Canada, Saskatchewan Probate Estate Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Canada Saskatchewan

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes probate records from 1887 to 1931. These records include an index and images of probate estate files for Saskatchewan. The estate records contain loose papers relating to the settlement of estates including guardianship records as well as distribution of funds, land and property.

There is no central repository for probate records in Saskatchewan. The province is divided into fifteen judicial districts (See Canada Probate Records). Original wills and records of estates are filed with the clerk of the court of the judicial district, from whom certified copies may be obtained. The fifteen judicial courthouses in Saskatchewan are located at the following places:

Current records are available through these courthouses.

Most court records prior to 1931 are under the jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan Archives Board. Probate records before 1930 are usually at provincial archives, with microfilm copies at the appropriate court. You may also send questions to the Registrar of Estates and Wills, Regina Courthouse (see the Saskatchewan Archives and Libraries wiki article for addresses).

Court records are filed by court of jurisdiction. They are sequentially numbered for each year and then indexed under the name of the plaintiff and the name of the defendant. More recent probate records are usually only at the court. You may need to contact or visit the archive or court to obtain all of the papers. Probate records were kept by probate or surrogate courts. Often the size of the estate determined which court held jurisdiction. Search the records of all probate courts in all places where the individual had property. Probate and estate files are especially useful when trying to prove a relationship between two or more individuals. To ensure that the property went to the correct person, relationships (such as 'son,' 'aunt,' or 'sister-in-law') were often named in detail. This is ideal for a genealogist who needs proof to move on to the next generation in a family or needs help fleshing out a complete family group. In cases where birth, marriage, and death records began too late, probate and estate records may be completely necessary to prove family connections. If you want to learn more about Canadian probate records, look at the Canada Probate Records article to find more information.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Probate Estate records may contain the following information


 * Death date
 * Names of heirs and guardians
 * Relationships
 * Residences
 * An inventory of the estate
 * Names of witnesses

Search the Index
Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page then:
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes with the information you know.
 * 2) Click Search. This will provide possible a list of matches.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page then:
 * 1) Select “Judicial District”
 * 2) Select “Year”
 * 3) Select  “File Number”

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.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the information to find other records such as birth, christening, census, land and death records.
 * Use the information to find additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.
 * It may be useful to check out Saskatchewan Archives Board to see if there are other records that may be of interest to you.

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 Saskatchewan, Canada Genealogy.
 * Search in the Saskatchewan Archives and Libraries.
 * Search in the FamilySearch Library Catalog

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image. Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation:

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