Probate Process
"Probate" is the process, usually a series of court actions, used to prove a will. "Probate records" are the documents generated as part of this process. In general, the files may contain the will or letters of administration, renunciations, inventories, lists of sales, estate vouchers or releases, administration bonds, administration or executor's accounts, distributive accounts or settlements, guardian bonds, guardian accounts and exceptions to accountings.
The following database is an index to the New Castle, Kent and Sussex County Register of Wills probate records among the holdings of The Delaware Public Archives for the years c. 1680 - c. 1925. The end date of 1925 means that only probates which have been completed by the year 1924 will be found here. Files for persons who died pre-1925. but whose estates have not completed probate by the end of 1925 are not included. It is not uncommon for the probate process to take a number of years to complete. It is important to remember when working with the Delaware probate records that, as a general rule, if the deceased left minor children, his settlement will not be found in this record series but among the records of the Orphan's Court. The Delaware Public Archives Orphan Court records span the years of c. 1680 to 1970.
These indexes to the probate records have been prepared alphabetically. For information on our Orphans Court records holdings, please write the Delaware Public Archives at the address posted at the bottom of the page or request information via email at archives@state.de.us
Delaware Public Archives
121 Duke of York Street
Dover, DE 19901
