Wills – Family Locket

Back to the Basics with Probate Research Part 3

Jun 8, 2018

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...

Back to the Basics with Probate Records – Part 2

Jan 15, 2018

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...

Probate 101 or The Real Life Drama of the Thomas B. Royston Estate

Apr 20, 2016

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...