United States Probate Records: Difference between revisions

==='''Beginners' Corner'''===

[[Beginning Research in United States Probate Records#What are United States probate records?|'''What are United States probate records?''']]<br>

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

=== 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 are created throughout the probate process. 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.  

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  ===

*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." {{FHL|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. {{FHL|973 D27ts 1997}}

Many early probate records have been transcribed, indexed, and published. The Family History 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.  

*[https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Iowa,_Fayette_County_Probate_Case_Files_%28FamilySearch_Historical_Records%29 Iowa, Fayette County Probate Case Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)]  

*[[Ohio Probate Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)|Ohio Probate Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]<br>

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[[Category:United States Probate Records]] [[Category:United_States_Probate_Records]]