Historically, since the first permanent settlement, there has never been a time in North America when people did not make wills or when the estates of those who failed to do so were not handled by a court appointed for that purpose to ensure that the rightful heirs–the legal heirs–became the heirs in fact.1 The Value of Probate Records We have established that land was very important to our Pennsylvania German ancestors and we learned how to find land records. Probate records were created as a natural result of land ownership. When someone died, their estate needed to be distributed...
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss three case studies about probate records. In our last episode, we talked all about how to find probate records and what are in them. This episode is about how to probate files to answer a research question. It’s amazing how many clues are hiding in these records! We discuss three projects – Diana’s research about Thomas B. Royston, Nicole’s client project about John Johnson, and Diana’s project about Georgia Dawson. Don’t forget to download the special freebie we created for you all about Probate records here: U.S. Probate Records Cheat Sheet....
In our podcast episode today, Diana and I discuss one of our favorite record types for proving identity and parentage: probate records. These records are key in identifying relationships between children and their fathers in 18-19th century United States research. Probate records include wills, inventories, sales slips, receipts, debt payments, summons, petitions, and all kinds of records that reveal information about a family. Don’t miss the important information about how to find probate records for your relatives, what to do with the probate file once you find it, and how to understand the information contained in each page. We have...
Have you heard of the term “nuncupative will” and wondered what one would look like? If you have never come across this term, here’s your chance to learn something new. Our research often throws us curves in the form of new types of documents. If we’re going to become excellent genealogists, we need to become familiar with a variety of terms and records. I’d read and taught about nuncupative wills but never discovered one in my research until recently. The Nuncupative Will of William Miler Doing some basic probate research on the Miller family of Lincoln County, Kentucky, I came...
Have you wondered what is behind the scenes at an archive? Any idea what work goes into preserving the records that we use for our genealogy research? I recently presented a class on using probate records at the Family History Workshop sponsored by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service and was treated to a tour of the archived records. My guide opened an innocuous door and when I entered the archive I was shocked to see the boxes extending five stories high! Glen Fairclough, the Utah Public Notice Website Administrator, has worked at the Utah Archives for over...
What value is there in transcribing and viewing an entire probate case file? If it is lengthy, you might be tempted to skip this task, but you’d be making a big mistake. To solve brick wall genealogy problems, we need to examine every possible clue. I’ve been working on a fascinating project for our Research Like a Pro study group and it all hinges on probate. In Part 1 of this series I discussed what might be found in a probate case file and how to locate probate records for your ancestor. Part 2 of the series delved into the...
Have you discovered a will for your ancestor but are puzzled by the legal terminology? You might have extracted some information like names of sons or daughters but aren’t sure what to do with the rest. Back to the Basics with Probate Records – Part 1 discussed what information might be in a probate record and how to locate the records for your ancestors. Now it’s time to learn about the document that is often first in a probate file – the will. What are the various types of wills and how can you use them in your research? WILLS A...
Have you explored probate records in the search for your family? Or do they sound too difficult to tackle? With the digitization of microfilm on FamilySearch and indexes available on Ancestry, probate records are much easier to access than in the past. With an estimated 25% of the United States population leaving a will and an estimated 50% mentioned in a will, why wouldn’t you check out these valuable records? When should you turn to probate records? At the beginning, middle, or end of your research? Because the possibility of valuable genealogical information is high in this record group, I often list...
Are you a bit intimidated by probate research? Have you located a will but neglected to find the “rest of the story?” With probate records being digitized by Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, chances are you have some exciting discoveries to be made. Did you know that the Probate Estate packet of your ancestor can be a real page turner? Or should I say, “next image” turner. I made a huge find recently when I searched for my ancestor, Thomas B. Royston in Ancestry.com’s new collection: “Alabama, Wills and Probate Records.” Over fifty images were just waiting for me to peruse. Since the packet is...
