D.C.). Size: 4.5 document cases; partially available on microfilm; date range: c. 1822-1851.

Letters to Abp. Eccleston, 1822-1851. 1.5 document cases. Incoming correspondence.

Administration of Abp. Eccleston, 1824-1851. 1.5 document cases. Correspondence and personal papers, including a collection of Eccleston's sermons, miscellaneous loose pages from a diary, notes, and manuscript copies of acta for Provincial Councils 6 (1846) and 7 (1849) and Archdiocesan Synod 2 (1831). There are also photocopies of letters to and from Eccleston found in other archives, including Abp. Rosati of St. Louis. The sermon collection and miscellaneous loose pages from a diary and notes were a gift of the Mount de Chantal Visitation Monastery Archives, Wheeling, WV, in 2002.

Visitation Monasteries of Baltimore, Georgetown, and Wheeling, 1824-1851, 1 document case. Correspondence from Abp. Eccleston to the Baltimore Visitation Monastery, as well correspondence between the Baltimore, Georgetown, and Wheeling monasteries regarding Abp. Eccleston's final days. Gift of the Mount de Chantal Visitation Monastery Archives, Wheeling, WV, in 2009.

See also Special B and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Eccleston.

Abp. Francis Patrick Kenrick Papers (Born: 1797, Dublin, Ireland; Coadjutor Bishop of Philadelphia, 1830-1842; Bishop of Philadelphia, 1842-1851; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1851-1863; Died: 1863, Baltimore, MD). Size: 3 document cases, 1 diary, 1 letterbook, and 1 account book; available on microfilm; date range: c. 1811-1863.

Letters to Abp. Kenrick, 1811-1863. 2 document cases. Incoming correspondence.

Letters to and from Abp. Kenrick, 1815-1863. .5 document case. Mostly incoming correspondence with a number of outgoing letters that were apparently returned to the archives.

Administration of Abp. Kenrick, 1823-1863. 1 document case. Papers relating to various subjects, including the First Plenary Council of Baltimore (1852), Provincial Councils 8 (1855) and 9 (1858), and Archdiocesan Synods 3 (1853), 4 (1857), and 5 (1863), the American College in Rome, as well as copies of letters from the Congregation of the Propaganda Fide to Kenrick, 1823–1851.

Episcopal diary, 1851-1863, 1 vol.; letterbook, 1851-1862, 1 vol.; and book of accounts, 1 vol., 1831-1851.

Letter Register of Abp. Kenrick and Abp. Spalding, 1862–1869, 1 vol. This volume is mostly for Spalding and is in greater part a mere register of incoming letters. Arranged chronologically; index of names.

See also Special B and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Kenrick.

Abp. Martin John Spalding Papers (Born: 1810, Rolling Fork, KY; Auxiliary Bishop of Louisville, 1848-1850; Bishop of Louisville, 1850-1864; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1864-1872; Died: 1872, Baltimore, MD). Size: 6 document cases, 2 letterbooks, 1 letter register, and 1 photograph album; available on microfilm; date range: c. 1831-1872.

Letters to and from Abp. Spalding, 1831-1872. 3 document cases. Personal and official correspondence of Spalding's as priest, Auxiliary Bishop, Bishop of Louisville, and seventh Archbishop of Baltimore with some wide gaps, including a series of family letters as well as the letters written by Spalding while Bishop of Louisville to Abp. Kenrick of Baltimore.

Administration of Abp. Spalding, 1831-1871. 3 document cases. Both official and personal papers on a wide variety of subjects that span Spalding's priestly career, including the Second Plenary Council, First Vatican Council, American College in Rome, Ninth Provincial Council of Baltimore, as well as Spalding's Episcopal diary, 1864-1871, miscellaneous newspaper clippings, and some letters from Spalding, mostly to members of his family during his student days in Rome dating from 1830.

Letterbook of Abp. Spalding, 1865-1869, 1 vol. Official copies of outgoing letters preceded by an index of names. Arranged chronologically.

Letterbook of Abp. Spalding and Abp. Gibbons, 1870-1886, 1 vol. Official copies of Spalding's outgoing letters for the years 1870-1871. Arranged chronologically; no index.

Letter Register of Abp. Kenrick and Abp. Spalding, 1862-1869, 1 vol. This volume is mostly for Spalding and is in greater part a mere register. Arranged chronologically; index of names.

Acta Episcoplaia (Episcopal Diary), Louisville, 1860-1864. Also contains a short account of several Catholic institutions in Louisville together with a register of Spalding's diocesan correspondence and correspondence with the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, 1860-1864.

Acta Episcopalia (Episcopal Diary), Baltimore, 1864-1871. English translation available.

Commemorative Photograph Album of the First Vatican Council ,1869, 1 vol. This album was acquired by Abp. Spalding while attending the First Vatican Council and is comprised of portraits of individual bishops who attended the council.

See also Special B and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Spalding.

Abp. James Roosevelt Bayley Papers (Born: 1814, Harlem, NY; Bishop of Newark, 1853-1872; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1872-1877; Died: 1877, Newark, NJ). Size: 4.5 document cases; available on microfilm; date range: c. 1856-1877.

Letters to and from Abp. Bayley, 1856-1877. 3 document cases. Incoming and outgoing correspondence, both official and pesonal, of Bayley's as Bishop of Newark and eighth Archbishop of Baltimore.

Administration of Abp. Bayley, 1823-1877. 1.5 document cases. Both official and personal papers on a wide variety of subjects that span much of Bayley's priestly career, including Roman documents, family letters, 1 Episcopal diary for the years 1872-1876, and three personal diaries he maintained over the period 1842-1867.

See also Special B and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Bayley.

Card. Abp. James Gibbons Papers (Born: 1834, Baltimore, MD; Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina, 1868-1872; Bishop of Richmond, 1872-1877; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1877-1886; Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore, 1886-1921; Died: 1921, Baltimore, MD). Size: 56.5 document cases and 1 letterbook; date range: c. 1861-1921.

Letters to and from Abp. Gibbons, 1861–1921. 42.5 document cases. Primarily incoming correspondence, official and personal, with some copies of outgoing correspondence of Gibbons' as priest, Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina, Bishop of Richmond, and ninth Archbishop of Baltimore. Legal size documents have been separated out and stored separately.

Administration of Abp. Gibbons, 1861-1921. 14 document cases. Correspondence, official and personal papers that span much of Gibbons' priestly career, including 2 Episcopal diaries 1868-1917 (typed transcript available) and 1878; letters from members of Europe's Royal Families, c. 1887-1916; letters to and from U.S. Government Officials, c. 1918-1921; a collection of Gibbons' sermons; genealogical material regarding the Gibbons family; newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, commemorative publications, and miscellaneous books.

Letterbook of Abp. Spalding and Abp. Gibbons, 1870-1886, 1 vol. Official copies of Gibbons' outgoing letters, 1884-1886. Arranged chronologically; no index.

See also Special B and C and Copybook of Roman Documents for additional materials relating to the administration of Abp. Gibbons.

Abp. Michael J. Curley Papers (Born: 1879, Athlone, Ireland; Bishop of St. Augustine, 1914-1921; Archbishop of Baltimore, 1921-1939; Archbishop of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., 1939-1947; Died: 1947, Baltimore, MD). Size: 56 document cases; date range: c. 1905-1947.

Administrative Papers of Abp. Curley, 1921-1947. 46 document cases. Contains official and personal incoming and outgoing correspondence, Curley's Episcopal Diary, 1921-1947, 2 vols., as well as a collection of Curley's sermons and addresses, and material regarding jubilee celebrations and Curley's death.

Roman Documents of Abp. Curley, 1921-1947. 3 document cases. Incoming and outgoing correspondence between Curley and Roman officials.

Apostolic Delegation Letters, 1905-1947, 3 document cases; no finding aid available. Contains the incoming and outgoing correspondence between Cardinal Gibbons, Abp. Curley, and Msgr. Joseph Nelligan (Chancellor of the Archdiocese) with the U.S. Apostolic Delegation largely concerning the building of a new residence for the Apostolic Delegate in Washington, D.C..

Mexico Church – State Crisis, c. 1925-1936. 2 document cases. Contains incoming and outgoing correspondence and related documents concerning Curley's involvement in developing a U.S. response to the Church-State crisis in Mexico. Also included is a collection of publications and pastorals concerning U.S. opinion and actions on the crisis

Uncatalogued papers of Abp. Curley. 2 document cases.

General. Size: 11 document cases and 12 volumes; date range: c. 1784-1959.

Contains documents that were separated out from the individual Archbishops' papers, for such reasons as confidentiality or significance.

Special A Collection. Size: 9 folders; typed finding aid; available on microfilm; date range: 1784-1814. Contains letters addressed to Abp. Carroll concerning matters deemed confidential or significant. Included are letters from John Ashton, SJ, Denis Cahill, James Griffin, and Stephen Badin.

Special B Collection, Propaganda Fide Letters. Size: 1.5 document cases; typed finding aid; available on microfilm; date range: 1784-1877. Correspondence from the Congregation of the Propaganda Fide in Rome to the Archbishops of Baltimore.

Special C Collection. Size: 10 folders; typed finding aid; available on microfilm; date range: 1810-1893. Contains letters addressed to the Archbishops of Baltimore concerning matters deemed confidential or significant. Included are letters from Card. John Henry Newman, Card. Wiseman, and U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward.

Letters from U.S. Presidents to Archbishops of Baltimore. Size: 1 document case; typed finding aid; most of the collection has been microfilmed; date range: c. 1790-1947. Contains the letters from the Presidents of the United States to the Archbishops of Baltimore. Arranged chronologically.

Roman Documents to the Archbishops of Baltimore Collection. Size: 3 document cases; index card file; 1783-1863 material available on microfilm; date range: 1783-1863. Contains incoming correspondence from Roman Congregations other than the Propaganda Fide to the Archbishops of Baltimore. Arranged chronologically.

Copybook of Documents Received. Size: 1 vol.; available on microfilm; date range: 1783-1863. Official copies of Roman documents copied in toto relating to the archdiocese; other letters listed in the copybook are a mere calendar or index of outgoing letters. Arranged chronologically; index.

Synods and Councils of the Archdiocese of Baltimore Collection. Size: 2 document cases; typed finding aid; available on microfilm; date range: 1791-1884. Contains files pertaining to the three plenary and ten provincial councils and nine synods held in Baltimore over the course of the nineteenth century.

Scrapbooks of the Archbishops of Baltimore Collection. Size: 10 volumes; date range: 1892-1959. Contains a collection of the scrapbooks either presented to or created by the Archbishops of Baltimore, including ones for the Columbian Catholic Congress of 1892, Tercentenary Anniversary of the Founding of Maryland, 1934, erection of Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., in 1939, the dedication of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in 1959, and miscellaneous jubilee celebrations.

Register of seminarians ordained for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Size: 1 vol.; arranged chronologically; no index; date range: 1830-1921.

Deeds Collection. Size: 1 document case; typed finding aid; available on microfilm date range: 1801-1891. Contains miscellaneous deeds that were found in the Archbishops' papers.

Last Wills and Testaments Collection. Size: 1 document case; typed finding aid; available on microfilm; date range: 1787-1919. Contains authentic copies of miscellaneous last wills and testaments that were found in the Archbishops' papers for priests that have served in the archdiocese, as well as for a number of U.S. bishops, including, Abp. John Hughes of New York and Bp. Richard V. Whelan of Wheeling.

U.S. Bishops' Pastorals Collection. Size: 1 document case; no finding aid; date range: 1833-1897. Contains copies of miscellaneous pastorals issued by U.S. Bishops over the course of the nineteenth century, including Baltimore, Cincinnati, and New York.