Canada, Manitoba Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection includes records from 1871-1930, although some indexes may cover years up to 1970.

These records include images of estate files, application books and indexes.

Between 1871 and 1982, wills and probate records were kept only at the Surrogate Registrar’s Office in the courthouse of each judicial district in Manitoba. Since 1982, the following wills and probate records are being transferred to the Provincial Archives:


 * Wills and probate records over 20 years old from courthouses outside the city of Winnipeg.
 * Wills and probate records over 60 years old from the Eastern Judicial District in Winnipeg.

A central alphabetical index, arranged by year, is maintained at the Winnipeg court office. To have the index searched in the court office, you must provide the name of the deceased and the date of death. In 1984, all indexes, wills, and probate files for the period 1882 to 1930 began to be microfilmed for use at the Provincial Archives.

The Archives of Manitoba have placed probate indexes for Manitoba online. Using that tool to identify the desired probate file number will make searching this collection for a specific probate file much simpler. The following information may be helpful when using the probate index at the Archives of Manitoba to the FamilySearch Manitoba Probate Records 1871-1930 collection:


 * Winnipeg = Eastern Judicial District
 * Brandon = Western Judicial District
 * Morden = Southern Judicial District (prior to 1966)
 * Portage la Prairie = Central Judicial District

Record Content
Probate records in this collections include estate files, wills and letters of administration. These records may contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Locality of death
 * Heirs of the estate of deceased

Application books may contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Date of death
 * Name of heir
 * Residence and occupation of applicant

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, and what to do if no record is found.

When searching: As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, approximate place and year of death and some identifying information such as residence, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Search this Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection, you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Judicial District" category ⇒Select the "Record Type" category ⇒Select the “File or Volume Number Range and Year Range" category, which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image, comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Using the Information
When you have found the probate record of your ancestor, the following will help you further your research:


 * Use the age to calculate the approximate birth year.
 * Record the names of the family members listed in the document, and then search for a birth record for each one of the family members.

Information about using the records in this collection are found at the Archives of Manitoba

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same or a nearby area.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby localities.

Related Websites

 * Canada History Links
 * Canada Historic Maps
 * Archives of Manitoba

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada Probate Records
 * Manitoba Probate Records

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:  Image Citation: