Maine Aroostook County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes Probate Estate Files (1837 to 2007) and Deed Books (1865 to 1903). The probate estate files include indexes and estate file packets. They are arranged by case number. The deed books include grantor and grantee land indexes and deed books for the Northern District and Southern District of Aroostook County.

Record Content
Probate records in the state fall into two general categories: wills and estate papers. Genealogical facts in probate files may include:


 * 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.)

Maine Probate Records also include:


 * Wills
 * Depositions
 * Administrations
 * Guardianships
 * Inventories
 * Accounts

Books contain copies of deeds and conveyances of land transactions. Genealogical facts found in deed books may include:


 * Names of Grantor and Grantee
 * Land being transferred

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The place of residence
 * The approximate date of the event (death, probate, deed, etc)
 * The name of the ancestor

Identify the record to be searched
From the Record Description list, identify the kind of record you would like to search (land or probate) and click on the title link to select it.

Find the image
Start searching individual images or pages that you have listed. Compare the information in the records to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use probate or deed records to identify heirs and relatives.
 * You may be able to use the probate record to learn about adoptions or guardianship of any minor children and dependents.
 * Use the probate document or the recorded dates to approximate a death date.
 * Use the information in the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records since the probates exist for an earlier time period.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to locate census, church, and land records.
 * Use the occupations listed to find other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Record History
County officials, usually the county clerk, began keeping probate records and deeds or property records from the time the county was formed.

Why the Record Was Created
Probate records were used to legally dispose of a person’s estate after his or her death. If the deceased had made a will, the probate process transferred the following from the deceased to an executor or executrix: the legal responsibility for payment of taxes, care and custody of dependent family members, liquidation of debts, and transfer of property title to heirs. If there was no will, the transfer went to an administrator or administratrix. A guardian or conservator was appointed if the deceased had heirs younger than 21 or if the heirs were incompetent due to disability or disease.

Deeds were used to track the legal transference of property.

Record Reliability
Most facts such as names, dates, residences, monies transacted that were current at the time the records were made are reliable, but realize that there is still a chance of misinformation.

The records may omit details such as the names of deceased family members or those who had previously received an inheritance. In some cases, the spouse mentioned was not the parent of the children mentioned.

Related Websites

 * Aroostook County Registry of Deeds
 * Aroostook County Reference Books and Lookup Volunteers
 * Maine Property Deeds

Related Wiki Articles

 * Maine Land and Property
 * Maine Probate Records
 * New England Land, Probate and Tax Records
 * Maine Land and Property

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.