Probate records and wills are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another hidden gem of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
What can you find in these records? How about date of death, spouses and children names, birth order, siblings and siblings spouses, parents names, and residence locations for all named persons. Also, ownership of land and/or other significant property, business names and occupation, military service, guardianships, and adoptions. Basically anything owned by the deceased is typically listed and to whom it is to be assigned to.
I won't pretend to be an expert on the probate process - all I know is that I have discovered an amazing amount of good information from probate records and wills as part of my personal genealogy research.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching probate documents and wills:
- FamilySearch - United States Probate Records
- Wills and Probate Records are Genealogy Riches
- How to Use Wills and Estate Records to Learn About Your Ancestors
- Probate Records Could Be the Key to Unlocking Your Family’s Hidden Past
Below, listed by state are links to probate records, wills, and indexes available for free online.
Note: Please be aware that if you find a desired will or probate record in an index, that the holder of the actual materials (e.g., (archive, county court, etc.) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the material itself.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated August, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Andover District Probate Records, 1789-1924
- Ashford District Probate Records, 1830-1928; General Index to Probate Records, 1830-1935
- Avon District Probate Records 1836-1874, Volume 1
- Avon District Probate Records, 1844-1930
- Barkhamsted District Probate Records, 1825-1925
- Berlin District Probate Records, 1824-1919
- Bethany District Probate Records, 1855-1915
- Bethel District Probate Records, 1859-1931
- Bozrah District Probate Records, 1843-1931
- Branford District Probate Records, 1850-1918
- Bridgeport District Probate Records, 1840-1916
- Bristol District Probate Records, 1830-1919; Index to Probate Records, 1830- 1927
- Brookfield District Probate Records, 1851-1922
- Brooklyn District Probate Records, 1833-1917
- Burlington District Probate Records, 1834-1924
- Canaan District Probate Records, 1847-1923
- Canterbury District Probate Records, 1835-1918
- Canton District Probate Records, 1841-1916
- Chaplin District Probate Records, 1850-1919
- Chatham District Probate Records, 1824-1922
- Cheshire District Probate Records, 1829-1920
- Clinton District Probate Records, 1862-1926
- Colchester District Probate Records, 1741-1922
- Colony of Connecticut Public Records, Prior to the Union with New Haven Colony, May, 1665
- Connecticut State Library Checklist of Probate Records
- Connecticut Estate Record Card Index, 1915-1926
- Connecticut Probate Estate Files, 1881-1915
- Cornwall District Probate Records, 1847-1929
- Coventry District Probate Records, 1849-1917
- Danbury District Probate Records, 1744-1916
- Derby District Guardianship Records, 1859-1888
- Derby District Probate Records, 1858-1924
- Early Connecticut Probate Records Volume 3 (1729-1750)
- Early Connecticut Probate Records Volume 1 (1635-1700)
- Early Connecticut Probate Records Volume 2 (1700-1729)
- East Granby District Probate Records, v. 1,3, 1865-1955
- East Haddam District Probate Records, 1832-1922
- East Hartford District Probate Records, 1887-1919
- East Lyme District Probate Records, 1843-1924
- East Windsor District Probate Records, 1782-1922
- Eastford District Probate Records, 1849-1923
- Ellington District Probate Records, 1826-1916
- Enfield District Probate Records, 1831-1916
- Essex District Probate Records, 1853-1918
- Fairfield County Probate Abstracts Index
- Fairfield District Probate Records, 1648-1916
- Farmington District Probate Records, 1769-1926
- Farmington Valley Herald, Probate Filings - 1920-1948
- Greenwich District Probate Records, 1853-1927
- Groton District Probate Court Journal, 1839-1850
- Groton District Probate Records, 1839-1917
- Guilford District Probate Records, 1720-1920
- Haddam District Probate Records, 1830-1919
- Hampton District Probate Records, 1836-1917
- Hartford District Probate Records, West Hartford, 1857-1900
- Hartland District Probate Records, 1836-1936
- Harwinton District Probate Records, 1835-1940
- Hebron District Probate Records, 1851-1937
- Huntington District Probate Records, 1889-1917
- Kent District Probate Records, 1831-1938
- Killingly District Probate Records, 1849-1920
- Killingworth District Probate Records, 1834-1937
- Lebanon District Probate Records, 1826-1917
- Ledyard District Probate Journal, 1837-1857
- Ledyard District Probate Records, 1837-1923
- Litchfield District Probate Records, 1743-1917
- Lyme District Probate Records, 1869-1920
- Madison District Probate Records, 1834-1917
- Manchester District Probate Records, 1850-1916
- Mansfield District Probate Records, 1831-1918
- Marlborough District Probate Records, 1846-1937
- Meriden District Probate Records, 1836-1916
- Middlesex County Wills and Probate Documents
- Middletown District Probate Records, 1752-1917
- Milford District Probate Records, 1832-1916
- Montville District Probate Records, 1852-1919
- Naugatuck District Probate Records, 1863-1916
- New Hartford District Probate Records, 1834-1930
- New Haven District Probate Records, 1647-1916
- New London District Probate Records, 1675-1916
- New London District Will Books, 1890-1926
- New Milford District Probate Records, 1787-1922
- Newtown District Probate Records, 1820-1922
- Norfolk District Probate Records, 1779-1918
- North Stonington District Probate Journals, 1835-1937
- North Stonington District Probate papers on File , 1828-1912
- North Stonington District Probate Records, 1835-1933
- Norwalk District Probate Records, 1802-1916
- Norwich District Probate Records, 1748-1917
- Norwich District Records of Court proceedings, 1748-1852
- Old Lyme District Probate Records, 1830-1915
- Old Saybrook District Probate Records, 1859-1917
- Oxford District Probate Records, 1846-1917; Probate Record Index, 1846-1984
- Plainfield District Probate Records, 1747-1918
- Plainville District Probate Records, 1910-1928
- Plymouth District Probate Records, 1833-1925
- Pomfret District Probate Records, 1754-1919
- Putnam District Probate Records, 1856-1920
- Ridgefield District Probate Records, 1841-1917
- Roxbury District Probate Records, 1842-1927
- Salem District Probate Records, 1842-1929
- Salisbury District Probate Records, 1847-1917
- Saybrook District Probate Records, 1780-1920
- Sherman District Probate Records, 1846-1931
- Simsbury District Probate Records, 1769-1917
- Somers District Probate Records, 1835-1940
- Southington District Probate Records, 1825-1918
- Southington Wills, distributions, 1857-1873
- Stafford District Probate Records, 1759-1931
- Stamford District Probate Records, 1728-1916
- Sterling District Probate Records, 1852-1917
- Stonington District Probate Records, 1767-1933
- Stratford District Probate Records, 1782-1917
- Suffield District Probate Records, 1821-1920
- Thomaston District Probate Records, 1882-1921
- Thompson District Probate Records, 1832-1916
- Tolland District Probate Records, 1830-1920
- Torrington District Probate Records, 1847-1917
- Voluntown District Probate Records, 1830-1889
- Wallingford District Probate Records, 1776-1905
- Washington District Probate Records, 1832-1917
- Waterbury District Probate Records, 1779-1917; General Index to Probate Records, 1779-1928
- Watertown District Probate Records, 1834-1917
- Westbrook District Probate Records, v. 1, 1859-1937
- Weston District Probate Records, 1832-1858
- Westport District Probate Records, 1835-1928
- Winchester District Probate Records, 1838-1920; General Index, 1838-1958
- Windham District Probate Records, 1719-1918
- Windham District Probate Records, special, 1734-1917
- Windsor District Probate Records, 1855-1916
- Woodbury District Probate Records, 1719-1916
- Woodstock District Probate Records, 1831-1916
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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