RG 004:153, Watertown Probate Court

Inventory of Records

Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.

Copyright © 2013 by the Connecticut State Library

Historical Note

Watertown, Litchfield County, Town established in May 1780, Parent Town: Waterbury

The Watertown Probate District was constituted June 3, 1834, from the Waterbury Probate District. The Watertown Probate District merged with the Woodbury Probate District on January 8, 2003 to create a single probate district. The Woodbury Probate District merged with the Oxford, Roxbury, Southbury, and Washington Probate Districts on January 5, 2011 to create the Region # 22 Probate District which serves the municipalities of Bethlehem, Oxford, Roxbury, Southbury, Washington, Watertown, and Woodbury.

Town of Watertown, Probate District chronology:

May 1780 - June 2, 1834, Waterbury District
June 3, 1834 - January 7, 2003, Watertown District
January 8, 2003 - January 4, 2011, Woodbury District
January 5, 2011 - Present, Region # 22 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. 1-26, 1834-1933. Contact the probate court to access original record books after volume 34. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Probate files, None. Probate files may consist of estates, conservatorships, guardianships, commitments, and insolvencies. See Alternative Form Available note below.

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Arrangement

Record books in accession 2011-105 are numbered from 1-26.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

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

Accession 2011-105, Record books, 1834-1938, 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 1-4, 6, 9-11, 13-15, 17, 1834-1917, 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 record books in accession 2011-105 were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on January 20, 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. Note: CSL does not hold any original record books. See Alternate Form Available section for volumes available on microfilm.

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