RG 004:163, Windham Probate Court

Inventory of Records

Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.

Copyright © 2013 by the Connecticut State Library

Historical Note

Windham, Windham County, Town established in May 1692

The Windham Probate District was constituted October 1719, from the Hartford and New London Probate Districts. It also served the following municipalities at various times: Ashford, October 1719 - May 1752; Canterbury, October 1719 - May 1747; Chaplin, May 1822 - June 6, 1850; Columbia, May 1804 - May 1808; Coventry, October 1719 - May 1789; Hampton, October 1786 - June 2, 1836; Killingly, October 1719 - May 1747; Lebanon, October 1719 - June 1, 1826; Mansfield, October 1719 - May 29, 1831; Plainfield, October 1719 - May 1747; Pomfret, October 1719 - May 1752; Scotland, May 1857 - January 4, 2011; Union, October 1734 - May 1752; Voluntown, May 1726 - May 1747; Woodstock, May 1749 - May 1752. The Windham Probate District merged with the Colchester, Eastford (part), and Hampton Probate Districts on January 5, 2011 to create the Windham - Colchester Probate District, which serves the municipalities of Chaplin, Colchester, Hampton, Lebanon, Scotland, and Windham.

Town of Windham, Probate District chronology:

May 1692 - October 1719, Hartford County Court and District
May 1692 - October 1719, New London County Court and District
October 1719 - January 4, 2011, Windham District
January 5, 2011 - Present, Windham - Colchester District

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

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Scope and Content

Probate record books: Regular, vol. 1-38, 1719-1921; Special, vol. 1-12, 1734-1921; Orders & decrees, vol. 13-25, 1881-1921; Bonds, vol. 1-8, 1881-1966; Insolvent estates, vol. 1-3, 1877-1903. Contact the probate court to access original record books numbered after these volumes. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Probate files, 1719-1925. Probate files may consist of estates, conservatorships, guardianships, commitments, and insolvencies. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Inventory control book, 1729-1917 (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 2011-013 are by the following and numbered therein: regular, special, orders & decrees, bonds, insolvent estates.

Probate files in accession 1932-040 are arranged alphabetically.

Probate files in accession 2012-009 are arranged by file number.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

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

Accession 2011-013, Record books, 1719-1966, and Accession 2012-019, Probate files, 1880-1961, bulk 1905-1942, 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, vol. 1-34, 1719-1918; Special record books, vol. 1-12, 16, 19-23, 1734-1917; probate files, 1719-1880; 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 1921-040 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on the following dates (with date span of files): July 15, 1921 (1719-1917).

The record books in accession 2011-013 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on August 18, 2010.

The probate files in accession 2012-009 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on October 24, 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 1921-040 are represented in this index.

Probate Files: The History and Genealogy reference staff has access to an index for the files in accession 2012-009.

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