Maine, Washington County Courthouse Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection covers the years 1785 to 1950. The collection consists of records and indexes from the Washington County Courthouse. It includes the following types of records:
 * Census (1850-1870) Indexes by town, 1850-1870 in browse images
 * Probate (1785-1950) Indexes,v. A-Z, 1785-1869 in browse images
 * Military (1785-1869) Revolutionary War pensioners, 1785-1869
 * Naturalization (1839-1945)

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Census
 * Names of household members
 * Age, gender, race and occupation of each member
 * Real estate value of household
 * Personal estate value
 * Place of birth, state, territory or country
 * Married within the year?
 * Attended school within the year?
 * Able to read and write?
 * Any physical impairments?

Probate
 * Name of primary individual
 * Event date and place
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Sex
 * Names of parents
 * Date and place of birth of parents
 * Names of heirs such as spouse, children, relatives, or friends
 * Name of executor, administrator, or guardian of estate
 * Names of witnesses
 * Dates the documents were written and recorded (used to approximate
 * event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death)


 * Description and value of property or land

Declarations of Intent
 * Date of Declaration of Intent
 * State, county and city of declaration
 * Name and age of person declaring Intent
 * Gender, occupation and physical description
 * Residence
 * Date and place of birth
 * Nationality and race
 * Name of spouse
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Spouse's date and place of birth
 * Date of spouse becoming a permanent resident
 * Number of children

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual
 * The place where the event occurred and the approximate date the event occurred

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the event date or age along with the residence find the family in census, church, and land records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county
 * The name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Maine.
 * Maine Guided Research
 * Maine Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Census, 1850-1870
 * Probate records, 1791-1953
 * Revolutionary War pensioners, 1785-1869
 * Naturalization records, 1839-1945
 * Maine, Washington County, Supreme Judicial Court case files, 1821-1908
 * Naturalization records (Washington County, Maine)
 * Probate records 1785-1893
 * Probate records of the Northern District of Washington County, 1826-1839
 * Will abstracts, v. W-1, 1888-1906
 * Washington County, New England families, 1750-1920

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.