Ridgefield Probate Court records

Collection

Identifier: RG004_118

Staff Only

Scope and Content

Probate record books, Volumes 1-14, 1841-1921. Contact the probate court to access original record books after Volume 14. See Alternative Form Available note below.

Probate files, 1841-1975. Probate files may consist of estates, conservatorships, guardianships, commitments, and insolvencies.

Dates

Creation: 1841-1975

Language of Materials

The records are in English.

Restrictions on Access

Researchers should first consult use copies when available. See Alternate Form Available Section below.

Probate files dated 1921 or later are RESTRICTED as they may contain confidential documents. Tax returns (succession, transfer and estate tax returns and all attachments) from January 1, 1921 and later are confidential per Connecticut General Statutes §12-15. Adoptions (all documents) from January 1, 1944 and later are confidential per Connecticut General Statutes §45a-754. Removals of parent as guardian of minor (all documents) and terminations of parental rights (all documents) from October 1, 1975 and later are confidential per Connecticut General Statutes §45a-754. Contact State Archives staff for assistance.

Accession 2011-071, Record books, 1841-1941; and Accession 2011-072, Probate files, 1841-1975, are stored at an off-site facility and therefore may not be available on a same-day basis.

See the Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections policy.

Restrictions on Use

See the Reproduction and Publications of State Library Collections policy.

Historical Note

Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Town settled 1708, established in October 1709

The Ridgefield Probate District was constituted June 10, 1841, from the Danbury Probate District. The Ridgefield Probate District merged with the Bethel, Newtown, and Redding Probate Districts on January 5, 2011 to create the Northern Fairfield County Probate District which serves the municipalities of Bethel, Newtown, Redding and Ridgefield.

Town of Ridgefield, Probate District chronology:

October 1709 - May 1728, Fairfield District

May 1728 - October 1746, Stamford District

October 1746 - June 9, 1841, Danbury District

June 10, 1841 - January 4, 2011, Ridgefield District

January 5, 2011 - Present, Northern Fairfield County District

For Probate Court contact information and hours of operation see, Probate Court Directory.

Extent

102 cubic feet

Additional Description

Abstract

Record books, 1841-1941; Probate files, 1841-1975.

Arrangement

Record books are numbered from 1 to 14. Some volume numbers repeat or have a letter after the number, i.e., "1A".

Probate files in accession 2011-072 are arranged by file number.

Other Finding Aid

Record Books: Index cards for the record books have been scanned. Ask History and Genealogy staff for assistance. See Alternate Form Available section for volumes available on microfilm.

Probate Files: The History and Genealogy reference staff has access to an index for the probate files in accession 2011-072.

Provenance

The record books were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on December 20, 2010.

The probate files were transferred to the Connecticut State Library on December 20, 2010.

Alternative Form Available

Record books, volumes 1-12, 1841-1916, were microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah and are available for use in the History and Genealogy reading room or through the LDS Family History Centers.