User:Pipkincm/Sandbox



These are the items that I found on the wiki that either I want to edit/create or that I'll suggest someone else gives attention to. If you've been asked to collaborate, please review the topic of interest and add to the "discussion" tab.

Record Overview
[most text has been moved to the U.S. Probate Records main page]

Cautions
While probate records are one of the most accurate sources of genealogical evidence, they must be used with some caution. For example,


 * Not everyone left an estate that was probated by a court.
 * Those named in the will are not necessarily related to the testator.
 * A wife is not necessarily the mother of the children named.
 * Deceased family members or those who previously received an inheritance might not be mentioned in the records.
 * Probate records can be filed in more than one cabinet, ledger, or packet and in more than one office.
 * Transcribed records might be incomplete, misread, or incorrectly transcribed so consult the original when possible.
 * The county of residence at the time of death usually must be known in order to locate probate records.
 * Rarely do indexes of probate records include every name mentioned in the records.

Suggested Text for State Topic Pages
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[insert the horizontal topic sidebar, adding "United States Probate Records"]

Record Synopsis
Probate encompasses all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, whether there is a will (testate) or not (intestate). Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records may not give an exact death date, but the death most often occurred within a few months of the date of probate. Wills usually mention the names of heirs and frequently specify how those heirs are related. Names of children are given, as well as married names of daughters.

Cautions While probate records are one of the most accurate sources of genealogical evidence, they must be used with some caution. For example,


 * Not eveyone left an estate that was probated by a court.
 * Those named in the will are not necessarily related to the testator.
 * A wife is not necessarily the mother of the children named.
 * Deceased family members or those who previously received an inheritance might not be mentioned in the records.
 * Probate records can be filed in more than one cabinet, ledger, or packet and in more than one office.
 * Transcribed records might be incomplete, misread, or incorrectly transcribed so consult the original when possible.
 * The county of residence at the time of death usually must be known in order to locate probate records.
 * Rarely do indexes of probate records include every name mentioned in the records.

State Statutes
Understanding the [state] probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems. For additional information about [state] state statutes relating to probate matters, see:

Obtaining the Records
Repositories (local, regional, national—as applicable)

Indexes

Web Sites


 * Sampubco A gateway to Indexes of Will, Guardianships, Probate Records, and Letters Testamentary (does not apply to all states)
 * The USGenWeb Project A cooperative volunteer effort with links to resources for the state and counties. (Replace the link and link's text for each state)

Learn More

 * Anne Roach, Courthouse Records Overview (35 minute online video) FamilySearch Research Classes Online, 2010.
 * Eichholz, Alice, Editor. Redbook: American State, County, and Town Sources. Third Edition. Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004. (See page ___.)
 * Rose, Christine. Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures. San Jose, California: CR Publications, 2004.

[don't include this if the horizontal "Topic" sidebar is being used] Click on the following links to wiki articles for additional information on probate records:


 * United States Probate Records
 * Probate Process
 * Probate Documents
 * Glossary of Probate Terms

Probate
Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death that relate to a court’s decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of any dependents. You may find the names of married daughters or other relatives and their residences or information about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records do not always give an exact date of death, but the death usually occurred within a few months of probate. These documents are important to family history researchers, because they usually exist for time periods before civil birth and death records were kept.

The [court] has responsibility for the probate records of [name] County.

The following [name] County probate records have been indexed or abstracted:

Glossary of Probate Terms
[currently, the Iowa Probate page provides wikipedia links to some of these terms] [text moved to Glossary of United States Probate Terms]

United States Probate Documents
Accounts Accounts are court records in the probate process. These reports are from administrators, executors, guardians, trustees, and conservators. The accounts include reports to the court of all transactions pertaining to the administration of the estate.

Bonds In most probate cases, the court required the administrator (and sometimes the executor) to post a bond to ensure that he would properly complete his duties. The bond required the administrator to pay a fee to the court if he failed to adequately administer the estate. One or more persons were required to co-sign the bond as "sureties." These individuals were often members of the family or closely associated with the family.

Bond records include those of administrator, executor, guardian, appraiser, and trustee.

Content of Bond records:


 * Name of the administrator or executor
 * Bondsmen
 * The deceased
 * Amount of bond
 * Date of bond

Claims Claims are court records in the probate process. The documents include petitions, registers, accounts, and appeals.

Court Records [too vague, no information]

Divisions Divisions are court records in the probate process. The documents include commission reports, settlements, decrees of distribution, dower rights, courtesy rights, awards, private disbursement, ledgers, guardians' final report, probate decrees, certificates of devise, assignments of real estate, order of distribution, and decree of heirship.

When the distribution was completed and payments to the creditors and heirs made, the executor or administrator presented to the court a record or decree of distribution and settlement. This document listed the beneficiaries of the estate and the property each received. This is often the most helpful source of family information in an intestate case.

Inventories Inventories are court records in the probate process. An appraiser prepared an inventory that listed the property in the estate and obtained an appraisal of its value. The property list includes both real estate and personal property. In intestate cases the inventory is very important as it may describe the land, tools, slaves, and other personal property at the time of death.

These records are sometimes transcribed in the will books or in separate volumes, but the originals may be in the probate packet.

Inventory documents may include real estate, personal property, guardians, conservators, partnerships, minors' estates, appraisals, appraisers warrants, and reports.

Miscellaneous Documents Probate court records include miscellaneous documents. These records could be unrecorded wills, widows' allowances, orders to find heirs, sales documents, marriage settlements, waivers, changes of name, legitimization, memoranda, appeals, and estate taxes.

Petitions A petition is an application to a court requesting the right to settle an estate. The petition document from the heirs generally begins the legal probate process. The petition was filed with the court that served the area where the deceased owned property. Additional petitions may be filed in other localities where he owned property or resided. The petition may name the heirs of the deceased, their relationship, and sometimes their residence. Heirs and other interested parties can petition the court throughout the probate process.

The petition documents include letters testamentary, letters of administration, guardianship, appointment or change of guardian, redress for misuse or waste of property, list of heirs, and renunciation.

The letters testamentary authorize the executor to settle the estate.

The letters of administration authorize the administrator to settle the estate.

Publications Publications are court records in the probate process. They include announcements, advertisements, notices to heirs, notices of sales, and notices to creditors.

Some state laws required the publications in specified newspapers for two or three weeks. Newspaper clippings may be in the probate packet as evidence of compliance with the law.

Releases Releases are court records in the probate process. The releases come from executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, heirs, and conservators.

Wills

American Colonial Probate Records
Probate matters for the original English colonies were handled under English law. Under English common law, a married woman could only make a will of real property with her husband's consent or with an antenuptial contract.

Some important sources for these colonial records are:

Proved in London American wills and administrations proved in London have been abstracted and published multiple times. Each edition is listed here, as some are available online, while others are not. In addition, publishers included more detailed abstracts in some editions than others. The 2007 edition includes a place-name index that enables users to pluck out references to specific colonies or states:


 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. English Estates of American Colonists: American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1610-1699. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. English Estates of American Colonists: American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1700-1799. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1980. Digital version of 1991 reprint available at Ancestry ($).
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. English Estates of American Colonists: American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1800-1858. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. American Wills &amp; Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1610-1857. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1989. ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Lists over 4,800 wills with name, residence, relatives, and date.
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. American Wills Proved in London, 1611-1775. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992. ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Abstracts over 6,800 wills showing name, residence, occupation, date, and relatives.
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London, 1611-1857. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2007.

If you find a will absrtact that interests you in Coldham's books, it is now possible to view digital images of the original Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills online at two United Kingdom pay-per-view websites:


 * Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (1384-1858), courtesy: The National Archives, UK.
 * PCC Wills Index and Images (1384-1858), courtesy: The Genealogist. (in progress)

Proved in Edinburgh Other American wills were proved in Edinburgh, Scotland, see:


 * Dobson, David. Scottish-American Wills, 1650-1900. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1991. Over 2,000 citations including name, occupation, residence, and date.

Most of these references were taken from the Commissariat Court of Edinburgh (now the Sheriff Court of Edinburgh) and the Index to Personal Estates of Defuncts, 1846-1866. If you find a will abstract that interests you in Dobson's book, it is now possible to view digital images of the original records online at a United Kingdom pay-per-view website:


 * Wills &amp; Testaments (1513-1901), courtesy: Scotlands People

= U.S. Census Records =

Suggested State "Overview" Text
[The State] often took censuses in the years between the federal censuses, the dates are listed below. State census records may have columns that were different or more unusual than those found on federal censuses, [make this specific for the state, such as the 1892 gives religion or 1925 gives a married woman’s maiden name]. The responses and years of coverage may give additional information on the family.

State Censuses
For a list of state and territorial censuses:


 * Lainhart, Ann S. State Census Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publ., 1992.(FHL book X2Lai.) State-by-state list of censuses, and selected census substitutes. Describes dates, coverage, content, indexes and availability.

In addition, the staff of the Family History Library has compiled the following register which lists all state census records available at the library:


 * Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family History Library, US/Canada Reference Staff, State Census Register, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Family History Library, 2005). FHL Ref. book 973 X23us. Available free online through Brigham Young University's Family History Archive: Vol. 1, Alabama - Kansas; Vol. 2, Kentucky - New York; Vol. 3, North Carolina - Wyoming.

= US Land and Property =


 * Explain federal land tract books and how to determine which film to search using a combination of Hone's county boundaries and the FHL catalog entry.
 * Timelines.
 * Include both "general tips" and "state tips" within each state.

= Colorado =


 * Note that the state Archives has an incomplete divorce index, probate and tax indexes for some years/counties, and State Pennitentiary Index 1871-1973.
 * Add "occupations" topic and "mining" article.

= Articles =


 * Link "legal ages" page to land, military, court, immigration, and vital records pages.
 * Mining
 * Northern Liberties, Pennsylvania