Alabama Probate Records

Records

Wills usually mention the names of heirs and frequently specify how those heirs are related. Wills may also list names of children and married names of daughters. Probate records may not give an exact death date, but the death most often occurred within a few months of the date of probate.

== Availability == Probate records of Alabama have been kept by the probate court since the counties were created. These courts have records of estate, guardianship, and juvenile cases. The Gandrud and Jones Alabama Records Collection includes some of these records.
The Family History Library has microfilms of probate records from most of the counties in Alabama, generally from the date a county was created to the 1920s. The types of records available from each county vary considerably. For some counties, the library has only the court minutes. Records from other counties include complete probate records, such as dower records, personal property sales, settlement records, orphans’ records, wills, and bonds. The following records are available online as browse able collections. These records are not currently indexed. Select a link below and then search alphabetical files online.

1800–1930 Talladega County, Alabama probate records at FamilySearch Historical Records Alabama, County Estate Records, 1800-1996
1840–1950 Sumter County Circuit Court Files (disputed estates and divorces)FamilySearch Historical Records Alabama, Sumter County Circuit Court Files, 1840-1950
1847–1950 Madison County Chancery and Circuit court Records (disputed estates and divorces)FamilySearch Historical Records Alabama, Madison County Chancery and Circuit Court Records, 1847-1950

Index

An index for Alabama wills is:

Index to Alabama Wills, 1808–1870. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edwards Brothers, 1955. FHL fiche 6051441 This was compiled by the Daughters of the American Revolution in Alabama.

Probate records are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

ALABAMA- PROBATE RECORDS

ALABAMA, [COUNTY]- PROBATE RECORDS

ALABAMA, [COUNTY]-GUARDIANSHIPS

References

Alabama Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1988, 2001.

A wiki article describing this collection is found at:

Alabama, County Estate Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Alabama, County Probate Records