Exploring the Probate Records County by County
Posted by Amy Johnson Crow for Ancestry.com Blog on March 14, 2016
In genealogy, it’s always a good idea to review what records are available for the specific locations we are researching. Probate records are no exception.
Probate records vary not only from state to state, but also from county to county. How one county arranged its records might not be exactly the same as a neighboring county. There are also surprising record collections that may be included – as well as some records that are missing.
Let’s take a look at how you can find exactly what’s available for a specific. . .
In genealogy, it’s always a good idea to review what records are available for the specific locations we are researching. Probate records are no exception.
Probate records vary not only from state to state, but also from county to county. How one county arranged its records might not be exactly the same as a neighboring county. There are also surprising record collections that may be included – as well as some records that are missing.
Let’s take a look at how you can find exactly what’s available for a specific. . .
county in the Ancestry collection of U.S. Wills and Probate collection.
1. Go to That State’s Probate Collection
Use the Card Catalog to find the Wills and Probate collection for the state you’re interested in. (You can get to the Card Catalog by clicking on Search, then clicking on Card Catalog in the menu that appears.)
When you’re in the Card Catalog, enter the name of the state and “probate” in the title field. (If you’re looking for the Indiana probate collection, type Indiana probate.) If there’s more than one result, click on the one that’s titled “<state>, Wills and Probate Records, <years>."
2. Choose Your County
On the right-hand side of the page, you’ll see a section “Browse this collection.” Use the drop-down menu to select the county you’re interested in.
1. Go to That State’s Probate Collection
Use the Card Catalog to find the Wills and Probate collection for the state you’re interested in. (You can get to the Card Catalog by clicking on Search, then clicking on Card Catalog in the menu that appears.)
When you’re in the Card Catalog, enter the name of the state and “probate” in the title field. (If you’re looking for the Indiana probate collection, type Indiana probate.) If there’s more than one result, click on the one that’s titled “<state>, Wills and Probate Records, <years>."
2. Choose Your County
On the right-hand side of the page, you’ll see a section “Browse this collection.” Use the drop-down menu to select the county you’re interested in.
| 3. Scroll Through the List After you choose a county, you’ll see a list of the different types of records that are included for that county. Use it to familiarize yourself with what’s available. You can also click on a specific record group and browse the images. (I sometimes go into things like “Estate Index” or “Probate Index” and look for names that I’m not finding when I do a search.) Learning the Dates for That County The years listed for a state’s probate collection are the earliest year for any of the counties and the most recent year for any of the counties. It doesn’t mean that all counties are covered for all of those years. For example, Indiana, Wills and Probate Records, 1798-1999 means that there’s at least one county with records in the collection as early as 1798 and at least one county with records as recent as 1999. It doesn’t mean that each of Indiana’s 92 counties have records in the collection that span those years. - |  Complete Record, Vol 8-10, 1856-1874 Complete Record, Vol A, 1829-1837 Coroners Inquest, Vol 2, 1930-1934 General Index, 1831-1903 General Index, 1857-1906; Land Partitions, Vol 1-2, 1857-1877 Index of Estates, 1830-1953;Index of Guardianships, 1834-1919 Index to Complete Records, 1846-1887 |
Surprising Records
Sometimes you’ll come across record types that you might not expect. In the records for Cass County, Indiana, you’ll find Coroners Inquests, Vol. 2, 1930-1934. Coles County, Illinois has numerous volumes of deeds, along with grantee and grantor indexes. Calhoun County, Arkansas includes soldiers and sailors discharge records, 1918-1945.
Conclusion
Exploring what is included in the Wills and Probate collections for your specific county will help you better understand what records are available and what records are missing, and may lead you to uncover some surprising record types.
About Amy Johnson Crow
Amy Johnson Crow is a Certified Genealogist and an active lecturer and author. Her roots run deep in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. She earned her Masters degree in Library and Information Science at Kent State University. Amy loves to help people discover the joys of learning about their ancestors and she thinks that there are few things better than a day in a cemetery. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Amy Johnson Crow.
Sometimes you’ll come across record types that you might not expect. In the records for Cass County, Indiana, you’ll find Coroners Inquests, Vol. 2, 1930-1934. Coles County, Illinois has numerous volumes of deeds, along with grantee and grantor indexes. Calhoun County, Arkansas includes soldiers and sailors discharge records, 1918-1945.
Conclusion
Exploring what is included in the Wills and Probate collections for your specific county will help you better understand what records are available and what records are missing, and may lead you to uncover some surprising record types.
About Amy Johnson Crow
Amy Johnson Crow is a Certified Genealogist and an active lecturer and author. Her roots run deep in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. She earned her Masters degree in Library and Information Science at Kent State University. Amy loves to help people discover the joys of learning about their ancestors and she thinks that there are few things better than a day in a cemetery. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Amy Johnson Crow.