Alabama, County Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records/Known Issues

Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976
Question #1: I cannot find my ancestor in these records. Is there a way to find my ancestor's name? Answer #1: Some of the files may contain more than one name. If you cannot find the name you are searching, please look throughout the record that is in the same alphabetical area as your ancestor. This procedure does not guarantee the name is included.

Question #2: When I use this collection using the Name of my ancestor, and Talladega or Madison County, I get a message “No records found.” How do I find my ancestors estate/probate files in Talladega and Madison Counties? Answer #2: When this collection was placed online, all of the counties were indexed and listed by the last name of the estate, found on the outside of the folder. Because these records were indexed, the name of a person or the estate can be typed into the search boxes. However, Talladega and Madison counties were not indexed. This means that if you type a name into the search box of an estate from these two counties, you will get the message “No records found”. You can find the records which are in alphabetical order by using the browse function.

Alabama, Probate Records, 1809-1985
Question #1: The records in the browse point Baldwin &gt; Wills 1878-1909 do not appear to be Wills. Can you clarify this? Answer #1: The book clearly says in Images 5-6 that this is a book of Wills. Images 7-19 are an index of the individuals included in the book. Image 20 and many of the other images are statements of individuals proving they are worth less than $1000 which statements are signed by the individual and the Probate court judge. They are often accompanied by lists of possessions and values of either the deceased or the individual. From images 160-164 it seems that the Alabama laws govern the taxing of inherited items based on the relative wealth of the receiving individual - and that it must be shown that an individual is worth less than $1000 or has some other conditions referred to exempt them from higher levy's or taxes on the goods they are receiving. This book would appear to be the collection of these statements and liens on property in probate. While the book title of Wills might be a bit generous it is what the book was titled and is related to Probate and the work of the Probate judges of Alabama.

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Return to the Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976 collection at FamilySearch.org.

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