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Sumter County was created by an act of the Legislative Council of Florida on January 8, 1853 (Chap. 548, Laws). It was formed from the southern portion of Marion County. Several changes were made to Sumter County's boundaries after it was created. In 1861, when Polk county was created, Sumter County's boundary was extended south. In 1872, an eastern portion of Sumter was annexed to Orange County. In 1887, the eastern half was used for the creation of Lake County. The Clerk of the Circuit Court in each county serves as the official custodian of deed, marriage, probate, and other local court records.
Summary:
This series consists of a microfilm copy of the probate records of Sumter County, Florida from 1856 to 1974. The series contains indexes to general records (1856-1933), estates (1905-1974), probate records (1856-1974), circuit court minutes (1893-1927) and chancery orders (1877-1930). Also contained in the series are a chancery order book (1877-1885), probate record books (1856-1933), a book of wills (1885-1929) and guardian records (1886-1907). Probate is the transfer of property title and rights and of legal responsibility for payment of taxes or of custody from the deceased to another party, from a person judged incompetent or insane, or from a minor to an appointed guardian. Probate records document the administration and distribution of an individual's estate after death.
Probate record books B, C, H, and I were missing and were not filmed. Many of the indexes refer to documents which were not filmed, but are located in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Bushnell, Florida.
Chancery or equity are terms used to describe court proceedings pertaining to impartial justice between two parties which claim conflict. In chancery cases a person seeks to compel someone to do something or to stop or refrain from doing something. Chancery courts handle divorces, foreclosures of liens, receiverships, partitions, trusts, real property controversies, etc.
A will is a legal instrument by which people declare how they wish their property or estate to be disposed of after their death. Wills usually contain direct statements regarding the relationships between the deceased and his family and denote ownership of specific property and goods.
The need for a guardian usually occurs when a decedent is survived by minor children who by law are not considered capable of managing their own life. Thus the court appoints a guardian. The guardianship records include letters of guardianship, orders appointing guardians, guardianship oaths and bonds, and annual returns.
Finding Aids:
Microfilm listing available.
Additional Physical Form:
Reproduction Note:
Microfilm.
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
Circuit Court, Fifth Judicial Circuit, Sumter County. Office of the Clerk. Bushnell, Florida.
Associated Materials:
Circuit Court, Fifth Judicial Circuit, Sumter County. Office of the Clerk. Bushnell, Florida.
Language Notes:
Ownership/Custodial History:
Publication Note:
General Note:
Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields:
Probate records Florida --Sumter County
Probate records. aat Wills. aat Estate inventories. aat
Sumter County (Fla.)
for detailed listing.