Washington, Pierce County, Probate Case Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
This collection includes probate records from Pierce County, Washington for the years 1918-1930. The records were obtained from the Washington State Archives in Olympia. The records are arranged in chronological order. This project is being published as images become available.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Probate records may contain the following information: • 2

Collection Content
Probate records are court documents may have included both loose papers and bound volumes. These records were generally known as an estate file, case file, or probate packets. These files normally included the following types of documents:
 * Wills
 * Letters of administration
 * Settlement papers
 * Guardianships
 * Inventories
 * Receipts
 * Distributions
 * Name changes
 * Adoptions
 * Any other records pertaining to estates

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: 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.
 * Legal responsibility for payment of taxes
 * Care and custody of dependent family members
 * Liquidation of debts
 * Transfer of property title to heirs

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.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The location or date of the event

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
 * In case you need to find this record again later, copy the citation below in the Citing This Collection section.
 * Use a Probate record to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs and relatives.
 * Use a probate record to approximate a death date, then find a [Washington County Deaths].
 * For earlier years, use the probate record or will to substitute for civil birth and death records.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find county or Washington Vital Records such as birth, baptism, and marriage, records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the United States Census, 1900 - FamilySearch Historical Records or the United States Census, 1930 - FamilySearch Historical Records. Search the state censuses as well.
 * Use the information found in the record to find [Washington Land Records and Deeds].
 * Search for death or burial information in BillionGraves Index.
 * If applicable, search for immigration and naturalization records as well.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.

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

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. 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. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Washington, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the Washington Archives and Libraries.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Washington.
 * Washington Guided Research
 * Washington Record Finder
 * Washington Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1907 | 1907-Present

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Pierce County, probate case files, 1855-1911
 * Pierce County, will journals, 1854-1950
 * Pierce County, miscellaneous probate records, 1879-1940
 * Pierce County, probate court index, 1853-1902
 * Pierce County, obituaries, 1967-1997
 * Pierce County, death certificates, 1891-1907

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.