Series 18215

District Court (Fifth District : Washington County) Probate record books, 1897-1991.

10.50 cubic feet and 20 microfilm reels

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Historical Note

See history of the records' creator.

Summary of Records

Probate record books are a daily record of what documents were filed in court on a particular day. They contain details of the proceedings in estate cases. Personal name change cases may also appear. For deceased persons, the will, appraisals and inventories, and the settlements are recorded. For guardianships the appointment of a guardian and frequently an account of some property are noted. Adoption records give the full order of the adoption, often with statements from both the natural and adoptive parents or a social service agency detailing circumstances of the adoption.

Scope and Content

Probate record books are a daily record of what documents were filed in court on a particular day. They contain details of the proceedings in estate cases. Personal name change cases may also appear. For deceased persons, the will, appraisals and inventories, and the settlements are recorded. For guardianships the appointment of a guardian and frequently an account of some property are noted. Adoption records give the full order of the adoption, often with statements from both the natural and adoptive parents or a social service agency detailing circumstances of the adoption.
Though no longer produced these record books provide useful information both for researchers seeking socioeconomic data on households and those seeking biographical or family history data such as information about the estate, the deceased, and the heirs. As with the minutes, access to the record books is easiest when done in conjunction with the register of actions, which provides the date of each action.

Research Note

In 1903 and 1904, the probate clerk began keeping some documents on preprinted forms (Record Books H 1 and H 2). Record Book H 2 was designed to accommodate cases in which the deceased had a will and H 1 to accommodate cases in which a person died intestate. When the preprinted documents were inadequate for the case, the clerk recorded additional documents in Book H or H 3. The clerk made entries in Book H 1 until 1908, an isolated entry in 1918, then abandoned the preprinted version altogether. Entries in Book H 2, made between December 1903 and July 1916, include not more than 15 cases.

Arrangement

Chronological by date.

In general, the records are arranged chronologically according to the date filed. Therefore, documents relating to a single case are scattered throughout the time period the case was in probate. Documents are chronological within each book, even though, in the case of Books H, H 1, H 2, and H 3, the books may overlap.

Additional Forms

This series is available on microfilm.

Access Restrictions

Probate proceedings are public records. However adoption records, which are referred to throughout the probate record books, require the permission of the Fifth District Court until 100 years have passed.

Use Restrictions

These records are available for reproduction and use.

Preferred Citation

Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

Acquisition Information

These records were acquired from the creating agency through established retention schedules.

Processing Information

Processing of microfilm holdings was completed by Rosemary Cundiff in December 2000. Subsequent archival processing of original records and new microfilm was completed by Jim Kichas in September 2007 as part of a grant project designed to preserve the historic records of Utah's Fifth District Courts.

Related Material

Civil and criminal record books from Washington County (Utah). Probate Court, Series 3168, contain estate matters addressed by Washington County Probate Court before 1877.
Probate case files from the District Court (Fifth District : Washington County), Series 3636, contain the complete case files cited throughout these record books.
Guardianships and adoptions record from the District Court (Fifth District : Washington County), Series 13505, is a separate volume in which adoptions and guardianships were kept from 1902 to 1920.
Probate registers of action from the District Court (Fifth District : Washington County), Series 18217, chronicle each action taken by the court on a case by case basis. While not all actions noted in the registers of action were recorded in the record books, the registers provide access to the record books by supplying dates.
Deeds (Washington) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23262, contain final decrees of probate cases.
Deeds (Silver Reef) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23263, contain final decrees of probate cases
Deeds (Pine Valley) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23264, contain final decrees of probate cases.
Deeds (Toquerville) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23265, contain final decrees of probate cases.
Deeds (Saint George) from Washington County (Utah). County Recorder, Series 23286, contain final decrees of probate cases.
Estate administration index from the District Court (Fifth District : Washington County), Series 23780, provides dates and page numbers for actions taken in estate and guardianship cases heard by Washington County Probate Court or the probate division of Fifth District Court: Washington County.

Container List

ReelBoxDescription
111897-1910; Book H
121903-1919; Book H-1
231910-1922; Book H-3
341921-1929; Book H-4
451929-1938; Book H-5
561938-1947; Book H-6
671947-1954; Book H-7
781954-1959; Book H-8
891959-1966; Book H-9
4none1962-1972; Book A-4
9101966-1972; Book H-10
10111972-1973; Book H-11
10121973-1975; Book H-12
11131975-1977; Book H-13
11141977-1979; Book H-14
12151979-1981; Book H-15
13161981-1983; Book H-16
13171983-1984; Book H-17
13181985-; Book H-18
14181986-1987; Book H-19
14181987-1988; Book H-20
15191988-; Book H-21
15191989-1990; Book H-22
16191990-1991; Book H-23
17191991-; Book H-24