Canada, British Columbia Estate Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection contains probate estate files for the Judicial Districts of British Columbia. The Records were created by either the County Court or the Supreme Court. The years vary by court and locality, and indexes exist for the following districts, Vancouver and Victoria. The Victoria index is found in this record collection: British Columbia Wills, 1861-1939; Index, 1861-1981.

Probate records were not created for every person who died. The laws of Prince Edward Island and Quebec required all estates to be probated, whether or not the individual left a will. In Ontario thousands of wills were registered at land offices and did not go through a court probate process. See Ontario Land and Property. In other Canadian provinces, estates were probated for perhaps 10 percent of the heads of household before 1900.

While probate records are one of the most accurate sources of genealogical evidence, use them with some caution because:


 * They may remove the names of deceased family members or those who previously received an inheritance.
 * The spouse mentioned in a will may not be the parent of the children mentioned.
 * Relationships noted in the records may not have the same meaning today.

In eastern Canada, most land records begin in the late 1700s. They include land petitions, fiats and warrants, land grants and patents, and deeds. The federal homestead era in the Prairie Provinces lasted almost 60 years (1872 to 1930). Homestead record files cover those years.

Naturalization information and other clues for further research.

To see more of the record description, go to Canada Probate Records and Canada Land and Property Records for more information.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in the wills may include the following information:


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

Beginning your Search
For you to make your search successful in this collection, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Ancestors name
 * Death date and place
 * Name of Spouse

Searching the Images
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the “Judicial District/Locality” ⇒Select the “Court” ⇒Select the “Record Type, File Numbers and Years” which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Can't Find Information?
If you can't find any information on your ancestor in the Estate Files, you can try the following:


 * Look where your ancestor was living at the time of the last census. That will give you a clue of finding the county of the death place where your ancestor was probated.
 * Search the Canadian Mortality Schedules to find a death place for your ancestor.
 * Look in the naturalization records. That will give you a clue on where your ancestor is currently residing at the time of naturalization.

Other Information On How To Use This Record
In English Canada, 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.

Using the Information
When you have found the information that you are looking for, you can look at the census records to find your ancestor's family.

Related Websites

 * British Columbia Archives
 * Probate British Columbia Archives Estate Guide
 * British Columbia Archives Wills Guide
 * British Columbia Archives Land Records Guide

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada Probate Records
 * Canada Notarial Records
 * Canada Land Records
 * Canada Land and Property Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clementina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata, Buenos Aires.