Kentucky Probate Records

United States   Kentucky    Probate Records

Record Synopsis
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” 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. For further information about the probate process, types of probate records, analyzing probate records, and to access a glossary of probate terms, see United States Probate Records.

History
A brief history of the settlement and boundary changes of Kentucky and the resultant effects on record keeping can be found on Ancestry.

Local

 * Probate records of Kentucky are kept by the county clerk.

Regional

 * Copies of probate records are also available at the Department of Libraries and Archives and the Kentucky Historical Society.

National

 * The Family History Library located in Salt Lake City, Utah Kentucky probate records available on microfilm. For collection details see the Family History Library Catalog. Use the "Place Search" option to search for a specific Kentucky county. Then look for topics labeled "Probate Records" or "Guardianship."

Statewide Record Collections

 * Index to Kentucky Wills to 1851, the Testators. Salt Lake City, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1979. This index shows the testator’s name, county, year of the will, volume, and page number.
 * King, Junie Estelle Stewart. Abstract[s] of Early Kentucky Wills and Inventories. 1933; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1961. ; item 5;  Includes  surname index. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Published Materials
Bennett, R. Terry, Sean E. Mumaw and National Business Business Institute. ''Kentucky Probate: Beyond the Basics. ''Eau Claire, WI : NBI, Inc., ©2005. WorldCat entry.

Websites
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives 300 Coffee Tree Road Frankfort, KY 40601 Tel: 502-564-8300 www.kdla.ky.gov See specifically the section on Probate records.


 * A discussion of Kentucky Probate Records written by Wendy Bebout Elliott for Red book: American State, County, and Town Sources can be found at Ancestry.