The Westchester County Archives has wills and probate records dating from the late 18th century through the first few decades of the 20th century. These records, obtained from the Surrogate Court for Westchester County, are useful for tracing the transfer of property and possessions from one generation to the next, determining dates of death, and in identifying the heirs of a individual, among other things.
The Westchester County Archives is creating an online index to the Wills (Series 132) and Estate Records (Series 16) it holds. The index covers all wills from 1775-1784 (gaps), 1787-1941 and estate records from 1775-1915. Please note that because our online index only covers wills and estate inventories and there are additional surrogate records available (such as guardianships and letters of administration), it is still a good idea to check our in-house microfilm index of the Surrogate records in case you do not find what you are looking for in the online index. To request a search of the microfilm index, please submit a Custom Research Request.
Listed below are the probate records held by the Archives and the years for which they are available. Click on the series numbers to view a description of the records.
Probate Records Available at the Westchester County Archives:
- Series 168 Administration Letters, 1787-1940
- Series 16 Estate Records, 1775, 1782-1921
- Series 167 Guardianship Records, 1802-1896
- Series 171 Surrogate Records, Index, 1772-1983
- Series 201 Testamentary Letters, 1830-1897
- Series 132 Wills, 1775-1784 (gaps), 1787-1941
To locate a specific will (for the years 1775-1941) or estate record (for the years 1782-1921) held by the Archives, the first step is to consult the Surrogate Records Index (Series 171). This can either be done online for all wills and for estate records for the years 1775-1920, by visiting the Archives in person, or by submitting a Custom Research Request specifically asking that the probate records be searched for an individual. Once it has been determined that a will, estate file, or other probate record exists for an individual, the record itself can be reviewed.
To obtain copies of wills from 1942 to the present or probate records from 1922 to the present, please contact the Surrogate Court directly at (914) 824-5656.
If you have any questions regarding locating or using historic probate records (wills up to 1941 or probate records up to 1921) at the Westchester County Archives, please contact us.