RG 004:162, Winchester Probate Court

Inventory of Records

Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.

Copyright © 2013 by the Connecticut State Library

Historical Note

Winchester, Litchfield County, Town named 1733, established in May 1771, City of Winsted incorporated January 1917

The Winchester Probate District was constituted May 31, 1838 from the Norfolk Probate District. It also included the municipality of Colebrook from May 31, 1838 to January 4, 2011. The Winchester Probate District merged with the New Hartford and Torrington Probate Districts on January 5, 2011 to create the Torrington Area Probate District which serves the municipalities of Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Goshen, Hartland, New Hartford, Torrington, and Winchester.

Town of Winchester (which includes the City of Winsted) Probate District chronology:

May 1733 - May 1769, Hartford District
May 1769 - May 1779, Simsbury District
May 1779 - May 30, 1838, Norfolk District
May 31, 1838 - January 4, 2011, Winchester District
January 5, 2011 - Present, Torrington Area District

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

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Scope and Content

Probate record books, vol. 1-37, 1838-1924. Contact the probate court to access original record books after volume 37. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Probate files, 1838-1912. Probate files may consist of estates, conservatorships, guardianships, commitments, and insolvencies. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Inventory control book, 1838-1912 (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 in accession 2011-090 are numbered from 1-37.

Probate files in accession 1931-004 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.

Accession 2011-090, Record books, 1838-1924, are stored at an off-site facility and therefore may not be available on a same-day basis.

Probate files from 1921-1946 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. Contact State Archives staff for assistance.

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 A, 2-10, 12-14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 35, 1838-1918; probate files, 1838-1880; and inventory control book 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 1931-004 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on the following dates (with date span of files): October 13, 1931 (1838-1912).

The record books in accession 2011-090 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on January 3, 2011.

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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.

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 1934-001 are represented in this index.

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