Series 18217
District Court (Fifth District : Washington County) Probate registers of action
Dates: 1902-1990.
3.00 cubic feet and 5 microfilm reels
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
An agency history is available.
Scope and Content
Probate registers of action list each action taken in the cases presented to the probate division of Fifth District Court: Washington County. In addition to handling the estates of deceased persons, the probate division also dealt with adoptions, guardianships, and insanity and incompetency cases. The court was responsible for adjudicating and conveying ownership of town site lands (Utah Code, 57-7-19,1953). Occasionally, the court handled name changes and inquests regarding the cause of a death. In each case the probate register indicates the name or names of the individuals involved, the kind of case, and the name of the petitioner's attorney, followed by a list of each action taken in the case and the date that action was taken.
Some examples of the kinds of actions recorded for estates might be petitions for admitting a will or appointing an administrator; orders fixing time of hearings, for appointing administrators, for publication of notice to creditors, for the sale of real orpersonal property or for assignment of the estate to a widow. The court closed estate cases with a final decree of settlement or distribution.
Guardianship cases might include a petition for an order appointing a guardian, then include an order appointing a guardian and finally a decree of discharge. Adoption cases might include a petition for adoption, consent and agreement of adoptive parents, findings of fact and conclusions at law, and finally an order of adoption. Insanity cases might include an application for order of hospitalization at Utah State Hospital, an affidavit or physician's certificate, a warrant of commitment, and finally a notice of the patient's release. Town site cases begin with a petition for a deed and end with an order authorizing a deed.
Research Note
The first case to be recorded in the registers of action was opened in June 1902. The next few cases were opened in 1905 and 1906. It appears that in 1907 the clerk began to keep a more complete record of the cases presented before the court. When one page was insufficient to list all court actions pertaining to a case, the clerk continued the register on a nearby page at the end of a shorter case.
Research Note
The first case to be recorded in the registers of action was opened in June 1902. The next few cases were opened in 1905 and 1906. It appears that in 1907 the clerk began to keep a more complete record of the cases presented before the court. When one page was insufficient to list all court actions pertaining to a case, the clerk continued the register on a nearby page at the end of a shorter case.
Access Restrictions
Probate proceedings are public records. However adoption records, which are referred to throughout the registers, require the permission of Fifth District Court until 100 years have passed.
Reproduction and Use
These records are available for reproduction and use.
Finding Aids
Indexes: Each probate register includes an alphabetical name index to the cases included in that book. The index appears at the beginning of probate registers A, C, D, E, F and at the end of register B.
Related Records
Guardianships and adoptions record from the District Court (Fifth District : Washington County), Series 13505, contain guardianship and adoption records referred to in the registers of action.
Probate record books from the District Court (Fifth District : Washington County), Series 18215, contain many court orders, petitions and decrees referred to in the registers of action. Since probate record books are arranged chronologically, the registers of action provide access to them by supplying dates.
Register of actions from the District Court (Fifth District : Washington County), Series 23737, is a register of actions for 1895-1899, which includes probate as well as other court actions.
Estate administration index from the District Court (Fifth District : Washington County), Series 23780, is a register of action for estates administerd by the probate division of 5th District Court: Washington County and the Washington County Probate Court before 1903.
Indexing Terms
Court records--Washington County (Utah).
Probate records--Washington County (Utah).
Adoption--Washington County (Utah).
Guardian and ward--Washington County (Utah).
Washington County (Utah)--Trials.
| REEL | VOLUME | DATE | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | A | 1902 - 1938 | 1-498 |
| 1 | B | 1938 - 1950 | 499-865 |
| 2 | C | 1950 - 1955 | 862-1082 |
| 3 | D | 1955 - 1968 | 1083-1674 |
| 4 | D | 1968 - 1978 | 1675-2274 |
| 4 | E | 1979 - 1985 | 2275-2874 |
| 5 | F | 1986 - 1990 | 2875-3474 |