RG 004:105, Old Lyme Probate Court

Inventory of Records

Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.

Copyright © 2012 by the Connecticut State Library

Historical Note

Old Lyme, New London County, Set off from Saybrook, February 13, 1665, Town established in May 1855 as South Lyme, name changed in 1857 to Old Lyme, Parent Town: Lyme

The Old Lyme (South Lyme) Probate District was constituted in May 1855 from the Lyme Probate District. Name of probate district changed from Lyme to Old Lyme, July 24, 1868. Probate records concerning Old Lyme, from May 1, 1666 to June 4, 1830, are in New London; records from June 4, 1830 to date, are in Old Lyme. The Old Lyme Probate District merged with the East Lyme, Montville, and Salem 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 Old Lyme, Probate District chronology:

May 1855 - January 4, 2011, Old 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, 1830-1945. Includes files from Lyme District from 1830 to 1868. Probate files may consist of estates, conservatorships, guardianships, commitments, and insolvencies. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Inventory control book, 1830-1945 (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 accession 1912-007 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 1921-1945 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.

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 1-6, 1829-1915, probate files, 1830-1880; 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 1912-007 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on the following dates (with date span of files): September 13, 1912 (1830-1905); October 18, 1924 (1851-1920); December 13, 1928 (1876-1927); March 27, 1946 (1923-1945). 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 1912-007 are represented in this index.

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