Indiana, Allen County Court Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection contains images of probate estate files, 1850-1930; guardianship packets, 1850-1930; and divorce packets, 1850-1900. This collection will be published as images become available.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Information found in this collection includes:


 * Names of interested parties
 * Date of court proceeding or transaction
 * Details of the case
 * Place of residence
 * Names of witnesses

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the individual
 * The date of the event or the names of other involved parties

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select Record Category
 * 2) Select Record Type, Volume, and Year Range

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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Cite the record just in case you need to find it later. See below for help citing this collection.
 * Use a Probate record to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs and relatives. Witnesses in court cases may be close relatives.
 * Use a will 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 Allen County Courthouse, Fort Wayne.
 * 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.

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