The Online Catalog allows searching and browsing of information about the Florida State Archives’ holdings of over 48,000 cubic feet of state and local government records and historical manuscripts. The catalog provides descriptions of over 3,400 collections and lists the contents of containers and folders in many of those collections. For assistance with accessing and using State Archives collections, call our Reference Staff at 850.245.6719 or email us at archives@dos.myflorida.com.
By record type, then chronological by recording date; the probate progress docket is alphabetical by estate name.
Restrictions:
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:
Lafayette County was formed from part of Madison County by an act of the State Legislature on December 23, 1856 (Ch. 806, Laws). The Lafayette County Courthouse was destroyed by fire on December 31, 1892. In 1921, Dixie County was created from the southern portion of Lafayette County (Ch. 8514, Laws). The Clerk of the Circuit Court in each county serves as the official custodian of deed, marriage, and probate records.
Summary:
This series consists of a microfilm copy of probate records of Lafayette County, Florida from 1872 to 1964. The series includes records of wills (1883-1962), homestead exemptions (1877-1900), a probate progress docket (1866-1947), probate record books (1872-1925), county court orders (1883-1889), guardian records (1921-1943), and administration records (1921-1934). Probate is the transfer of property title and rights and of legal responsibility for payment of taxes or custodyfrom the deceased to another party, from a person judged incompetent or insane, or from a minor to an appointed guardian. The will record books contain copies of wills and orders admitting the wills to probate. A will is a legal instrument by which a person declares how they wish their property or estate to be disposed of after their death. Wills usually contain direct statements of relationships between the deceased and his family and denote ownership of specific property and goods. There are many gaps in the Record of Wills book, and many years are not fully represented. The volume contains an index.
The homestead exemption book documents real and personal property exempt from forced sale by the courts under the homestead law of 1868. The volume contains an index.
The probate progress docket serves as an index to other probate record books. It chronicles each action taken on an estate and notes on which page and in which probate book the action is recorded. It lists the minors and guardians associated with each estate.
The probate record books contain numerous types of entries relating to the administration of an estate including returns, estate inventories, court orders, guardian bonds, orders of adminstration, and waivers of rights of guardianship or adminstration. Probate Record Book D contains an index.
The county court orders consist of court orders to execute a will, inventory an estate, appoint a guardian, or to perform other actions associated with the adminstration of a decedent's estate. The volume contains an index.
Adminstration records concern people who died intestate--having no valid will and thus no provisions for their estate. These records document the appointment by the court of an adminstrator for such an estate. The volume contains an index.
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 lives. Thus the court appoints a guardian. The guardianship records include guardianship petitions, letters of guardianship, orders appointing guardians, guardianship oaths and guardianship bonds. The volume contains an index.
Finding Aids:
Microfilm listing available.
Additional Physical Form:
Reproduction Note:
Microfilm.
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
Circuit Court, Third Judicial Circuit, Lafayette County. Office of the Clerk. Mayo, Florida.
Associated Materials:
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Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields:
Homestead exemptions Florida Probate records Florida --Lafayette County Guardian and ward Florida --Lafayette County Guardianship
Probate records. aat Wills. aat Bonds (Legal records) aat
Lafayette County (Fla.)
for detailed listing.