Finding Wills Without a Digital Index

In the core course there are several lessons on probate records. This lesson just focuses on finding wills. Wills are usually not indexed with a digital index. That means you can’t go to a family history site, type a name into the search box, and have a will appear in your search. There are a few probate collections that are indexed, but for the most part you have to browse for the record.

FamilySearch has digital images of many county probate records prior to 1900. These images were digitized from microfilms. You can browse these digital records on your computer. If you are looking for a more recent will, you will have to contact the court where the will was probated.

Even though there isn’t a digital index, these records are indexed. When the wills were copied into the will books at the court, the clerk added the name of the testator into the front of the book or to a separate probate index.

Wills are usually kept at the county level. When you search the FamilySearch Catalog, you should search the county where your person owned property at the time of their death.