How to Use Probate Records to Trace Ancestors

How to use probate records for ancestry and genealogy research.

What are probate records?

Probate records (which document the process of passing property, both land and various goods, onto one’s heirs) are among the major types of records used in genealogical research. Heirs may be anybody the testator (the person who made the will) chooses to name, including servants, in-laws, friends, and others. Wills and other papers that developed during the probate process are a great source to document relationships between family members such as parents to a child. Persons often identified themselves according to the place (often a town) they came from or were born

Search Wills and Probate Records for Historical Family Research. Introduction to finding and using wills and probate records when conducting individual and family historical research. Learn about the records, why they are important.

When a person leaves a will (referred to as testate), the probate process documents the will’s validity. It completes the deceased’s wishes by the executor or executrix named in the will. If the individual did not leave a will (referred to as intestate), the court used the probate to appoint an administrator or administratrix to decide the distribution of assets to heirs and relationships according to the jurisdiction’s laws.

Probate packets or files may include wills, estate inventories or lists of assets, appointments of executors or administrators, administrations or documentation of the distribution of assets, petitions for guardianship of minor children, lists of heirs, and lists of creditors or accounts of debts.

Probate records can be found at the county courthouse. In some cases, older probate records may have been transferred to archives. You can request probate records from the courts. When requesting the record from the courthouse, make sure you order the complete packet or jacket that holds all the papers.

Societies and libraries will have older probate records for some counties. In addition, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City has filmed many probate records.

Information Found in Probate Records

What information will you find in probate records?

Use probate records to find date and place of death, residence, names (and addresses) of descendants, and details to search for land records, and to discover other places where the individual may have held property, discover relationships, get a feel for individual’s economic standing, look for clues about individual’s feelings toward Family members, find clues to the deaths of other family members, sort out adoptions, guardianships and other unclear relationships, learn names of stores and vendors frequented by the individual, find the individual’s signature, find occupation, find citizenship, and find marital status.

Throughout my research experiences, I have made it a cardinal rule that before I begin to research any record type, I will take the time to learn about the records, how to research the record, where to find the records, what information is contained in the record, and how I can use the information in my research. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the first time I have researched the record type or the hundredth time; it is essential to refresh my knowledge to be keen and sharp on what I am searching not to miss important details.

Simply being aware of the various records gives me options for connecting the generations. No record has all the answers but combined, they allow me to resolve my family’s story and put together the puzzle through the records’ clues and answers.

Over many generations, the history of a family lies buried in different sources and places. Like a detective, I will research the pieces of an individual and family’s past in sources such as books, documents, and manuscripts. Be patient and imaginative because the search can take years and involve a string of clues that lead to new sources. The facts—names, dates, events—that a researcher gathers are like pieces of a puzzle that can be fitted together to make a picture of a family, its many members, and its unique history.

Other Records to Help in Ancestry Research

Where can I learn more about how to trace ancestry?

The following are important articles for learning about ancestry and historical research.

Where can I learn more about records to trace ancestry?

The following is an overview of 15 types of vital, government and historical records I have found constantly valuable in my individual, family, and narrative research. These records provide vital and biographical information on individuals and families. When I mastered researching these resources, I could quickly expand my research to other records to help me connect the pieces for writing narratives and other historical research.

For each record type, I have included what you will find, how to use the resource, and research insights for each record type. I would encourage you to use this article as a starting point from which you can search out and find other record tutorials guides and help to provide deeper insights.