Ohio, Montgomery County Probate Estate Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images to probate estate files from the Montgomery County Records Center and Archive in Dayton, Ohio. The files are typically chronological and have a case file number.

These files include all documents related to estate settlement, such as inventories, receipts, wills, accounts, administrations, appraisals, minutes, bonds, petitions, and guardianships. For additional information about probate records see the section "General Information About These Records" below.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Probate
 * Name of testator or deceased
 * Names of heirs such as spouse, children, and other relatives or friends
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residence of testator
 * Lists of belongings, property, and so forth
 * Document and recording dates (Sometimes the date of death will be given. Recording dates are also used to approximate event dates, i.e. a letter of administration was usually written shortly after the time of death.)

Sample Images
Most probate records were created on a county level. The contents of probate records vary greatly depending on the prevailing law and the personality of the record keeper.

Probate records in the state fall into two general categories: wills and estate papers. Most records mention the names of heirs and frequently specify how those heirs are related. Names of children may be given, as well as married names of daughters. Probate records may not give an exact death date, but a death most often occurred within a few months of the date of probate.

Probate records are used to legally dispose of a person’s estate after his or her death. The probate process transfers the legal responsibility for payment of taxes, care and custody of dependent family members, liquidation of debts, and transfer of property title. The transfer is to an executor or executrix if the deceased had made a will, to an administrator or administratrix if the deceased had not made a will, or to a guardian or conservator if the deceased had heirs under the age of twenty-one or if heirs were incompetent due to disease or disability.

The death date, residence, and other facts that were current at the time of the probate proceeding are quite reliable, though there is still a chance of misinformation. The records may omit the names of deceased family members and those who have previously received an inheritance, or the spouse mentioned may not be the parent of the children mentioned.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The date of death
 * The names of possible relatives named in the probate file

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the probate record to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs and relatives
 * Use the probate record to approximate a death date, then find a death certificate
 * For earlier years, use the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records
 * Search for vital records such as birth, marriage, and death
 * Use the information found in the record to find immigration and land records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials
 * Consult the Ohio Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Ohio.
 * Ohio Guided Research
 * Ohio Record Finder
 * Ohio Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Ohio Research, 1880-Present

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Montgomery County, probate files, ca. 1850-1900
 * Montgomery County, estate files, ca. 1810-1887
 * Montgomery County, civil case files, 1885-1898
 * Montgomery County, Court records 1805-1910, and indexes 1803-1939

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.