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Guide to locating probate records for ancestry, family history, and genealogy research.
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==What Probate Records Are==
__TOC__
*Probate is the legal process distributing real estate (property) and personal estate (possessions) to a person's heirs.  
==What are probate records?==
*Testate is the term used when a will existed. Intestate means there was no will, and the court administers and distributes the estate.  
*Probate is the '''legal process distributing real estate (property) and personal estate (possessions) to a person's heirs'''.  
*Other documents may be found in the full probate packet.  
*'''Testate''' is the term used when a will existed. '''Intestate''' means there was no will, and the court '''administers''' and distributes the estate.  
*Probate records are available for only about 10% of families, usually landowners and the wealthy. Most farmers, merchants, and artisans did not own their own farms or shops and did not leave wills.
*Other documents may be found in the '''full probate packet'''.  
*Probate records are '''available for only about 10% of families''', usually landowners and the wealthy. Most farmers, merchants, and artisans did not own their own farms or shops and did not leave wills.
*Probate records often pre-date other birth and death records.  
*Probate records often pre-date other birth and death records.  
*Wills are '''found in the town or county''' where the person lived when the will was made or where they died.
*Wills are found in the town or county where the person lived when the will was made or where they died.
Relatively few probate records have been microfilmed, so they may need to be used in local and regional German archives. They are often not indexed and require relatively good reading skills.
*Probate records may include the deceased's date of death; names, relationships, residences of heirs and guardians; and names of witnesses.
*Most wills were left by males with property; however, wills often list the names of the deceased's family and friends, so that many more people are listed in probate records than actually left them.


==What can you find in probate records?==
==Information in Probate Records==
Information recorded may include:
Information recorded may include:
*the death date
*the death date
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*names of executors
*names of executors


==How do you find probate records?==
==How to Find Probate Records==
===United States County Wiki Articles===
===United States===
Instructions and links for probate records '''in the United States''' are best found on '''individual county pages''' in the Wiki.  
*Probate records are kept on the county level for most of the United States and any online records will be found in the corresponding county Wiki pages.
Outside the United Staes fewer probate records have been microfilmed, digitized, and published online, so they may need to be used in local and regional archives. Find the Probate Records article for the country of interest to learn details.
*For general information about probate records, see [[United States Probate Records|United States Probate Records]]
{|
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/textprototype/ United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search] at FamilySearch - try this index to probate records for the United States.
*''Select a State then go to the clickable map to select the county your ancestor died in.''
 
{| style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
<ul class="column-spacing-fullscreen" style="padding-right="5px"; width: 70%">
  <li>[[Alabama Probate Records|Alabama]]</li>
  <li>[[Alaska Probate Records|Alaska]]</li>
  <li>[[Arizona Probate Records|Arizona]]</li>
  <li>[[Arkansas Probate Records|Arkansas]]</li>
  <li>[[California Probate Records|California]]</li>
  <li>[[Colorado Probate Records|Colorado]]</li>
  <li>[[Connecticut Probate Records|Connecticut]]</li>
  <li>[[Delaware Probate Records|Delaware]]</li>
  <li>[[Florida Probate Records|Florida]]</li>
  <li>[[Georgia Probate Records|Georgia]]</li>
  <li>[[Hawaii Probate Records|Hawaii]]</li>
  <li>[[Idaho Probate Records|Idaho]]</li>
  <li>[[Illinois Probate Records|Illinois]]</li>
  <li>[[Indiana Probate Records|Indiana]]</li>
  <li>[[Iowa Probate Records|Iowa]]</li>
  <li>[[Kansas Probate Records|Kansas]]</li>
  <li>[[Kentucky Probate Records|Kentucky]]</li>
  <li>[[Louisiana Probate Records|Louisiana]]</li>
  <li>[[Maine Probate Records|Maine]]</li>
  <li>[[Maryland Probate Records|Maryland]]</li>
  <li>[[Massachusetts Probate Records|Massachusetts]]</li>
  <li>[[Michigan Probate Records|Michigan]]</li>
  <li>[[Minnesota Probate Records|Minnesota]]</li>
  <li>[[Mississippi Probate Records|Mississippi]]</li>
  <li>[[Missouri Probate Records|Missouri]]</li>
  <li>[[Montana Probate Records|Montana]]</li>
  <li>[[Nebraska Probate Records|Nebraska]]</li>
  <li>[[Nevada Probate Records|Nevada]]</li>
  <li>[[New Hampshire Probate Records|New Hampshire]]</li>
  <li>[[New Jersey Probate Records|New Jersey]]</li>
  <li>[[New Mexico Probate Records|New Mexico]]</li>
  <li>[[New York Probate Records|New York]]</li>
  <li>[[North Carolina Probate Records|North Carolina]]</li>
  <li>[[North Dakota Probate Records|North Dakota]]</li>
  <li>[[Ohio Probate Records|Ohio]]</li>
  <li>[[Oklahoma Probate Records|Oklahoma]]</li>
  <li>[[Oregon Probate Records|Oregon]]</li>
  <li>[[Pennsylvania Probate Records|Pennsylvania]]</li>
  <li>[[Rhode Island Probate Records|Rhode Island]]</li>
  <li>[[South Carolina Probate Records|South Carolina]]</li>
  <li>[[South Dakota Probate Records|South Dakota]]</li>
  <li>[[Tennessee Probate Records|Tennessee]]</li>
  <li>[[Texas Probate Records|Texas]]</li>
  <li>[[Utah Probate Records|Utah]]</li>
  <li>[[Vermont Probate Records|Vermont]]</li>
  <li>[[Virginia Probate Records|Virginia]]</li>
  <li>[[Washington Probate Records|Washington]]</li>
  <li>[[West Virginia Probate Records|West Virginia]]</li>
  <li>[[Wisconsin Probate Records|Wisconsin]]</li>
  <li>[[Wyoming Probate Records|Wyoming]]</li>
</ul>
|}
 
===Canada Probate Records===
*Probate records are kept on the county or district level for most of Canada and any online records.
*For general information about probate records, see [[Canada Probate Records|Canada Probate Records]]
*''Select a province then go to the clickable map to select the county or district your ancestor died in.''
{| style="vertical-align:top;"
|-
|-
|style="border:solid black 2px; padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
<ul class="column-spacing-fullscreen" style="padding-right="5px"; width: 70%">
<center> <span style="color:DarkViolet">'''An example of probate instructions and links on a United States county Wiki page.'''</span><center>
  <li>[[Alberta Probate Records|Alberta]]</li>
[[File:County probate.png|900px]]
  <li>[[British Columbia Probate Records|British Columbia]]</li>
  <li>[[Manitoba Probate Records|Manitoba]]</li>
  <li>[[New Brunswick Probate Records|New Brunswick]]</li>
  <li>[[Newfoundland and Labrador Probate Records|Newfoundland &amp; Labrador]]</li>  
  <li>[[Northwest Territories Probate Records|Northwest Territories]]</li>  
  <li>[[Nova Scotia Probate Records|Nova Scotia]]</li>
  <li>[[Nunavut Probate Records|Nunavut]]</li>
  <li>[[Ontario Probate Records|Ontario]]</li>
  <li>[[Prince Edward Island Probate Records|Prince Edward Island]]</li>
  <li>[[Quebec Probate Records|Quebec]]</li>
  <li>[[Saskatchewan Probate Records|Saskatchewan]]</li>
  <li>[[Yukon Probate Records|Yukon]]</li>
</ul>
|}
|}
----
 
==Research Strategies==
 
<br><br>
 
[[Category:Probate Records]]

Latest revision as of 20:12, 12 September 2024

What Probate Records Are

  • Probate is the legal process distributing real estate (property) and personal estate (possessions) to a person's heirs.
  • Testate is the term used when a will existed. Intestate means there was no will, and the court administers and distributes the estate.
  • Other documents may be found in the full probate packet.
  • Probate records are available for only about 10% of families, usually landowners and the wealthy. Most farmers, merchants, and artisans did not own their own farms or shops and did not leave wills.
  • Probate records often pre-date other birth and death records.
  • Wills are found in the town or county where the person lived when the will was made or where they died.
  • Probate records may include the deceased's date of death; names, relationships, residences of heirs and guardians; and names of witnesses.
  • Most wills were left by males with property; however, wills often list the names of the deceased's family and friends, so that many more people are listed in probate records than actually left them.

Information in Probate Records

Information recorded may include:

  • the death date
  • names of heirs
  • family members
  • guardians
  • relationships
  • residences
  • inventories of the estate (including trade and household goods)
  • names of witnesses
  • names of executors

How to Find Probate Records

United States

  • Probate records are kept on the county level for most of the United States and any online records will be found in the corresponding county Wiki pages.
  • For general information about probate records, see United States Probate Records
  • United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - try this index to probate records for the United States.
  • Select a State then go to the clickable map to select the county your ancestor died in.

Canada Probate Records

  • Probate records are kept on the county or district level for most of Canada and any online records.
  • For general information about probate records, see Canada Probate Records
  • Select a province then go to the clickable map to select the county or district your ancestor died in.

Research Strategies



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