Massachusetts Probate Indices

Massachusetts probate records are maintained by the counties. Each county has an archive of wills, settlements of estate, guardianships, etc. dating as far back as the 1600s. Indices to these probate records can be found in the county probate office, in libraries, and in genealogical societies. Given a "case number" (sometimes called a "file number", or "docket number") the probate office can make a copy of a probate record for a nominal fee (around $5).

You can order these probate records online here though it is generally cheaper to write directly to the county probate office. Addresses are given below.

This is a transcription of the Wheelock entries in the Suffolk County probate index : "Index to the Probate Records of the County of Suffolk, Massachusetts, From the Year 1636 to and Including the Year 1893", Prepared Under the Supervision of Elijah George, Register of Probate and Insolvency for the County of Suffolk, Vol III, Boston, Rockwell and Churchill, City Printers, 1895.

Suffolk County consists of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, MA. Probate records can be obtained by writing to the following address. Provide the year, name, type of record, and case number.

Probate & Family Court
24 New Chardon Street
3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Voice: (617) 788-8300 (Hours: Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM)
Fax: (617) 788-8962

This is a transcription of the Wheelock entries in "Probate Index, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, L-Z, 1793-1900", Vol. II, Transcript Press, Dedham, Massachusetts, 1910. Norfolk County includes (among others) the towns of Bellingham, Dedham, Norfolk, Medfield, Franklin, Wrentham, Quincy, Randolph, Roxbury, and Walpole. The County was established in 1793 from Suffolk County. To obtain Norfolk County probate records:

Norfolk Probate Court
649 High Street
Dedham, MA 02026
(781) 326-7200
Mon.-Fri. 8-4:30

The is a transcription of the Wheelock entries in the first Worcester County probate index (Series A): "Index to the Probate Records of the County of Worcester, Masachusetts, From July 12, 1731 to July 1, 1881, Series A", Published by Oliver B. Wood, Worcester, MA, 1898. To obtain a copy of one of these records, write the year, name, place, and case number for the record you want to:

Peter Lukes, Register
Probate and Family Court Dept.
2 Main St.
Worcester, Mass.
01608

Worcester County consists of Worcester, Shrewsbury, Marlborough, Westborough, Mendon, Uxbridge, Grafton, Lancaster, Leominster, Sutton, Leicester, Millbury, Charlton, Uxbridge, Sturbridge, Southbridge, Northbridge, Hardwick, and several other towns in the vicinity.

The is a transcription of the Wheelock entries in the Berkshire County, MA, Probate Records, Index 1761-1930. This index is on microfilm in the New England Historic and Genealogical Societ, Boston, MA. To obtain copies of Berkshire County Probate Records, write to the following address. Include name, place, date, type of record, and case number.

Francis B. Marinaro, Register
Probate and Family Court Dept.
44 Bank Row
Pittsfield, MA 01201

Berkshire County is the western most county in Massachusetts. It includes (among others) the towns of Adams, Alford, Cheshire, Egremont, Florida, Great Barrington, Hancock, Lee, Lenox, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Williamstown, and Windsor.

The is a transcription of the Wheelock entries in the Hampshire County, MA, Probate Records, Index 1660-1971. Only entries before 1900 were extracted. This index is on microfilm in the New England Historic and Genealogical Societ, Boston, MA. To obtain copies of Hampshire County Probate Records, write to the following address. Include name, place, year, type of record, book and page number..

Hampshire County is located in central western Massachusetts. It includes (among others) the towns of Amherst, Belchertown, Chesterfield, Easthampton, Granby, Greenwich, Hadley, Hatfield, Northampton, Norwich, Pelham, Ware, and Williamsburg.

This is a transcription of the Wheelock entries in "Index to Dockets and Files of the Probate Court in the County of Franklin, Prior to January 1, 1926", as found at the Massachusetts Archives in Boston, MA. Franklin is located in western Massachusetts, and consists of the following towns: Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, and Whately.

Franklin County Courthouse
425 Main Street
P.O. Box 590
Greenfield, MA 01302
(413) 774-7011

Year	Name (Wheelock)	Type	Case No.	Town
1835	Abijah	adm.	5 207	Charlemont
--	Adaline P.	minor	5 217	Orange
1829	Alexander	will	5 208	Orange
1866	Alexander	insane & adm.	5 209	Orange
--	Andrew	minor	5 247	Keene, NH or Orange
--	Caroline	minor	5 214	Greenwich, NY
--	Caroline M.	minor	5 217	Orange
1876	Catherine B.	will	5 210	Greenfield
1859	E. Clark	minor & adm.	5 211	Orange
1831	Eleazer	adm.	5 212	Warwick
--	Emily A.	minor	5 247	Keene, NH or Orange
1842	Eunice	adm.	5 213	Orange
--	Experience C.	minor	5 218	Warwick
1830	George	minor & will	5 214	Greenwich, NY
1835	John	minors & adm.	5 216	Shutesbury
--	John P.	minor	5 216	Shutesbury
1852	Jonathan	adm.	5 215	Warwick
1878	Joseph	adm.	7 679	Conway
1835	Josiah	minors & will	5 217	Orange
1842	Lemuel	minors & adm.	5 218	Warwick
1843	Lucy	will	5 219	Warwick
--	Lynds	minors	5 247	Keene, NH
1832	Maria	adm.	5 220	Orange
--	Maria A.	minor	5 218	Warwick
--	Mary L.	minor	5 216	Shutesbury
--	Nancy T.	minor	5 216	Shutesbury
--	Nellie S. H.	minor	5 211	Orange
--	Octavia M.	minor	5 216	Shutesbury
1846	Rhoda C.	adm.	5 221	Warwick
1879	Rhoda C.	adm.	7 680	Warwick
--	Sara H.	minor	5 216	Shutesbury