welcome back to the ancestral findings podcast
probate records are some of the most commonly used genealogical documents
in family tree research they can tell us so much about our ancient ancestors they can't
be found anywhere else they are potentially Rich sources of information these are the
several different types of probate records that you may discover and what you may find in them
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a truly potentially rich source of genealogical information is probate records whenever an
ancestor crossed over to the other side they usually left behind some sort of record of
their estate this could be in the form of a will an inventory of their estate or court
records of relatives or other potential heirs who believed they had a claim on the estate
sometimes you will even find old newspaper records of people petitioning the court to be
named the executor or heir of someone's estate who crossed over Interstate without a will
all of these records can potentially contain tons of genealogical gems therefore they are worth your
time and effort to look for them and study them closely if you find them you will be so glad you
did Wills are the primary type of probate record while not everyone made a will and not everyone
who made one has one that still exists today those who did often named family members some of which
you may not have known and others whom you may have suspected were related without concrete proof
the will offers you this proof it can also offer you a look at other relatives and in-laws with
whom your ancestor was close but not directly related such as ants uncles cousins step relatives
Etc as well as friends and neighbors who your ancestor treasured you may also find out what
causes were near and dear to your ancestor if any part of your ancestors estate was left to that
cause or causes in the will you will also find out about the things your ancestor owned if belongings
are listed sometimes all a person would do would be to leave each person named in the will a sum
of money with the Assumption being the relatives and loved ones they left behind would work out
divvying up the personal belongings themselves while it is fascinating to get a picture of your
ancestors financial situation it is even more interesting to get a look at the actual things
they owned also fascinating is the way you can imply a type of personal relationship between
the ancestor and the beneficiary beyond their familial one based on individual material objects
they were left in the will learning who was named executor or executrix of the will will tell you
who your ancestor trusted the most to handle their Affairs as they wished it is definitely
worth it to look up Wills to determine and confirm family relationships and to build a fuller better
picture of your ancestors life you can often find wills at the County Courthouse in the
county where your ancestor lived where you will find your ancestors original Mark or signature
if the county records burned since your ancestor crossed over a Will May no longer exist though
don't discount finding a copy of it tucked amongst the papers of people in the direct Descent of
their heirs ancestry.com also has a wonderful collection of Wills from all time periods in the
United States and all states and territories as such things began being recorded as well
what is useful about estate inventories while not every ancestor is going to have a will
or a will that still exists there might be an estate inventory for them a state inventories
were historically taken for people who did not have Wills after they crossed to the other side
a state inventories are exactly what they say they are a full list and accounting of a deceased
ancestor's belongings and approximately how much each individual item was worth
these were taken by someone appointed by the court who would be impartial in their valuation
and then filed with the court as an official document why were estate inventories important
they were typically done for taxation purposes so the proper amount of tax could be assessed to the
deceased individual's estate prior to the items of that estate being opened distribution to errors
it was also an accounting of what comprised the estate at the time the person crossed over to
the other side so that any potential errors would not be able to take any item for themselves before
the estate was taxed and before other errors had a chance to also make claims or on certain items
of the estate basically a state inventories were done to make sure the local state and National
governments got their share of the estate in taxes and to keep the potential errors of an
interstate person honest when it came time to distribute the estate a state inventories are
fascinating because they provide you with a truly detailed breakdown of exactly what your
ancestor owned and how much it was worth at the time they crossed to the other side
if you have always wondered what the inside of your ancestors house looked like what they
used in their day-to-day existence what was important to them how much money they
had or what type of Lifestyle they lived and estate inventory will give you that information
imagine wandering through a long gone ancestors home touching their belongings rifling through
their things looking at the things that defined who they were as a person and learning more about
them as a person including their tastes what was important to them and what type of Lifestyle they
LED this is what an estate inventory will do for you therefore do not be disappointed if
there is no will for your ancestors estate look among Court probate documents for an
estate inventory if you find one read it closely don't just skim it you want to take in all of the
detail of their personal life and lifestyle the inventory provides you might just find
some surprises such as photographs you never knew existed and can try going down the lines
of Errors of that person to the present day to discover if someone still has those things at the
least you will learn things about your ancestor that are new to you and Incredibly fascinating
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