Alabama Probate Records
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Online Resources[edit | edit source]
- 1753–1999 Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753-1999 at Ancestry; index & images ($)
- 1784-1920 Alabama, Marriages, Deaths, Wills, Court, and Other Records, 1784-1920 at Ancestry; index and images ($)
- 1808-1870 Index to Alabama Wills, 1808-1870 at Ancestry; index ($)
- 1809–1985 Alabama Probate Records, 1809-1985 at FamilySearch; images — How to Use this Collection
- 1830–1976 Alabama, County Estate Records, 1830-1976 at FamilySearch; index and images (incomplete); Alabama Estate Files, 1830-1976 browse images — How to Use this Collection
Indexes for Specific Counties[edit | edit source]
- 1840–1950 Alabama, Sumter County Circuit Court Files, 1840-1950 at FamilySearch; images — How to Use this Collection
- 1829–1968 Alabama, Madison County Chancery and Circuit Court Records, 1829-1968 at FamilySearch; images — How to Use this Collection
Records[edit | edit source]
Wills usually mention the names of heirs and frequently specify how those heirs are related. Wills may also list names of children and married names of daughters. Probate records may not give an exact death date, but the death most often occurred within a few months of the date of probate.
Availability[edit | edit source]
Probate records of Alabama have been kept by the probate court since the counties were created. These courts have records of estate, guardianship, and juvenile cases. The Gandrud and Jones Alabama Records Collection includes some of these records.
The Family History Library has microfilms of probate records from most of the counties in Alabama, generally from the date a county was created to the 1920s. The types of records available from each county vary considerably. For some counties, the library has only the court minutes. Records from other counties include complete probate records, such as dower records, personal property sales, settlement records, orphans’ records, wills, and bonds. The following records are available online as browse able collections. These records are not currently indexed. Select a link below and then search alphabetical files online.
Index[edit | edit source]
An index for Alabama wills is:
- Alabama Society DAR. Index to Alabama Wills 1808-1870. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1955. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
Probate records are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:
- ALABAMA - PROBATE RECORDS
- ALABAMA, [COUNTY] - PROBATE RECORDS
- ALABAMA, [COUNTY] - GUARDIANSHIPS
