New York State Court of Probates List of Wills and Other Documents Delivered by the Judge of the Court of Probates to the…

Chronological.

In 1778 the State Legislature established a Court of Probates, which assumed most of the colonial governor's powers in probate matters. A 1787 statute established a Surrogate's Court in each county. The Court of Probates' jurisdiction was limited to hearing appeals from the Surrogate's Courts; supervising estates of New York residents who died out of state, and of non-residents who died within the state; and issuing certain types of orders. The Court of Probates was abolished in 1823, and its remaining jurisdiction was given to the Surrogate's Court.

This series consists of a rough chronological list of wills that were transferred to the New York County Surrogate's Court when the Court of Probates removed its office to Albany in 1799. Each entry gives name of testator, residence, and date of will. Wills relate only to estates located within the First Senatorial District (New York and adjacent counties); the wills date from ca. 1662 to 1786. At the end of the main list are other lists of documents transferred, such as inventories, accounts of administrators, etc.

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