Probate records are records disposing of a deceased individual's property and may include an individual's last will and testament if one was made. To find an address in probate records, you must at least know the individual's full name at time of death, the approximate date of death, and the county or town in which the individual lived at the time of their death. If you do not have the minimum information to locate a probate record, you can either:

Get help finding some of the minimum information by selecting one of the following items,

Name

Place of death

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read the paragraphs below for a few additional tips.

Finding probate records

Probate record indexes and abstracts have been created in many counties. These indexes can provide you with the information you need to access the record, even if you don't have the minimum information required to find the original records. Check with libraries and genealogy societies in the area -- they may know if any indexes exist for the records that you need.

Finding places a family has lived

Make sure you have checked items at home such as old letters or day books. You may find addresses in them. For a complete list of places to check at home, see the topic Finding information at home. You may also want to check for family histories and local histories in genealogy libraries and public libraries where your ancestors lived. They may mention family addresses.

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