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Probate records provide a rich resource of genealogical and even personal information about an ancestor which can often lead to still other records, such as land records.
 

Probate records almost always include:

• Full name
• Date and place of death
   

Probate records may also include:

• Marital Status
• Name of spouse
• Names of children (and possibly birth order)
• Names of children's spouses of married daughters
• Names of grandchildren

• Relationships between family members
• Clues to the trade or occupation of your ancestor
• Citizenship
• Residences of your ancestor and living descendants
• Locations (and descriptions) where your ancestor owned property
• Feelings of your ancestor toward family members
• Clues to the deaths of other family members
• Clues to adoptions or guardianships
• Inventory of items owned by the deceased
• Clues to your ancestor's economic standing (e.g. debts, property)
• Your ancestor's signature

How to Find Probate Records

Probate records can usually be found in the local courthouse (county, district, etc.) that presided over the area where your ancestor died. Older probate records may have been moved from the local courthouse to a larger regional facility, such as a state or provincial archives. Contact the clerk's office of the court where the person resided at the time of death for information on the location of probate records for the time period in which you are interested.