Connecticut Probate Records

United States   Connecticut    Probate Records

Record Synopsis
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about probate records and the probate process see United States Probate Records.

History
Probate records in Connecticut are kept by probate district courts. In many cases a probate district consisted of a larger community and several nearby smaller towns. Sometimes a probate district crossed county boundaries.

Other published records are in The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut (see Connecticut Public Records).

Local
The Connecticut State Library has numerous files of wills, bonds, letters, and other probate documents. For more information, go to http://www.cslib.org/probintr.htm

National

 * The Family History Library has most of the pre-1880 packets arranged by district and then by surname on 1,622 microfilms. These packets can include wills, codicils, bonds, applications and petitions, inventories, court orders, court returns, distributions, accounts of administration, receipts, and miscellaneous probate records. The districts are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under CONNECTICUT - PROBATE RECORDS.

The Connecticut State Library's index to these records for 1641 to 1948 is also at the Family History Library (FHL films 166000-66). This is listed in the Family History Library Catalog under CONNECTICUT - PROBATE RECORDS - INDEXES.

You can obtain copies of other records from the local probate district offices. Many of the records of these local offices have also been microfilmed and are at the Family History Library. These are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under CONNECTICUT, [COUNTY], [TOWN], - PROBATE RECORDS. From the Hartford District, for example, the library has records for the years 1649 to 1917 on 52 microfilms.

Resources

 * A helpful resource for determining Connecticut probate districts and available records is Research Guide to Connecticut Probate Districts The guide can be accessed online through the Connecticut State Library.


 * Kemp, Thomas J. Connecticut Researcher's Handbook. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company, 1981. (.); The book describes each of Connecticut's probate districts and contains a detailed list of available sources.


 * Melnyk, Marcia D. Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research, 4th ed. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999. (.)