X-Mailer: Pegasus Mail v2.2 (R4).
Newsgroups: soc.roots
Date:         Fri, 20 Nov 1992 10:22:21 EDT
Reply-To:     JOEL@DELPHINUS.LIB.UMB.EDU
From:         JOEL@DELPHINUS.LIB.UMB.EDU
Subject:      Re: probate records
Comments: To: roots-l@vm1.nodak.edu

    Christine asks a question that many people wonder about, or
should, as probate records are one of the richest sources for
genealogical work.  Thought I would share some of experience with
tracking them down for the list.

On Thu, 19 Nov 1992 21:38:15 -0500
Christine M. Darby said:

> Can someone tell me where old probate records are kept.  Are these of
> city, county or state jurisdiction?  Can old wills be seen (old as in
> 1790-1840).  Does one have to go in person or will court offices check and
> send copies assuming one knows the date of death?

    These are usually of county jurisdiction.  Sometimes there are
probate districts, either within counties or across counties, i.e.
Vermont.  It all depends on the particular state.  I've always found
them in the probate court houses; often near deeds.  Sometimes the
oldest probate records for a state are on microfilm or in print and
may be available in a number of places, such as state libraries or
state historical societies.  Again depending on the state you are
talking about, the time period you're looking for probably will not be
published or microfilmed.  But there may be a published index.
    Someone else on the list just asked this question about having
copies sent.  From the previous paragraph you can imagine that it
depends on the particular probate court, as far as I know.  I have
done it.  I called up the probate court of the county for
the town which the town was in when the person died.  Got that?  Then
I very nicely asked if they were able to tell me whether they had a
record of Cornelius Gilbert who died in 1811.  After they
found it, by checking their index I assume, I asked them if they
could send me a copy at which point they agreed and we negotiated the
cost.  (I would have paid anything, considering how much it would
cost me in time and money to go in person.)
    Then I later discovered that this was all on microfilm at the
Boston Public Library a few blocks from where I lived.  But generally
I do not do much research by mail, since I am usually looking up too
many people to stretch the patience or time of workers in a distant
repository.  There is so much to gain by retracing the steps of those
ancestors anyway.
    Now you need to ask a more specific question, i.e. "I need to
find probate records for family members who died between 1790 and
1840 in say St. Albans, Vt."  Then someone could give you a specific
answer.  In this case:  St. Albans was in Chittenden co. until 1792,
so check Chittenden probate court at Burlington for first 2 yrs.,
except that the earliest record there is supposedly 1795.  In 1792
St. Albans became a part of Franklin County, the district probate
court there having records from 1791.  However, they did not have a
photocopier last I knew.  BUT all probate records for the state prior
to 1850 are on microfilm at the Public Records Division in
Montpelier.  Except they recently moved them to an outlying town.
Here's their address and phone no., etc., etc.




 Joel Fowler (Joel@delphinus.lib.umb.edu)
Newsgroups: soc.roots