United States Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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=='''Beginners' Corner'''==
*[[Beginning Research in United States Probate Records#What are United States probate records?|'''What are United States probate records?''']]<br>
*[[Beginning Research in United States Probate Records#What time periods and locations do they cover?|'''What time periods and locations do they cover?''']]<br>
*[[Beginning Research in United States Probate Records#What can I find in them?|'''What can I find in them?''']]<br>
*[[Beginning Research in United States Probate Records#How do I access them?|'''How do I access them?''']] <br>
*[[Beginning Research in United States Probate Records#Search strategies|'''Search strategies''']]


<div style="float: left; width: 75%;">
'''For a more complete beginning introduction, see [[U.S. Probate Records Class Handout]].'''
{{/box-header|'''{{PAGENAME}}'''|{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Intro|}} {{{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Intro}} {{/box-footer|}}
== Online Resources ==
*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/group/us_willsprobate U.S. Wills and Probates] at [https://www.ancestry.com/ Ancestry.com] - ($), indexes and images
*[http://www.sampubco.com/index.htm Sampubco] A gateway to Indexes of Wills, Guardianships, Probate Records, and Letters Testamentary
*[http://www.usgenweb.org The USGenWeb Project] A cooperative volunteer effort with links to resources in the state and counties.
<td><tr><table><br><br><br><br>


{{/box-header|'''Featured Content'''|{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Featured Content|}} {{{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Featured Content}} {{/box-footer|}}
== Probate by State  ==
Each state will list statewide databases and online records.
{|
|-
<ul class="column-spacing-halfscreen" style="padding-right:5px; width: 600px;">
  <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>[[District of Columbia Probate Records|District of Columbia]]</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>
|}
 
== Record Overview  ==
 
Probate records are court records created after an individual's death that relate to a court's decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of dependents. This process took place whether there was a will (testate) or not (intestate). Various types of records may be found 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. You may also learn about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Additional clues often found in probate records are an ancestor's previous residence, occupation, land ownership, household items, former spouse(s), religion, and military service.<br>
Probate records are essential for research because they often pre-date the birth and death records kept by civil authorities.
 
Estates were probated for approximately 25 percent of the heads of households in the United States before 1900, whether or not the individual left a will. The percentage was higher for rural areas than for urban areas because of the greater likelihood of land ownership for farmers. Because wills often list the names of many family members, as much as half the population either left a will or was mentioned in one. <br>


{{/box-header|'''Did you know?'''|{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Did you know?|}} {{{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Did you know?}} {{/box-footer|}}
While probate records are one of the most accurate sources of genealogical evidence, they have [[United States Probate Limitations|limitations]]. <br>


{{/box-header|'''Research Tools'''|{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Research Tools|}} {{{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Research Tools}} {{/box-footer|}}
*See also:
*Nancy A. Peters, '' Beyond the Will: What Probate Records Reveal about Ancestors'' NGS Magazine 48 #2 (April-June 2022): 16- FS Library 973 D25ngs v. 48 no. 2
*Judy G Russell, ''No Longer "All Greek to Me:" Dealing with Legal Lingo in Probate Records'' NGS Magazine 48 #2 (April-June 2022): 29- FS Library 973 D25ngs v.48 no. 2


{{/box-header|'''Jurisdictions'''|{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Jurisdictions|}} {{{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Jurisdictions}} {{/box-footer|}}
== Jurisdiction  ==


{{/box-header|'''Things you can do'''|{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Things you can do|}} {{{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Things you can do}} {{/box-footer|}}
Probate is a function of state governments. Therefore, the laws and resulting records vary from state to state and changed over time. Probate records for many states can be found at the local county courthouse. The particular office of jurisdiction might be that of the Probate Court, the Equity Court, the Register of Wills, the County Clerk, the Circuit Court, or others. Some colonial records were kept by the town or the colony. See the wiki pages of each state for more information on pre-statehood, historical, and current probate records and jurisdictions.
</div>


<div style="float: right; width: 24%;">
The U.S. government had jurisdiction over the probate records for Native American or Indian tribes. The Bureau of Indians Affairs had agencies responsible for regional groups of recognized tribes. The Field Office of the appropriate tribal agency kept any probate records. These are found at the [http://archives.gov/ National Archives] branch designated to archive the records for the pertinent agency. <br>
{{/box-header|'''News and Events'''|{{FULLPAGENAME}}/News and Events|}} {{{{FULLPAGENAME}}/News and Events}} {{/box-footer|}}


{{/box-header|'''Topics'''|{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Topics|}} {{{{FULLPAGENAME}}/Topics}} {{/box-footer|}}
== Historical Background  ==
</div>
 
|}
United States probate law derived from English common law and from Spanish community property law, depending on the state. Under English common law, a married woman could only make a will of real property with her husband's consent or with an antenuptial contract. Under Spanish community property law, property acquired while married belonged equally to husband and wife. Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington are community property states.
 
Probate matters for the original English colonies were handled under English law. In fact, some American wills were proved in England and Scotland. The [[American Colonial Probate Records|American Colonial Probate Records]] article further explains how to find these wills.
 
 
== Sources  ==
*Black, Henry Campbell. ''Black's Law Dictionary: Definitions of Terms and Phrases of American and English Jurisprudence, Ancient and Modern.'' 6th edition. St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing, 1990. {{FSC|340.03 B564L 1990}}  
*Carter, Fran. ''Searching American Probate Records''. Bountiful Utah: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1993. {{FSC|973 P27c}}  
*Eichholz, Alice, Editor. ''Redbook: American State, County, and Town Sources.'' Third Edition. Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004. There is a Probate Records section under each state's listings. {{FSC|973 D27rb 2004}}
*Greenwood, Val D. ''The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy.'' Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000. Of particular interest are the chapters, "Understanding Probate Records and Basic Legal Terminology," "What About Wills?" and "The Intestate—Miscellaneous Probate Records—Guardianships." {{FSC|973 D27g 2000}}  
*Rose, Christine. ''Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures.'' San Jose, California: CR Publications, 2004. Of particular interest are the chapters, "Estates Galore," "Estate Documents," "Milking Every Clue from Estates," and "Strategies that Work." {{FSC|929.1072 R72c}}  
*Szucs, Loretto Dennis and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, editors. ''The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy.'' Third edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, Inc., 2006. Of particular interest is the section, "Probate," pages 268 - 277. {{FSC|973 D27ts 1997}}
 
Many early probate records have been transcribed, indexed, and published. The FamilySearch Library has statewide indexes or transcripts of large collections of wills that have been published for Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog.
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[[Category:United States Probate Records]] [[Category:United_States_Probate_Records]]

Latest revision as of 21:30, 20 March 2024


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Beginners' Corner[edit | edit source]

For a more complete beginning introduction, see U.S. Probate Records Class Handout.

Online Resources[edit | edit source]





Probate by State[edit | edit source]

Each state will list statewide databases and online records.

Record Overview[edit | edit source]

Probate records are court records created after an individual's death that relate to a court's decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of dependents. This process took place whether there was a will (testate) or not (intestate). Various types of records may be found 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. You may also learn about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Additional clues often found in probate records are an ancestor's previous residence, occupation, land ownership, household items, former spouse(s), religion, and military service.
Probate records are essential for research because they often pre-date the birth and death records kept by civil authorities.

Estates were probated for approximately 25 percent of the heads of households in the United States before 1900, whether or not the individual left a will. The percentage was higher for rural areas than for urban areas because of the greater likelihood of land ownership for farmers. Because wills often list the names of many family members, as much as half the population either left a will or was mentioned in one.

While probate records are one of the most accurate sources of genealogical evidence, they have limitations.

  • See also:
  • Nancy A. Peters, Beyond the Will: What Probate Records Reveal about Ancestors NGS Magazine 48 #2 (April-June 2022): 16- FS Library 973 D25ngs v. 48 no. 2
  • Judy G Russell, No Longer "All Greek to Me:" Dealing with Legal Lingo in Probate Records NGS Magazine 48 #2 (April-June 2022): 29- FS Library 973 D25ngs v.48 no. 2

Jurisdiction[edit | edit source]

Probate is a function of state governments. Therefore, the laws and resulting records vary from state to state and changed over time. Probate records for many states can be found at the local county courthouse. The particular office of jurisdiction might be that of the Probate Court, the Equity Court, the Register of Wills, the County Clerk, the Circuit Court, or others. Some colonial records were kept by the town or the colony. See the wiki pages of each state for more information on pre-statehood, historical, and current probate records and jurisdictions.

The U.S. government had jurisdiction over the probate records for Native American or Indian tribes. The Bureau of Indians Affairs had agencies responsible for regional groups of recognized tribes. The Field Office of the appropriate tribal agency kept any probate records. These are found at the National Archives branch designated to archive the records for the pertinent agency.

Historical Background[edit | edit source]

United States probate law derived from English common law and from Spanish community property law, depending on the state. Under English common law, a married woman could only make a will of real property with her husband's consent or with an antenuptial contract. Under Spanish community property law, property acquired while married belonged equally to husband and wife. Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington are community property states.

Probate matters for the original English colonies were handled under English law. In fact, some American wills were proved in England and Scotland. The American Colonial Probate Records article further explains how to find these wills.


Sources[edit | edit source]

  • Black, Henry Campbell. Black's Law Dictionary: Definitions of Terms and Phrases of American and English Jurisprudence, Ancient and Modern. 6th edition. St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing, 1990. FS Library 340.03 B564L 1990
  • Carter, Fran. Searching American Probate Records. Bountiful Utah: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1993. FS Library 973 P27c
  • Eichholz, Alice, Editor. Redbook: American State, County, and Town Sources. Third Edition. Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004. There is a Probate Records section under each state's listings. FS Library 973 D27rb 2004
  • Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000. Of particular interest are the chapters, "Understanding Probate Records and Basic Legal Terminology," "What About Wills?" and "The Intestate—Miscellaneous Probate Records—Guardianships." FS Library 973 D27g 2000
  • Rose, Christine. Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures. San Jose, California: CR Publications, 2004. Of particular interest are the chapters, "Estates Galore," "Estate Documents," "Milking Every Clue from Estates," and "Strategies that Work." FS Library 929.1072 R72c
  • Szucs, Loretto Dennis and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, editors. The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy. Third edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, Inc., 2006. Of particular interest is the section, "Probate," pages 268 - 277. FS Library 973 D27ts 1997

Many early probate records have been transcribed, indexed, and published. The FamilySearch Library has statewide indexes or transcripts of large collections of wills that have been published for Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog.

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