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Wills & Probates

Wills & Probates. http://ancestry.com/library/view/ancmag/3644.asp. Probate records are useful in your search for ancestors 1 st they relate information already gathered They are legal documents and are reliable information as long as you interpret it correctly

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Wills & Probates

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  1. Wills & Probates http://ancestry.com/library/view/ancmag/3644.asp • Probate records are useful in your search for ancestors • 1st they relate information already gathered • They are legal documents and are reliable information as long as you interpret it correctly • Wills are the most common form of records • They furnish you with relationships • They give you glimpses into the persons life, family secrets, household items, and feelings about family members

  2. Identify the Individual • Use the ancestors full name • Try to find as much information as you can such as: • Death dates • Death place (be careful not to assume the place) • Marriage information • Any additional information about the person or the family

  3. Identify the Place of Death • Most wills & probates are filed in the county where the individual was living when they died. • Watch because some cities changed their boundaries • If there was more than one marriage, could the person have been living with one of the children at the time of death

  4. Learn Where The Records are Kept • Usually filed at the county level at the court house • They can be filed in unexpected places or locations • Local historical societies • Some have been microfilmed and are at the Family History library • Look for an index of the probate records • Probate laws and the associated records will differ from state to state

  5. Learn what records are available • Wills • Probate • Inventories • Distributions of estates • Letters of administration • Sales of estate • Inquest documents Make sure you request all records concerning your ancestor

  6. Access the records • Learn the correct procedure for securing a copy of the information • You can visit in person • Email or snail mail (remember the SASE) • Make sure you know the correct amount of money to send • Keep a correspondence log • See if there is anything in your county that could be on the internet

  7. Analyze and record the information • Once you have the wills then that is when the fun begins. • Be careful not to read things into the document • Take notes regarding the information found • Names that appear on the documents • Leave no line unread • Note the witnesses they could be family

  8. Pitfalls in using Wills and Probates • Extracts are secondary sources • Don’t make assumptions, it can be misleading • Be careful of terms of relationships, • Wills are not always filed immediately after a death • Witnesses cannot be beneficiaries, but are often a relative • A wife listed may or may not be the mother of the children • Remember boundaries have changed over time

  9. Websites • www.bcgcertification.org/skillbuilders/skbld955.html • http://members.aol.com/mayflo1620/wills.html • http://genealogy.about.com/cs/wills • http://www.mylawyer.com/glossary.htm • http://www.cyndislist.com/wills.htm#General

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