AGENCY: District Court (Second District : Weber County)
SERIES: 21023
TITLE: Probate Court index
DATES: 1851-1899.
ARRANGEMENT: Alphabetical by first two letters of surname.
DESCRIPTION: The Index to Probate Files was created by the Weber County Clerk (in his capacity as clerk of the Probate Court) to record the names and assigned case numbers of parties in both court actions and various county matters thus facilitating clerical management of and access to these files. Entries are hand written.
The Weber County Probate Court Clerk maintained the probate files index (presumably Probate Index Book "1") through the territorial period, when the probate court was dissolved and the state district court probate division created. Although not exclusively an index to probate matters, estate cases make up the majority of the entries. The index records 810 probate cases spanning a 48-year period (1851 to September 1899). Included are guardianship and adoption cases. Also indexed are cases stemming from the Probate Court's jurisdiction in matters of divorce and the incorporation of businesses in Weber County.
The clerk also used the index to note a wide variety of county government records relative to the county court (territorial) and commission (statehood); various county officers, commissions, and boards; bonds; elections and campaigns; contracts and bids; county boundaries; estray sales and notices; hospital; insurance policies; inquests; insane persons; inventory; justice of the peace; jury lists; county licenses; marriage license applications, licenses, and certificates; notary public commissions; ordinances; probate papers (old); reports; road matters; schools; tax matters; water rights; and wills.
RETENTION
DISPOSITION
RETENTION AND DISPOSITION AUTHORIZATION
These records are in Archives' permanent custody.
FORMAT MANAGEMENT
Paper: Retain in Office until administrative need ends and then transfer to State Archives.
Microfilm master: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
Microfilm duplicate: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
APPRAISAL
Historical
The index has administrative and historic value and facilitates clerical management of and access to the probate case files. The permanent disposition of the case files is based on their historical, administrative, and legal value.
PRIMARY DESIGNATION
Public. Judicial records are public unless restricted under rules of civil procedure (UCA 63G-2-301-[1][f]). Included are custody proceedings, guardianship files, minutes, and probate records.