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)
- Abbeville County , Judge of Probate fragment, minutes of the County Court, A & B: 1776-1783
- Abbeville County Probate Court Wills 1782 to 2006
- Abbeville County Wills, 1787-1868
- Abbeville County Miscellaneous Estate Papers 1782-1958
- Abbeville District Guardian Bonds and Returns, 1841-1868; Returns, 1841-1858
- Abbeville District Probate Reports and Returns, 1840-1874
- Aiken County Estate Records, ca. 1872-1927
- Anderson County Estate Papers packets, 1828-1915
- Anderson County Index to Estate Records, 1780-1972
- Anderson County Administrators and Guardians Records, 1840-1869
- Anderson County Court of Ordinary Minutes, 1825-1867
- Anderson County Judgments, 1780-1880; index to judgments, 1827-1903
- Anderson County Inventories, Appraisements and Sales, 1840-1903
- Anderson County Will Books, 1791-1907
- Anderson County Wills 1792-1857
- Anderson District Real Estate Record, vol. 1, 1840-1864
- Barnwell County Estate Records, ca. 1909-1928
- Barnwell County Wills, 1779-1950
- Barnwell County Wills, land Records and some misc. court Records 1787-1791
- Barnwell County Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1787-1958
- Barnwell District Court Minutes, 1819-1838
- Barnwell District, Charleston County Inventories, Appraisements and sale Books, 1808-1842
- Charleston County inventories, appraisements & sales, ca. 1834-1867
- Charleston County ordinary (Probate judge) account books, 1843-1871
- Charleston County Bonds of administrators, Guardians, 1840-1869
- Charleston County Daily Minutes, 1851-1872
- Charleston County Derelict Estates, 1847-1853
- Charleston County Indexes to Probate Records
- Charleston County Letters of administration, testamentary and Guardianship, 1775-1869, index, 1800-1927
- Charleston County Miscellaneous cases, 1783-1812
- Charleston County Miscellaneous Probate Record, 1696-1792
- Charleston County Miscellaneous Record consisting of deeds, bills of sale, power of attorney, bonds, notes, contracts, pardons, commissions, accounts, indentures, etc., 1784-1789
- Charleston County Probate Journal, vols. A-C, 1839-1864
- Charleston County Real Estate Book, 1835-1906
- Charleston County Receipts in Probate Cases, 1853-1873
- Charleston County Returns of administrators and executors, 1835-1865
- Charleston County Wills and Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1671-1868
- Charleston County Wills and related Probate matters 1692-1868
- Charleston County, Probate Records : indentures, 1790-1904
- Charleston District Estate inventories, 1732-1844
- Chester County , Equity court Records with some wills and Misc. Records, 1820-1874 : and Probate Records from about 1788
- Chester County Guardian accounts and Guardian Returns, 1841-1868
- Chester County Inventories of Estates, 1840-1855
- Chester County Probate Files, 1785 - late 1800's
- Chester County Probate Records, 1787-1865
- Chesterfield County Estate Records, ca. 1865-1927
- Chesterfield County Index to Estate Papers, 1865-1977
- Clarendon County Estate Records, ca. 1875-1951
- Clarendon County Will Books, 1875-1896
- Darlington County Records, 1798-1928
- Darlington County Estates, wills & letters of administration, 1791-1895; index, 1791-1905
- Darlington County Minutes, 1793-1816
- Darlington County Minutes, 1840-1912
- Darlington County, Probate Records, 1798-1923
- Dorchester County Estate Records, ca. 1896-1950
- Edgefield County Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1785-1868; Indexes to Records, 1785-1957
- Edgefield County Petitions and decrees in summary process, 1800-1868
- Edgefield District Administrators' and guardians' Bonds, 1838-1868
- Edgefield District Annual Returns of administrators, executors, and Guardians, 1845-1867
- Edgefield District Guardians' Bonds in the Court of Ordinary 1849-1868 and in the Probate Court 1882-1887
- Edgefield District Letters of Administration, guardianship, and testamentary, 1839-1888, of Edgefield County [South Carolina]
- Edgefield District Minutes, 1840-1875
- Fairfield County Estate Papers, ca. 1865-1915
- Fairfield County Estate Records, 1787-1800
- Fairfield County Guardian Bonds, petitions, and orders, 1869-1923
- Fairfield County Wills, 1785-1904
- Fairfield County Annual Returns, 1869-1900
- Fairfield County Bonds and letters of administration, 1869-1904
- Fairfield County Dower Estates, 1870-1895
- Fairfield County Homestead Estates, 1871-1879
- Fairfield County Inventories, Appraisements, and Sales, 1869-1922
- Fairfield County Journal, 1869-1906
- Fairfield County Letters of administration, Guardianship, and letters testamentary, 1869-1947
- Fairfield County Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1780-1868; general Index, 1780-1865
- Fairfield County Real Estate, 1870-1878
- Fairfield District Administration and Guardian Bonds, 1840-1869
- Fairfield District Estate Records, 1800-1847
- Fairfield District Letters of administration, Guardianship, and letters testamentary, 1840-1869
- Fairfield District Real Estate, 1836-1869
- Fairfield District Annual Returns, 1840-1869
- Fairfield District Inventories, Appraisements, and sales, 1801-1868
- Fairfield District Journal, 1801-1869
- Florence County Estate Papers, ca. 1884-1916
- Georgetown County Estate Papers, 1831-1940
- Greenville County Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1787-1868
- Greenville County, Historical Probate and Wills Records
- Greenville District Inventories and Appraisements, Book B, 1825-1829
- Greenville District Return Books, 1817-1902
- Horry County Wills
- Horry District Probate Records, 1803-1873
- Kershaw County general Index to Estates, Probate court, ca. 1780-1960
- Kershaw County Deeds, 1791-1866; direct & cross indexes to deeds and mortgages, 1791-1884
- Kershaw County Estate Record Books, 1782-1822
- Kershaw County Pleadings and judgments, 1790-1820
- Kershaw County Wills, 1782-1868
- Kershaw District Equity Court Records, including Probate, wills, land and Misc. Records, 1791-1892
- Lancaster County Estate Records, ca. 1865-1950
- Lancaster County wills, 1865-1892
- Lancaster County Returns Book, v. A, 1817-1824
- Lancaster County Loose Guardianship Papers, 1821-1870
- Lancaster District Court Dockets, 1838-1868
- Laurens County Administrators, executors and Guardians Records, 1804-1917
- Laurens County Annual Returns, 1840-1900
- Laurens County Decree Book, 1869-1878
- Laurens County Estate Papers, 1800-1867; general index to Estate Papers, 1800-1931
- Laurens County Estate Records and wills, 1788-1912
- Laurens County Inventories, Appraisements and Sales, 1825-1929
- Laurens County Journal, 1840-1895
- Laurens County Partial list from settlements, Administrations, wills, etc., of Laurens County
- Laurens County Real Estate Records, 1828-1868, 1873-1934
- Laurens County, appraisals & inventories, 1788-1811
- Laurens District Commissioners Report of sales, 1825-1839
- Laurens District Guardians' Records, 1807-1868
- Laurens District Partitions of Estates, 1803-1826
- Laurens District Petitions and Reports, 1841-1867
- Lexington County Probate Court Estate Indexes
- Lexington County Estate Papers, ca. 1863-1900
- Lexington County Administrators and Guardians Records, 1809-1902
- Lexington County Annual Returns, 1865-1904
- Lexington County Inventories, Appraisements and Sales 1865-1904
- Lexington County Probate Journals, 1865-1907, 1915
- Lexington County Real Estate Books, volumes [A]-B, 1866-1898
- Lexington County Will Books, 1865-1908; index to Estate Papers, 1865-1940
- Lexington County, Estate Index - 1865 to 1940
- Marion County Estate Records, ca. 1869-1915
- Marion District Minute Book and Journal, 1800-1825
- Marion District Wills, 1800-1888
- Marlboro County Court Journals, 1791-1799
- Marlboro County Court Records, 1805-1877
- Marlboro County Equity Records and bills, 1805-1869, with index, 1805-1870
- Marlboro County Estate Papers, ca. 1790-1904 ; index to Estate Papers, ca. 1790-1973
- Marlboro County Will Books, 1787-1905
- Marlborough District Court Journal, 1800-1821, 1831, 1835
- Marlborough District Estate Record Books, 1787-1840
- Newberry County Probate and Court Records
- Newberry County original will books, 1787-1913
- Newberry County Probate court general Index to Estates, 1785-1949
- Newberry County, inventory Records
- Oconee County Estate Files, ca. 1897-1916
- Orangeburg County Wills, 1866-1957
- Orangeburg County General Index, Probate Court, 1865-1947
- Pickens County Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1829-1884; Index, 1828-1956
- Pickens District Bonds, 1835-1866
- Pickens District Court Records, 1829-1884
- Richland County minutes, 1806-1868
- Richland County Miscellaneous Estate Records, 1799-1955
- Richland County Minutes, 1840-1888
- Richland County General index to wills, 1787-1950; wills, 1787-1941
- Richland County Probate Journals, 1839-1866
- South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Will Transcripts
- South Carolina genealogical Records, 1700-1970
- South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977
- South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964
- South Carolina Will transcripts, 1782-1868
- South Carolina Wills and other court records
- South Carolina, A genealogical collection of South Carolina wills and records
- Spartanburg County Bond Books, 1841-1870
- Spartanburg County Administrators' and Guardians' Records, 1804-1918
- Spartanburg County Court journals, 1800-1907
- Spartanburg County Estate Papers, 1787-1900
- Spartanburg County Index to Estate Papers, 1787-1971
- Spartanburg County Index to real Estate Papers, 1825-1971
- Spartanburg County Inventories, Appraisements and sale bills, 1811-1904
- Spartanburg County Real Estate Books, 1825-1830,1840-1904
- Spartanburg County Real Estate cash Book, 1830-1911
- Spartanburg County Report Books, 1844-1870
- Spartanburg County Returns Books, 1836, 1840-1900
- Spartanburg County Will Books, 1810-1903
- Spartanburg District Warrants of Appraisements, 1816-1827
- Sumter County Will books and Estates Index and file book, 1800-1963
- Sumter County Court Minutes and judgments, 1801-1899
- Sumter County Minutes, judgments, Probate Records and some land Records in Court of Common Pleas, 1883-1908, 1930-1953
- Sumter County Miscellaneous Estate Records, 1784-1960
- Sumter County Probate Records, real Estate, sales, appointments, inventories, appraisements, executors, Administrators 1800-1953
- Union County Estate Files, ca. 1906-1919
- Union County Administrators and Guardians Records, 1833-1913
- Union County Cash Book, 1836-1915
- Union County Inventories, Appraisements and Sales Book, 1836-1910
- Union County Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1777-1866, Index, 1777-1961
- Union County Real Estate Books, 1835-1880, 1914-1928
- Union County Returns Books, 1835-1926
- Union County Sales Books, 1895-1926
- Union County Will Books, 1792-1911
- Union District Journals and Minutes, 1802-1868; index to Journals and Minutes, 1802-1840
- Union District Fee Book, 1844-1850
- Williamsburg County Estate Records, ca. 1869-1916
- Williamsburg County wills, 1806-1879
- York County wills, 1770-1950
- York County Equity Papers, 1818-1872
- York County Administrators and Guardians bonds, 1840-1930
- York County Cash Book, 1841-1902
- York County Docket Book, 1889-1926
- York County Fee Book, 1889-1892
- York County Guardian and trustee account Book, 1840-1871
- York County Index to lands devised, 1868-1906
- York County Index to money decrees, 1880-1887, 1905
- York County Inventories, Appraisements and Sales Books, 1813-1932
- York County Minutes and journals, 1814-1909
- York County Petitions and orders, vol. A, 1889-1919
- York County Real Estate Book, 1825-1899
- York County Receipt Books, 1870-1878
- York County Records of Estates, 1800's
- York County Returns Books, 1840-1922
- York County, Miscellaneous Will Abstracts (1770-1812)
- York District York District (also referred to as County) Estate Record Books, 1787-1840
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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