March 2026 Program
Using Estate Administration Records in Genealogical Research
Speaker Richard Konkel
This presentation examines researching Wills, Renunciations, Administration Bonds, Citations, Estate Inventories, Vendue Lists, Administration Accounts, and Orphans' Court records. The information found in these records as well as where to find them in archives and online is discussed.
Watch the recorded presentation here.
Richard Konkel is the vice president of the SCPGS. He is a native of York and is an attorney at law with the CGA Law Firm in York. He is also a cellist in the York Symphony Orchestra.
Watch the recorded presentation here.
Richard Konkel is the vice president of the SCPGS. He is a native of York and is an attorney at law with the CGA Law Firm in York. He is also a cellist in the York Symphony Orchestra.
Program review by Becky Anstine:
Estate records are a sometimes-overlooked research resource for family information; some people will skip these records based on the “my father didn’t leave a will” or “didn’t have any money” theory, not realizing the information that can be found in these records. Information in estate records can include death dates, married daughters and their spouse’s names, ages of minor children, monetary distributions of the estate and division of properties; later files sometimes include addresses and locations of out of state heirs and their relationship to the deceased.
Richard started with three primary websites that can be used:
Types of Records:
Wills – Many wills can be found on the Family Search website for many states, and the collections have been digitized. Many original documents have also been digitized by the York County Archives; original documents that haven’t been digitized yet, but can also be found in the Probate files at the Archives (files can include the following: wills, inventories, venue lists, administrative bonds, renunciations, death records, etc.)
Citations are available at the York County Archives but are not digitized. This is a document to open an estate when no other documents have been filed.
Administrative Bonds – Bond books are available at the York County Archives; they are not available online. This document ensures that an estate will be administered even if it is intestate. SCPGS Publication #40 covers probated but not recorded wills that were written in German. Signatures on these wills can be compared to signatures on ship lists to help confirm identities.
Inventories from 1749-1900 are included in the estate files at the York County Archives. A searchable data base is for 1900-1985. Inventories were also filed in Docket Books from 1860 and later; books are not scanned or indexed. Maryland counties files are recorded from very early and are available on familysearch.org.
Renunciations are only available in estate files of original records. There are no digital images or searchable databases.
Orphans Court Dockets are available from 1749-1881 with a General Index from 1749-1887. York County Archives has records microfilmed from 1949-1973 and indexed from 1749-1972. Family search.org records can be found by typing in “Pennsylvania Probate Records” in the “Collections” box. Then the county wanted can be selected.
Vendue Lists, the original lists, are filed in the estate files at the York County Archives. Vendue lists include the buyers, purchases, and the amount of each purchase.
Administrative Accounts are original papers from 1749-1985 and can be found in the estate files at the York County Archives. They are not microfilmed, scanned, or indexed. The accounts list the names of those who were paid for services (at the vendue, medical, heirs, sale of property and to whom it was sold). Maryland counties are recorded in Docket books on familysearch.org. Estate records for other counties (Chester, Berks, and Philadelphia) can be found on familysearch.org
and ancestry.com. Chester County records are also available on the Chester County Archives Website under “Wills & Administration Files”. Lancaster County Wills are at the County Archives in the old Courthouse. Other estate administration papers are at LancasterHistory.org. Adams County estate papers are located at the Adams County Historical Society - https://www.achs-pa.org/.
Estate records are a sometimes-overlooked research resource for family information; some people will skip these records based on the “my father didn’t leave a will” or “didn’t have any money” theory, not realizing the information that can be found in these records. Information in estate records can include death dates, married daughters and their spouse’s names, ages of minor children, monetary distributions of the estate and division of properties; later files sometimes include addresses and locations of out of state heirs and their relationship to the deceased.
Richard started with three primary websites that can be used:
- York County Archives (https://www.yorkcountyarchives.org)
- Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/)
- Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com)
Types of Records:
Wills – Many wills can be found on the Family Search website for many states, and the collections have been digitized. Many original documents have also been digitized by the York County Archives; original documents that haven’t been digitized yet, but can also be found in the Probate files at the Archives (files can include the following: wills, inventories, venue lists, administrative bonds, renunciations, death records, etc.)
Citations are available at the York County Archives but are not digitized. This is a document to open an estate when no other documents have been filed.
Administrative Bonds – Bond books are available at the York County Archives; they are not available online. This document ensures that an estate will be administered even if it is intestate. SCPGS Publication #40 covers probated but not recorded wills that were written in German. Signatures on these wills can be compared to signatures on ship lists to help confirm identities.
Inventories from 1749-1900 are included in the estate files at the York County Archives. A searchable data base is for 1900-1985. Inventories were also filed in Docket Books from 1860 and later; books are not scanned or indexed. Maryland counties files are recorded from very early and are available on familysearch.org.
Renunciations are only available in estate files of original records. There are no digital images or searchable databases.
Orphans Court Dockets are available from 1749-1881 with a General Index from 1749-1887. York County Archives has records microfilmed from 1949-1973 and indexed from 1749-1972. Family search.org records can be found by typing in “Pennsylvania Probate Records” in the “Collections” box. Then the county wanted can be selected.
Vendue Lists, the original lists, are filed in the estate files at the York County Archives. Vendue lists include the buyers, purchases, and the amount of each purchase.
Administrative Accounts are original papers from 1749-1985 and can be found in the estate files at the York County Archives. They are not microfilmed, scanned, or indexed. The accounts list the names of those who were paid for services (at the vendue, medical, heirs, sale of property and to whom it was sold). Maryland counties are recorded in Docket books on familysearch.org. Estate records for other counties (Chester, Berks, and Philadelphia) can be found on familysearch.org
and ancestry.com. Chester County records are also available on the Chester County Archives Website under “Wills & Administration Files”. Lancaster County Wills are at the County Archives in the old Courthouse. Other estate administration papers are at LancasterHistory.org. Adams County estate papers are located at the Adams County Historical Society - https://www.achs-pa.org/.