Inventories of estates show name of decedent and township, date filed, itemized list of possessions and assets, appraised valuation, and signatures and affidavit of appraisers and administrators. Administrators' Accounts and Administrators' Bonds are also filed with this collection prior to 1776. Other estate related papers sometimes included before 1776 were: Orphans' Court papers, Renunciations, and Vendue Lists. Inventories were sometimes filed with the wills and may be at the courthouse. Appraisers often included widow's allotments in the inventories. Any additional information such as occupation, cause of death, or the listing of enslaved persons or indentured servants are noted in the database.
Prior to 1752, documents between the months of January and March were subject to double dating, as a result of the conflict between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Therefore, documents filed between 1 January and 25 March have two years listed; one from the old Julian calendar and one from the new Gregorian calendar.
System of Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically and then chronologically within each letter.
Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. Original documents may be used by appointment. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org prior to visit.
Copyright
Images have been provided for research purposes. Please contact research@lancasterhistory.org for a high-resolution image and permission to publish. There is no fee for publication.
"We are having a post card surprise for Maggie Showalter on July 19, 1906. Will Ira and you please contribute? How did you get home? Let us hear from you. Sue K. Showalter."
Postmarked July 12, 1906, Martindale, Pottstown and Boyertown
"I was taking in some of those good breezes last week along the blue Juniata at Lewistown. Did you know Miss Helen Kuntz at Millersville Normal last year? We are having some big storms here at Lancaster. Will you be back at Normal again? C. H. S."
