Kentucky Wills

Probate records within a county are typically stored in the county courthouse, often under the management of the county clerk. These records can encompass a variety of documents such as wills, estate details, executor and administrator information, inventories, settlements, accounts, guardianships, and records regarding orphans, insolvent estates, apprentices, illegitimate children, and mental health cases. The probate-related documents are usually cataloged in large volumes that consist of court minutes, proceedings, estate and executor data, guardianship information, inventories, probate details, sales, settlements, and wills.

There might be variation in how these records are titled and they are often loosely held together in folders or packets. Early estate records are commonly found mixed with regular county court proceedings. Circuit court records may also contain disputes related to inherited estates. Some counties have transcribed ancient wills. Collections of these are available at the Kentucky Historical Society and the Filson Library.

Copies of the original probate records, whether transcribed or in microfilm format, can be found at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, the Kentucky Historical Society, the University of Kentucky Library, the Filson Library, and the FHL. The Kentucky Court of Appeals maintains book J, which contains records of wills and inventories from 1780 to 1788. These have been summarised by Michael and Bettie Cook, as outlined in Kentucky Land Records.

It’s important to note that some of the 120 county courthouses in Kentucky have unfortunately lost records due to fire or other mishaps. Although some records may have been lost in the county you are researching, re-recorded documents and other resources like newspapers and church records can help fill in the gaps. It’s advisable to extend research several years past the time of record destruction to ensure comprehensive findings.

Kentucky Wills Index

• Abstract of Early Kentucky Wills and Inventories
• Abstracts of Early Kentucky Wills and Inventories

Kentucky Wills by County

Adair County

• Adair County Probate Index: 1801-1817
• Adair County Probate Index: 1818-1836
• Adair County Wills , 1805-1820
• Bailey (Benjamin, Elisha, Nimrod, Thomas, & William) 1819-1865
• Fletcher (Elizabeth) 1860
• Fletcher (Robert) 1847
• Page (Robert, Sr.) 1803
• Page (Robert) 1854
• Skaggs (Archibald) 1832
• Spradling (Rachal L.) 1877

Anderson County

• Griffy, David , 1847
• Leathers, Nicholas , 1838

Barren County

• Barren County Probate Records Index: 1799-1815
• Barren County Probate Records Index: 1817-1829

Bath County

• Caldwell, William
• Choat, Augustine
• Davis, Amis
• Davis, Lamach
• Denton, Abraham
• Fleming, George W.
• Garrett, Fleming
• Green, Zachariah
• Hunt, Reuben Sr.
• Johnson, G.W. 1850
• Morgan, William
• Newman, William
• Perkins, Elijah
• Robbins, James
• Stancliff, James
• Stancliff, James
• Warner, Alice
• Warner, Andrew , Inventory of Estate 1862
• Warner, Fenton
• Warner, Jacob , Appraisal of the Estate 1860
• Warner, Jacob , Sale Bill of Estate 1860
• Warner, Jacob , Land and Slave Division 1861
• Warner, Jacob , Will 1904
• Warner, Jonas
• Warner, Rosella
• Warner, William P.
• Wills, Harrison
• Bath County, Kentucky Wills, 1811-24

Bell County

Boone County

• Burns, James 1834
• Chambers, A. E. 1857
• Acra, Crandall 1990
• Gaines, Abner 1839
• Gaines, Churchill 1833
• Grubbs, James 1841, Codicil, 1851
• Kirtley, Jeremiah 1806
• Kirtley, Jeremiah, Estate Inventory 1806
• Sanford, Benjamin 1867
• Sanford, Permilia 1832
• Sanford, Templeton 1838
• Terrill, John L. 1890
• Terrill, George W. 1894
• Webster, Daniel 1833
• Selected Wills & Estate Abstracts

Bourbon County

• Allen, John Mountjoy , 1855
• Bowles, David , 1807
• Bowles, Jesse , 1820
• Ferguson, Dr. J. W. , 1902
• Ferguson, Josiah , 1848
• Goodman, Nathan , 1840
• Hall surname
• Hill, Robert , 1844
• Hill, Warren , 1821
• Jones, William B. , 1813
• McIntire, Nicholas , 1810
• Moore, Malvina , 1910
• Parrish Estates , 1808 – 1821
• Tucker, Jonathan , 1804
• Selected Estate Abstracts
• Selected Guardianships
• Selected Will Abstracts

Boyle County

• Sebastian, Ruth , 1888
• Whelan, Jane , 1873
• Whelan, John , 1863

Bracken County

• John Baker Will , 1808
• John Mountjoy Garrard Will , pr. 1838

Breckinridge County

• Bandy, Byron 1910
• Bandy, Silas 1911
• Jordon, Sashwell 1874
• McCoy, John P. 1874
• Meadors, Ailey 1826
• Meador, Thomas Sr. 1823

Bullitt County

• Wills and Estates
  • A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Caldwell County

• William Derrington , 1832
• Abram Dunning , 1860
• Joseph Guess , 1834
• David Parent , 1835
• Sarah Robertson , 1859
• James Smith , 1835
• Mary Wyott , 1859

Fleming County

• Callahan, Edward , 1871
• Doyle, John , Settlement of estate, 1875
• Doyle, Ann E [nee Callahan], 1907
• Doyle, Ann E Settlement of estate, 1909
• Harper, William , 1814
• Harper, Robert , 1870
• Renunciation of Ann Hurst Callahan , widow of Mile Hurst
• Hurst, Henry , 1822
• Hurst, Miles Jr , 1866
• Estate of John Jackson , 1834
• Estate of Rachel Jackson , 1839
• Sapp, Isaac , 1881

Floyd County

• William Remy , 1816

Franklin County

• Dodd, John Calton
• Arnold,Benjamin

Gallatin County

• Foley , 1826, Administrator Bond
• Foley, Mildred , 1829
• Gardner, Zechariah , 1845

Garrard County

• Charles Brown
• John Brown
• James Cecil
• Zachariah Compton
• James Fletcher
• Robert Henry
• Frederick Huffman Sr
• Henry Huffman
• William Mays
• Christian Perkins
• Benjamin Sutton
• Joseph Hicks Totten
• Thadius Warmoth
• Thomas Wilson

Grant County

Graves County

Grayson County

Green County

• Green County, Kentucky Wills 1796-1824

Greenup County

Hancock County

Hardin County

Harlan County

Harrison County

Hart County

• Hart County Kentucky Wills 1819-1850

Henderson County

Henry County

• Henry County, Kentucky Will Records for 1800 to July 1821

Hickman County

Hopkins County

Jackson County

Jefferson County

Jessamine County

Johnson County

Kenton County

Knott County

Knox County

Larue County

Laurel County

Lawrence County

Lee County

Leslie County

Letcher County

Lewis County

Lincoln County

• Lincoln County, Kentucky Wills and Administrations, Vol. 1

Livingston County

Logan County

Lyon County

Madison County

Magoffin County

Marion County

Marshall County

Martin County

Mason County

McCracken County

McCreary County

McLean County

Meade County

Menifee County

Mercer County

• Mercer County, Kentucky: Marriages (1786-1800) & Wills (1786-1801)
• Mercer County, Kentucky Wills 1818-1826

Metcalfe County

Monroe County

Montgomery County

• Montgomery County, Kentucky Wills: 1796-1821

Morgan County

Muhlenberg County

Nelson County

Nicholas County

Ohio County

Oldham County

Owen County

Owsley County

Pendleton County

Perry County

Pike County

Powell County

Pulaski County

Robertson County

Rockcastle County

Rowan County

Russell County

Scott County

• Scott County, Kentucky Wills: 1794-1820

Shelby County

• Shelby County, Kentucky Wills: 1794-1817

Simpson County

Spencer County

Taylor County

Todd County

Trigg County

Trimble County

Union County

Warren County

Washington County

Wayne County

Webster County

Whitley County

Wolfe County

Woodford County