In a message dated 7/25/99 2:59:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time, treinhardt@iosys.net writes: << am a newcomer to this list, but wish to second the request for knowledge of an index for wills/probates. (I searched the county website and didn't find anything) I happen to do lookups for anyone digging for infomation on the members of the Owasco Dutch Reformed Church. Now I am hoping that someone can do a return favor. >> Tracey and List: This is something you need to go to a courthouse to find. I seriously doubt any court would post a list of probate proceedings on a website, except perhaps a court calendar. Courts have what are usually straight alphabetical lists of case files, year by year, and sometimes over a period of several years. They should go back to the beginning of the court system. I wonder what the status is of very old wills that have been filed for probate in NY State. Whether the clerk's offices keep them or not, you'd have to phone the chief clerk for the county or the presiding judge and ask. Look up the court phone number in the white pages for the county involved. In California, the listings are at the front under the government level, such as county or city or state. I don't know if court phone numbers are online. You also have to establish under what circumstances probate proceedings were required. If a person had no property and/or the sort of property not subject to probate was left, you would not have a probate proceeding at all. Perhaps, if you had a chat with the chief clerk, you'd get some help on these questions. Then, again, he might tell you to talk to an attorney. :( Regards, Joan in Los Angeles