New Hampshire, Cheshire County, Probate Estate Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection "New Hampshire, Cheshire County, Probate Estate Files, 1886-1900" consists of images of probate estate case files located at the 8th Circuit Court, Probate Division in Keene.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

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

Probate records include petitions, inventories, accounts, decrees and other court documents.
 * 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
 * The names of relatives who may be named as heirs

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?
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 that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * Use probate 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 document (such as the will) or the recording 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
 * You may be able to use the probate record to learn about land transactions
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth of the deceased to locate census, church, and land records
 * Use the occupations listed to find employment records or other types of records such as military records
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

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

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
 * Consult the New Hampshire Record Finder to find other records

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

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Probate estate files, 1769-1885
 * Probate estate files, 1886-1959
 * Guardianship papers, 1824-1853
 * Wills, 1799-1869
 * Wills, Inventories, Claims, Accounts 1771-1815
 * Administrations, 1823-1869
 * Dowers claims, settlement of estates of widows, 1814-1886

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * prepared by the Historical Records Survey, Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration. Inventory of the county archives of New Hampshire, no. 3, Cheshire County. Manchester, New Hampshire : Historical Records Survey (New Hampshire), 1939
 * D. Hamilton Hurd, ed. History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : J.W. Lewis & Company, 1886

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.