Wills & Probate » General Resources

Digital scan of the original handwritten inventory

Typed version of the inventory

Wills

Part II

Article by Donn Devine, CG, CGI.

Probate Records, Part I

Article by Donn Devine, CG, CGI.

Probate Records: An Underutilized Source

Article by Donn Devine, CG, CGI.

Relationships in Probate Records

Article by George G. Morgan.

Striking Paydirt with Estate Papers

Article by George G. Morgan.

The Probate Record Treasure Trove

Article by Marjorie Wagner.

The Widow's Dower Interest

Article by Donn Devine, CG, CGI.

Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Article by George G. Morgan.

1856 Illinois Probate Guide: The Dower

1856 Illinois Probate Manual

This article discusses an 1856 guide to the probate process in Illinois.

A $31.44 Inheritance

This article explains how the author's grandmother inherited $31.44. Also included is a discussion of per stirpes and intestate probates.

Charlotte's Web on the Lake

This article discusses and analyzes records found in a Chariton County, Missouri probate from the early 1900s. Also included is a discussion of research procedures to use when conducting onsite research.

Fishing for Clues in John Lake's Estate

Probate: An Introduction

Probate: An Overview

The Oft-Married Sarah

This article is the first in a three part series analyzing a 1760s Orange County, Virginia will written by a widow. Dower, inheritance and other heirship issues are discussed.

When there is No Probate

This article discusses some research methods that can be undertaken when an ancestor does not leave a probate, but the researcher reasonably believes the ancestor had property.