Probate records and wills are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another hidden gem of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
What can you find in these records? How about date of death, spouses and children names, birth order, siblings and siblings spouses, parents names, and residence locations for all named persons. Also, ownership of land and/or other significant property, business names and occupation, military service, guardianships, and adoptions. Basically, anything owned by the deceased is typically listed and to whom it is to be assigned.
I won’t pretend to be an expert on the probate process – all I know is that I have discovered an amazing amount of good information from probate records and wills as part of my personal genealogy research.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching probate documents and wills:
- FamilySearch – United States Probate Records
- Wills and Probate Records are Genealogy Riches
- How to Use Wills and Estate Records to Learn About Your Ancestors
- Probate Records Could Be the Key to Unlocking Your Family’s Hidden Past
Below, listed are links to probate records, wills, and indexes available for free online for the state.
Note: Please be aware that if you find a desired will or probate record in an index, that the holder of the actual materials (e.g., (archive, county court, etc.) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the material itself.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated September 2021; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Anderson County Probate Records, 1830-1923
- Bedford County Administrator’s and Executor’s Bonds and Letters, 1861-1965; Administrator’s and Executor’s Settlements, 1865-1934, 1937-1963…
- Bedford County Probate Court Minutes, 1870-1902
- Bedford County Will Books, 1847-1881
- Bedford County Wills, 1861-1966; wills and inventories, 1863-1889, 1890-1929, 1937-1965
- Benton County Administrators’, Executors’ and Guardians’ Records, 1858-1968
- Benton County Claims filed against Estates of Deceased Persons, vols. 1-2, 1867-1943
- Benton County Court orders, 1858-1880, 1885-1887
- Benton County Insolvent Estates, 1852-1916
- Benton County Miscellaneous Records, v. 1-2, 1836-1855
- Benton County Wills, 1855-1968
- Blount County Court Minutes, 1795-1818, 1834-1908
- Blount County Circuit Court Minutes, 1852-1865, 1881-1907
- Bradley County Wills and Will Indexes (transcriptions)
- Campbell County Wills and Probate Indexes
- Cannon County – Abstracts of Will Book “A” 1833-1854
- Cannon County – Abstracts of Will Book “A” 1853-1862
- Cannon County Index to Wills 1836-1895
- Claiborne County, Miscellaneous Wills (transcriptions)
- Cocke County Records, 1860-1930
- Cumberland County, Miscellaneous Wills (transcriptions)
- Davidson County Wills, 1784-1920
- Davidson County Wills, 1784-1941
- Dickson County Tennessee Wills, 1804-1846
- Dyer County Wills 1856-1883
- East Jefferson County, Abstracts of Wills
- Franklin County Will Book – 1808-1847
- Franklin County Will Book : 1808 -1847
- Franklin County Will Book : 1808-1847
- Franklin County Will Book : 1808-1847
- Gibson County Wills & Bonds – Book no. 1 : 1824-1833
- Gibson County, Probate Records : Estate Case Files and Guardianships, 1816-1900
- Gibson County, Probate Records : Wills, 1826-1900
- Giles County Index to Wills, original Wills before 1900
- Giles County, Miscellaneous Wills (transcriptions)
- Hamilton County Executor’s Bonds and Letters, 1879-1932; Administrator’s Bonds and Letters, 1878-1928
- Hamilton County Probate Records, 1864-1928
- Hamilton County Wills, 1862-1936; index
- Hamilton County, Will Book
- Hardeman County Chancery and Probate Records, 1823-1979
- Hawkins County Wills Abstracts
- Hawkins County, Will Abstracts
- Haywood County – Abstracts of Will Book I
- Haywood County – Abstracts of Will Book I
- Henry County Wills, 1822 – 1844 : Abstracts from volume B, March 1827-Jan 1833
- Henry County, Probate Records, 1900-1955
- Hickman County, Miscellaneous Wills (transcriptions)
- Humphreys County Court Minutes, 1842-1850
- Humphreys County, County Court case files, 1881-1951
- Humphreys County, Probate Estate Files, 1931-1945
- Jackson County Miscellaneous Records, 1810-1909,
- Jefferson County Index to Will Book 3 – 1826-1840
- Johnston County Will Index 1837 to 1884
- Knox County Wills & Estate Settlements Index, 1792-1939
- Knox County Administrators, Executors and Guardians Records, 1792-1905
- Knox County Estate Books, 1792-1863
- Knox County Records of insolvent Estates, 1859-1915
- Lauderdale County Court Minutes, 1836-1861
- Loudon County Will Index
- Madison County Will Abstracts and Will Books (transcriptions)
- Madison County, Index to Wills, Settlements, Inventories, Will Book “A” – 1820-1835
- Madison County, Probate Records, 1840-1960
- Marion County Will Books (transcriptions)
- Maury County Wills and Settlements, 1807-1824 and 1820 census
- Maury County, Will Books (transcriptions)
- Middle Tennessee Probate and death Records 1780-1805
- Montgomery County Probate or Will Book Index
- Nashville, Index to Wills Held by the Metro Archives, 1783-1924
- Putnam County Records, 1842-1955
- Rhea County abstracts from Will Book A, 1825-1840
- Roane County, Will Book “A”, 1801-1824
- Robertson County Will Transcriptions
- Sevier County Will Books (transcriptions)
- Shelby County Probate Court Wills 1830-2004
- Shelby County, Probate Records, 1866-1936
- Smith County Miscellaneous Wills (transcriptions)
- Stewart County Index of Wills
- Sumner County Wills (transcriptions)
- Sumner County Wills Index 1789-1915 (transcriptions)
- Sumner County, Will Books 1 and 2 : abstracts, 1779-1823, 1823-1842
- Tennessee Probate Court Books, 1795-1927
- Tennessee, Probate Court Files, 1795-1927
- Washington County Miscellaneous Wills (transcriptions)
- Washington County, marriages and Wills
- White County Records, 1809-1975
- Williamson County Probate and Wills Index
- Williamson County Will Book
- Wilson County Wills and inventories, 1803-1819
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Tennessee Links, click on the category of interest:
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Divorce Records
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Church Records
School Records
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Voter Records
Probate and Wills
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