RG 004:106, Old Saybrook Probate Court

Inventory of Records

Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.

Copyright © 2012 by the Connecticut State Library

Historical Note

Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, Town established in July 8, 1854, Parent Town: Old Saybrook (which today is the town of Essex)

Old Saybrook Probate District was constituted July 4, 1859, from the Essex Probate District. The Old Saybrook Probate District merged with the Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Saybrook, and Westbrook Probate Districts on January 5, 2011 to create the Saybrook Probate District. The Saybrook Probate District serves the municipalities of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook.

Town of Old Saybrook, Probate District chronology:

July 1854-July 3, 1859 Essex District (Name of district was Old Saybrook until July 1859 when a new district of Old Saybrook was established)
July 4, 1859-January 4, 2011, Old Saybrook District
January 5, 2011-Present, Saybrook Probate District

For Probate Court contact information and hours of operation see, Probate Court Directory.

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Scope and Content

Probate record books, Volumes 1-15, 1859-1951. Contact the probate court to access original record books after Volume 15. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Probate files, 1859-1976. Probate files may consist of estates, conservatorships, guardianships, commitments, and insolvencies. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Inventory control book, 1859-1927 (coverage). Also known as the Godard Digest, it is a list of probate files transferred to the Connecticut State Library. It was compiled at the Connecticut State Library under the direction of State Librarian George S. Godard.

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Arrangement

Record books are numbered from 1 to 15.

Probate files in accession 1914-008 are arranged alphabetically.

Probate files in accession 2011-060 are arranged alphabetically.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Researchers should first consult use copies when available. See Alternate Form Available Section below.

Probate files from 1921-1976 are RESTRICTED as they may contain confidential documents. Tax returns (succession, transfer and estate tax returns and all attachments) from January 1, 1921 and later are confidential per Connecticut General Statutes §12-15. Adoptions (all documents) from January 1, 1944 and later are confidential per Connecticut General Statutes §45a-754. Removals of parent as guardian of minor (all documents) and terminations of parental rights (all documents) from October 1, 1975 and later are confidential per Connecticut General Statutes §45a-754. Contact State Archives staff for assistance.

Accession 2011-059, Record books, 1859-1951, are stored at an off-site facility and therefore may not be available on a same-day basis.

See the Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections policy.

Restrictions on Use

See the Reproduction and Publications of State Library Collections policy.

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Index Terms

Subjects:

Places:

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Administrative Information

Alternative Form Available

Record books, volumes 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 1859-1917, probate files, 1853-1880; and inventory control book (Godard Digest) were microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah and are available for use in the History and Genealogy reading room or through the LDS Family History Centers.

Provenance

The probate files in accession 1914-008 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on the following dates (with date span of files): August 7, 1914 (1859-1903); April 8, 1930 (1848-1927). They were interfiled into one alphabetic sequence.

The record books in accession 2011-059 and the probate files in accession 2011-060 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on November 29, 2010. The Saybrook Probate Court is in the process of transferring all Old Saybrook probate files to 1976 to the Connecticut State Library.

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Other Finding Aid

Record Books: Index cards for the record books have been scanned. Ask History and Genealogy staff for assistance. See Alternate Form Available section for volumes available on microfilm.

Probate Files: The Probate Estate Papers Index, located in the index corridor adjacent to the History and Genealogy Reading Room, has two parts, a general index covering most of the state, and a Hartford Probate District index covering Hartford and some surrounding towns, 1820-1920. The index cards are arranged alphabetically by individual's last name and first names. The cards have the individual's name, town of residence, probate district, and list of items contained in the estate packet. To request retrieval of an estate packet, copy at least the estate name, file date, and probate district name from the index card. The probate files in Accession 1915-008 are represented in this index.

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