RG 004:139, Woodstock Probate Court

Inventory of Records

Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.

Copyright © 2013 by the Connecticut State Library

Historical Note

Woodstock, Windham County, Town established in 1690 by Massachusetts, Part of Masachusetts until 1749

The Woodstock Probate District was constituted May 30, 1831, from the Pomfret Probate District. The Thompson Probate District merged on January 5, 2011 with the Ashford, Brooklyn, Eastford (part), Pomfret, Putnam, and Thompson Probate Districts to create the Northeast Probate District. The Northeast Probate District serves the municipalities of Ashford, Brooklyn, Eastford, Pomfret, Putnam, Thompson, and Woodstock.

Town of Woodstock, Probate District chronology:

March 1690 - 1731, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Jurisdiction
1731 - May 1749, Worcester County, Massachusetts Jurisdiction
May 1749 - May 1752, Windham District
May 1752 - May 29, 1831, Pomfret District
May 30, 1831 - January 4, 2011, Woodstock District
January 5, 2011 - Present, Northeast District

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

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Scope and Content

Probate record books, None. Contact the probate court to access original record books. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Probate files, 1831-1975, Probate files may consist of estates, conservatorships, guardianships, commitments, and insolvencies. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Inventory control book, 1831-1929 (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

Probate files in accessions 1911-013 and 2009-018 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 2009-018, probate files, circa 1930-1975, is 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. 1-13, 15, 1831-1916; probate files, 1831-1880; 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 1915-026 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on the following dates (with date span of files): November 6, 1911 (1831-1902); November 9, 1933 (1888-1929). They were interfiled into one alphabetic sequence.

The probate files in accession 2009-018 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on February 13, 2009.

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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 1911-013 are represented in this index.

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