Pennsylvania Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 18:12, 6 June 2024

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Record Types

Pennsylvania Background

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Local Research Resources

Online Resources

1683-1993 Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993($), index and images, incomplete.
1683-1994 Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
Full-Text Search - Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Record Synopsis

Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”^[1] Various types of records are included in probate files. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about the probate process, types of probate records, analyzing probate records, and to access a glossary of probate terms, see United States Probate Records.

History

Probates have been recorded on a county level since the origin of the Commonwealth in 1682. Complete records are available in most counties. Probate actions taken in a locality before the present county was formed are found in records of the parent county.

State Statutes

Understanding the Pennsylvania probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems.

Additional information about Pennsylvania state statutes relating to probate matters can be found at law libraries. For example:

Online digital versions of state statutes can often be found by conducting a search engine search for the term, "Pennsylvania statutes."

Repositories

Pennsylvania State Archives
350 North St.
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0090

Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5699

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
215 S. Broad St.
Phildelphia, PA 19107-5325

Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society
400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080

Local

Pennsylvania wills have been filed with the "register of wills" in each county, where they are recorded in indexed books.

The records of the orphans' court include minute books, proceedings, dockets, appeals, bonds, inventories, distributions of estates, marriages (since 1885), births and deaths (1893-1905), and adoptions (since 1925). Published abstracts of wills and administrations with comprehensive indexes are available for most of the oldest or largest counties.

The docket index, estate index, or general index is the first place to search for evidence of probate proceedings. These indexes list all the records created for a particular probate. The FamilySearch Library has obtained microfilm copies of many of these indexes, often up to the 1980s.

The various documents (bonds, letters, inventories, etc.) are usually transcribed into Orphans' Court Record Books or Administrator's Account Books. The FamilySearch Library has microfilmed the wills and orphans' court records for most counties, usually up to the early 1900s.

The library has few probate records from Lackawanna, Lehigh, Lycoming, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Union counties. Some probate records are listed in the Locality Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under PENNSYLVANIA - GUARDIAN AND WARD.

A few land, probate, and will records are available on line from Ancestry.com.

Regional

National

Additional probate record information and sources can be found in the Locality Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

Pennsylvania- Probate Records Pennsylvania, [COUNTY] - Probate Records

References

↑ Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."

[1] Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Probates have been recorded on a county basis since the origin of the Commonwealth in 1682. Complete records are available in most counties. Probate actions taken in a locality before the present county was formed are found in records of the parent county.
+{{PA-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
+| link2=[[United States Probate Records|U.S. Probate Records]]
+| link3=[[Pennsylvania, United States Genealogy|Pennsylvania]]
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Pennsylvania Probate Records|Probate Records]]
+}}
-Wills have been filed with the "register of wills" in each county, where they are recorded in indexed books.
+==Online Resources==
+*'''1683-1993''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8802 Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993]($), index and images, incomplete.
+*'''1683-1994''' {{RecordSearch|1999196|Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994}} at FamilySearch - [[Pennsylvania Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; images
+*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text Full-Text Search - Probate Records] at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P00oMDsAsSw How to Search]
-The records of the orphan's court include minute books, proceedings, dockets, appeals, bonds, inventories, distributions of estates, marriages (since 1885), births and deaths (1893-1905), and adoptions (since 1925). Published abstracts of wills and administrations with comprehensive indexes are available for most of the oldest or largest counties.
+=== Record Synopsis  ===
-The docket index, estate index, or general index is the first place to search for evidence of probate proceedings. These indexes list all the records created for a particular probate. The Family History Library has obtained microfilm copies of many of these indexes, often up to the 1960s.
+Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”<ref>Henry Campbell Black, ''Black's Law Dictionary,'' 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."</ref> Various types of records are included in probate files. These may include, [[United States Probate Wills|wills]], bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about the [[United States Probate Process|probate process]], types of probate records, [[Analyzing United States Probate Records|analyzing probate records]], and to access a [[Glossary of United States Probate Terms|glossary]] of probate terms, see [[United States Probate Records|United States Probate Records]].
-The various documents (bonds, letters, inventories, etc.) are usually transcribed into Orphans' Court Record Books or Administrator's Account Books. The Family History Library has microfilmed the wills and orphans' court records for most counties, usually up to the early 1900s. For example, the library has:
+=== History  ===
-Philadelphia County (Pennsylvania). ''Register of Wills. Wills, 1682-1916; Indexes to Wills, 1682-1924''. (On 327 FHL films beginning with 1311039.)
+Probates have been recorded on a county level since the origin of the Commonwealth in 1682. Complete records are available in most counties. Probate actions taken in a locality before the present county was formed are found in records of the parent county.
-Pennsylvania. Orphans' Court (Philadelphia County). ''Orphans' Court Records, 1719-1880: Orphans' Court Index, 1719-1938''. (On 417 FHL films beginning with 21843.)
+=== State Statutes  ===
-The library has few probate records from Lackawanna, Lehigh, Lycoming, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Union counties. Some probate records are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under PENNSYLVANIA - GUARDIAN AND WARD.
+Understanding the Pennsylvania probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems.
+Additional information about Pennsylvania state statutes relating to probate matters can be found at law libraries. For example:<br>
+Online digital versions of state statutes can often be found by conducting a search engine search for the term, "Pennsylvania statutes."
+=== Repositories  ===
+[http://www.phmc.pa.gov/archives/pages/default.aspx Pennsylvania State Archives]<br>350 North St.<br>Harrisburg, PA 17120-0090
+[http://hsp.org/ Historical Society of Pennsylvania]<br>1300 Locust St.<br>Philadelphia, PA 19107-5699
+Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
+[http://genpa.org/ The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania]<br>215 S. Broad St.<br>Phildelphia, PA 19107-5325
+[http://www.wpgs.org/ Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society]<br>400 Forbes Ave.<br>Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080
+=== Local  ===
+Pennsylvania wills have been filed with the "register of wills" in each county, where they are recorded in indexed books.
+The records of the orphans' court include minute books, proceedings, dockets, appeals, bonds, inventories, distributions of estates, marriages (since 1885), births and deaths (1893-1905), and adoptions (since 1925). Published abstracts of wills and administrations with comprehensive indexes are available for most of the oldest or largest counties.
+The docket index, estate index, or general index is the first place to search for evidence of probate proceedings. These indexes list all the records created for a particular probate. The [https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-28760-15105-37?cc=1999196&wc=M99F-H2C:650919357#uri=https%3A%2F%2Ffamilysearch.org%2Frecords%2Fcollection%2F1999196%2Fwaypoints FamilySearch Library] has obtained microfilm copies of many of these indexes, often up to the 1980s.
+The various documents (bonds, letters, inventories, etc.) are usually transcribed into Orphans' Court Record Books or Administrator's Account Books. The FamilySearch Library has microfilmed the wills and orphans' court records for most counties, usually up to the early 1900s.
+The library has few probate records from Lackawanna, Lehigh, Lycoming, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Union counties. Some probate records are listed in the Locality Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under PENNSYLVANIA - GUARDIAN AND WARD.
 A few land, probate, and will records are available on line from [http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/default.aspx?rt=36 Ancestry.com].
-<br />
+=== Regional  ===
+=== National  ===
+Additional probate record information and sources can be found in the Locality Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:
+Pennsylvania- Probate Records Pennsylvania, [COUNTY] - Probate Records
+{{Template:Pros-PA}}
+=== References ===
+{{reflist}}
+{{Place|Pennsylvania}}
+[[Category:Pennsylvania,_United_States|Probate Records]][[Category:United States Probate Records]]