Manitoba Probate Records
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Online Records
- 1871-1930 - Manitoba Probate Records, 1871-1930
- 1870-1974 - Manitoba Estate File Index, 1870-1974
- Court Registry Index, 1984 - present
Archives of Manitoba
Introduction
Between 1871 and 1982 wills and probate records were kept only at the Surrogate Registrar’s Office in the courthouse of each judicial district in Manitoba. Since 1982, the following wills and probate records are being transferred to the Provincial Archives:
- Wills and probate records over 20 years old from courthouses outside the city of Winnipeg.
- Wills and probate records over 60 years old from the Eastern Judicial District in Winnipeg.
A central alphabetical index, arranged by year, is maintained at the Winnipeg court office. To have the index searched, you must provide the name of the deceased and the date of death. In 1984 all indexes, wills, and probate files for the period 1882 to 1930 began to be microfilmed for use at the Provincial Archives.
Probate indexes from as early as 1870 to as late as 1984 (depending on the area) can also be found online at the Archives of Manitoba. Once the estate file numbers are identified, many wills from 1871-1931 can be viewed in the FamilySearch Manitoba Probate Records collection identified and linked below.
A few wills for the period 1830–1870 can be found in the “private papers” collections of the Provincial Archives. Wills for some of the officers and servants of the Hudson’s Bay Company, 1763–1921, are available on microfilm at the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, Provincial Archives, and National Archives of Canada. There is an alphabetical index to these wills.
Court records prior to 1870 are small in number. They are located at the Provincial Archives and at the local courts. The Provincial Archives web page has information about which records are being transferred to the archives.
Accessing the Records
- 1871 - 1930 Manitoba Probate Records, 1871-1930 at FamilySearch — index and images
For help finding local courthouse records, contact the Court of Queen’s Bench in Winnipeg, or contact the Provincial Archives. Contact information for both of these can be found in the "Archives and Libraries" section.
For further information on Manitoba courts contact the Attorney General’s Department in Winnipeg:
Attorney General of Manitoba
Legislative Building
450 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8
Phone: 204-945-3728
Fax: 204-945-2517
Internet: http://www.gov.mb.ca/minister/minjus.html
Wills and Probate Records
Wills and probate records pertain to the settlement of an estate for a deceased person including applications, wills, affidavits, property inventories and valuations. These records were formerly found in the Surrogate Court but today are part of the Family Division of the Court of Queen’s Bench. There is a central alphabetical index found in Winnipeg which is arranged by year. To have the index searched you must provide the name of the deceased and the date of death. If found, they can advise you about where the records are located. There is a fee for this service.
Court of Queen’s Bench, Estate Files 1871-1988
The records for the following courts have been transferred to the Archives of Manitoba.
- Brandon 1884-1988
- Portage la Prairie 1884-1984
- Dauphin 1918-1986
- St. Boniface 1908-1962
- Minnedosa 1909-1965
- Winnipeg 1871-1978
- Morden 1902-1965
Microfilm copies of the indexes for 1871-July 1984 are available from the Archives of Manitoba through their loan and purchase program. See, Microfilm Program.
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