Does every Courthouse have a straightforward Index of its Estate Files?
Unfortunately, no. Because court files were stored in local Registry Offices, the Courthouse only kept a transcript of the Will in the on-site Register Books (see the glossary at the end of this Handout). Some Courthouses only listed the Estate File number in these Registers. If no Index is listed in the User’s Guide to Surrogate Courts and Surrogate Clerk Microfilm Reels for a particular County, retrieve the microfilm reel of the Register for the appropriate years. The Estate File numbers will either be listed in the index at the beginning/end of the volume or in the margin of the page indicated.
