Up until 1947 (?) there were no "estate" files as such. That is , no one record that accumulated all estate papers in one file. This was changed as a result of a statutory reorganization, but not retroactively. It sound as if you have checked all relevant sources- it may be that the executors administered the will as stated in the document without further Court proceedings. The only thing I can think of is the Register of Wills book in the Courthouse which will give dates for inventories, vendues and accounts if there were any, but will not reference any Orphan's Court proceedings except the account (then you hunt for that date). The Register of Wills should show when an accounting was filed, which might indicate when the legacies were paid. You could also check other places the minor children could have lived- other counties for example- a guardianship could have been in the county of residence. Here is a quick primer for those who haven't gotten as far: In Cumberland County, at present, you will need to consult several sources. (Perry County has combined the files as estates in their wonderful, new computerized system) The place to start is the Register of Wills, large bound ledgers in the office of the Register of Wills. These have a record of whether or not there was a will, the date it was proved and the will number. If there was no will, it will indicate the date Letters of Testamentary or of Administration were issued and to whom. Letters Testamentary ("T") were issued to executors of wills that had been proved. Letters of Administration ("A") were issued to administrators in intestacy- i.e.. no will. The entries are by name of decedent, in date order determined by the proving of the will or issuance of Letters of Administration. The same page will give a date, a number for the estate inventory, vendue list and the date of any accounting. Registering of the Will was sufficient to pass title to the real estate. The personal property was all that appeared on the inventory and vendue list. I think Joe is right that the originals of wills, inventories and vendues are now at the Cumberland County Historical Society. The Registrar's office has a book in which the wills were copied by a clerk. There is often a lot of information in the Orphan's Court Dockets, also in the Register's Office. These are large bound books containing the court clerk's notes of court proceedings. They are in date order and, if I remember correctly, usually have an index in each volume. You need to go through several volumes for the period after the date of death to be sure you have all entries. I have found these a gold mine if there were minor children or even a widow and children from a different marriage. The Orphans Court did various things- appointed guardians for minors ( sometimes from the mother's family which helps identify them), approved the sale and division of estate real property, approved accounts and heard disputes on these matters. I have noticed that there are sometimes margin notes in the original entries to show final payments of sums due children that have reached the age of majority or when the widow died, not later entries at the date the payment occurred. I have also found diagrams of farms showing divisions among heirs. I suggest that you call the Register of Wills and ask what they can tell you over the phone and what you can write for. Same is true of the Register of Deeds. I have usually done this research in person, so I don't know how much they will look up for you. I can't seem to lay my hand on the phone number or address at the moment. Both the Register of Willis and of Deeds are in the Courthouse annex on the square in Carlisle. I think you can find them on the internet or in directory assistance. Good luck, Ame ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Louise" <mloutown@adelphia.net> To: <PACUMBER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 5:45 PM Subject: [PACUMBER] Probate Questions - Cumberland Co. > Dear Listers, > > I'm hoping someone with experience in obtaining wills and estate records > for Cumberland Co. can help me out with an estate/probate question. I > need to find which office of the courthouse can provide me with copies > of an estate. > > I'm looking for the estate records of John Clendinnen. I have a copy of > his will made 18 May 1802 and proved 7 August 1802. > > I'm asking because I have not been able to find the probate records > associated with this will. Do the probates of an estate close out when > the last beneficiary dies? Do they stay open as long as there are minor > children involved? When the minor child turns 21, would there normally > be a record showing the payout of the inheritance? > > The will calls for the surviving family members to live together on the > farm for 7 years after the death of the father. Then it divides the > land between the two older sons, apprentices the youngest son (then > about 11) as a tanner when he turns 16 (apprentice for 7 years) and > gives him money when he turns 21. It also gave money to the daughters > when they reached 18 or 21 or marry whichever comes first. It gives > several items to the wife and says the sons should provide for her until > her death or she remarries. I could not find any estate records (estate > inventory, etc.) or even guardianship info from the PA Orphans Court > which usually shows the disposition of the estate. I saw Orphan Court > microfilm at the Cumberland Historical Society, but the estate of this > person was not in the 1802/1803 sections and I read them through 1811. > The copy I have of the will is from the microfilm at the Cumberland > Historical Society. > > Where do you think I should write to in the court system to find the > estate records? Should I just write to the Clerk of the Court and leave > it to them to sort out? Where can I write to get a copy of the deeds > for the land sold or retitled? > > Thanks for all your help, > Mary Louise Townsend > Potomac Falls, VA 20165 > > > ==== PACUMBER Mailing List ==== > Need to find a location?? > http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >