FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Texas Tasks-FamilySearch Probate Records

WikiProject Texas Wiki Project Texas Tasks - FamilySearch Probate Records

Description
The purpose of this task is to add any historical probate records for Texas counties found on FamilySearch Historical Records.

This task is an intermediate task and requires some knowledge about or experience with writing in wikitext.

New to the wiki?


 * See Help to request individual mentoring or to join community discussions.
 * See Editing Help – Online Video Demonstration.
 * See Editing Articles – Online Class. Questions about editing this project?

Probate Records

Since the formation of the first 23 counties under the Republic, county clerks have been required to record virtually all papers filed in probate cases in the Probate Minutes. In many counties, however, clerks began to limit the Probate Minutes to a record of the proceedings in probate cases and to record the case papers in separate volumes called the Probate Record. In some counties, the Probate Record itself was further subdivided into separate volumes relating to various aspects of the probate process -- guardianship, applications for administration, administrators' bonds and oaths, estate inventories, final accounts, probate claims, reports of sale, orders for partition and distribution, etc. Unlike many states, there has never been a requirement for separate recordation of wills in Texas, although in some counties will have been or are recorded in a Will Record.

Researchers should be aware that in some counties records of probate proceedings can be found in the District Court Minutes or District Court Civil Minutes during the period from 1869 to 1876 when the county court and the office of the county clerk were abolished. In most counties, however, wills can be found in the Probate Record. The Probate Case Papers themselves (and related records series such as Guardianship Case Papers) have been filmed in some counties.

From https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/local/aboutrecords.html#4

Instructions
1. Not all counties have records included in this task. Check the Assignment Chart below to choose a county to edit.

2. Sign up on the Assignment Chart to accept the task. Sign-up instructions are posted with the Assignment Chart below.

3. Click on your chosen county name in the Assignment Chart. This will take you to your county page.

4. Login to the FamilySearch wiki using your FamilySearch login name and password. Find the sign-in area in the top right-hand corner of the page.

5. Click on the Probate section in the Contents.

6. On the right side of the heading, click on the edit button that looks like a pencil in a box. This takes you to the Editing of that section.

7. Click on the word wikitext with in toolbox at the top left side of the edit box.

8. Copy and paste the following record in chronological(date) order with what records are already on that page. If there are no other records in this section, place your cursor so that it is under the ==== Probate ==== then hit enter on you keyboard so there is a blank line before adding these records. If there are other records here, make sure to place your cursor where you want these to appear so they will end up in Chronological Order.


 * :*1800-1990 - at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection contains images of probate records from seventy-five different counties in the state of Texas. The content and time period of these records vary by county.

9. Click Enter.

10. IF you are working in Comanche County - also add this under the Probate Section in Chronological order:


 * :*1866–1937 - at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. Currently, (September 2012) this collection is only searchable by browsing the images. These records include probate case files and probate minutes.

14. In the 'Summary:' box at the bottom of the page put: Adding Probate records from Historical Records Collection

15. Click Save Page.


 * If you have questions about editing, go to wiki help links under the heading Description.

16. Mark the Assignment Chart below to indicate you have finished the task.

Probate

 * 1790–1967 - at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection consists of probate records and estate files from county courthouses in Ohio. The content and time period varies by county, with more records being added as they become available. This Collection will include records from 1789 to 1996. Currently, (September 2012) the collection is only searchable by browsing the images. A list of Fires that have destroyed records in the courthouses of several counties are listed on the Record Description page.


 * 1850–1900 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. Images of probate estate files from the Montgomery County Records Center and Archive in Dayton, Ohio. Usually the files are chronological and have a case file number. This collection is being published as images become available.

Assignment Chart
Remember NOT all counties have records included in this task. If you are accepting this task:


 * 1. Sign in to the wiki at the upper right-hand corner of this page. Use your FamilySearch account username and password.
 * 2. Open the Assignment Chart for editing by clicking on the check mark in the box at the right opposite the Assignment Table heading.
 * 3. Place your cursor in the box under the heading Name/Date Task Accepted and opposite your county of choice.
 * 4. Type 4 tildes (~). This symbol is located on the upper left-hand part of your keyboard, next to the number 1. The ~ is an electronic signature and will leave your user name and date when you signed.
 * 5. Scroll nearly to the bottom of the page. Add a summary sentence in the Summary box saying something like, "Selected Adams County for adding FamilySearch Vital Records".
 * 6. Click on the box "Save Page".
 * 7. You are now signed up to complete this task.

Return to Top of Page If you are completing this task:


 * Follow the same instructions as accepting the task, except place your cursor in the correct county box under the heading Date Completed. Change your summary sentence to something like, "Completed Adams County for societies."

Counties with records in Texas, Probate Records, 1800-1990
County • Anderson • Archer • Bastrop • Bell • Blanco • Bosque • Bowie • Brooks • Brown • Burnet • Caldwell • Cass • Cherokee • Coke • Collin • Colorado • Comal • Cooke • Coryell • Dallas • Ellis • Erath • Falls • Fayette • Fisher • Gillespie • Gonzales • Gregg • Guadalupe • Hamilton • Harrison • Haskell • Hays • Henderson • Hill • Hood • Hunt • Johnson • Karnes • Kaufman • Kenedy • Knox • Lampasas • Lee • Leon • Llano • Madison • Marion • Matagorda • McLennan • Milam • Montague • Morris • Navarro • Panola • Parker • Robertson • Rockwall • Shackelford • Smith • Somervell • Stephens • Stonewall • Taylor • Throckmorton • Titus • Van Zandt • Washington • Wichita • Wilbarger • Willacy • Williamson • Wise • Wood • Young

