RG 004:045, East Lyme Probate Court

Inventory of Records

Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.

Copyright © 2011 by the Connecticut State Library

Historical Note

East Lyme, New London County, Town established in May 1839, Parent Towns: Lyme and Waterford

The East Lyme Probate District was constituted on July 9, 1841 from the Colchester and New London Probate Districts. The Salem Probate District merged with the East Lyme, Montville, and Old Lyme Probate Districts on January 5, 2011 to create the Region #32 Probate District which serves the municipalities of East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme, and Salem.

Town of East Lyme, Probate District chronology:

May 1838 - June 1, 1843, New London District
June 2, 1843 - January 4, 2011, East Lyme District
January 5, 2011 - Present, Region #32 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, 1843-1943. Probate files may consist of estates, conservatorships, guardianships, commitments, and insolvencies. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Inventory control book, 1843-1943 (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 are arranged alphabetically in one series.

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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 1921-1943 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. 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 1-5, 7, and 9, 1843-1924; probate files, 1843-1915; 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 1912-004 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on the following dates (with date span of files): August 14, 1912 (1843-1911); January 8, 1923 (1885-1922); July 22, 1936 (1924-1934); September 11, 1940 (1921-1927); March 27, 1946 (1924-1943). They were interfiled into one alphabetic sequence.

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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. Note: CSL does not hold any original record books. 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 1912-004 are represented in this index.

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