Louisiana, Orleans Parish Will Books - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Louisiana Orleans Parish

What is in the Collection?
This collection of will books for Orleans Parish courts include copies of all wills filed in Orleans Parish, 1805-1920. The will books comprise 39 bound volumes. Each volume is individually indexed at the front of each book. The will books were created in several courts including the Court of Probates (1805-1846), Second District Court (1846-1880) and Civil District Court (1880-1920). Volume 31, No. 11 is missing.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Information found in this collection may include:


 * Name of deceased
 * Place of birth
 * Name of spouse
 * Wife’s maiden name
 * Name of children
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of burial
 * Date of will
 * Occupation
 * Names of witnesses

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the deceased.
 * The approximate date of death.
 * The approximate date of probate.
 * The place where your ancestor lived.
 * The names of family members who may be named in the will.

You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the person
 * The name of a child or date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page. br>
 * 1) Select Volume Title and Year

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.

For more tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Copy the citation below, in case you need to find this record again later.
 * Use a Probate record to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs and relatives.
 * Use a probate record to approximate a death date, then find a death certificate.
 * For earlier years, use the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find church and vital records such as birth, baptism and marriage records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find immigration and land records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now

 * Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. You could get a copy of the original record from the New Orleans Public Library, New Orleans.
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

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