Pennsylvania Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes probate records created in Pennsylvania counties for the years 1683 to 1994. Probate records include petitions, inventories, accounts, decrees, wills, estate records, indexes and other documents.

Probates have been recorded on a county basis since the origin of the Commonwealth in 1682. Some major cities, such as Philadelphia, also kept probate records. Complete records are available in most counties. Probate actions taken in a locality before the present county was formed are found in records of the parent county. 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: 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.

The death date, residence, and other facts that were current at the time of the probate proceedings are reliable, but realize that there is still a chance of misinformation. The records may omit the names of deceased family members or those who had previously received an inheritance. In some cases, the spouse mentioned in the will was not the parent of the children mentioned. Also, some wills do not name family members.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name of the testator or deceased
 * Names of the heirs, such as spouse, children, other relatives, and friends
 * Name of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residence of the testator
 * Dates the documents were written and recorded (used to approximate event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death).

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of death

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.

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 will to approximate a death date, then find a death certificate
 * Use the information in the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records for earlier years
 * Use the information to locate census, christenings, marriage and land records
 * Use the occupations to find employment or military records

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

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Pennsylvania.
 * Beginning Research in United States Probate Records
 * Pennsylvania Guided Research
 * Pennsylvania Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Pennsylvania Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Pennsylvania Deaths and Burials, 1720-1999
 * Pennsylvania Cemetery Records, ca. 1700-ca. 1950
 * Pennsylvania Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880

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.