Compiled by Margaret R. Jenks, Danielle L. Roberts, Dawn D. Hance

In compiling these books, we have abstracted every item and entry, page by page, of the Fair Haven District of Rutland County, Vermont probate books. All items of genealogical interest have been included: wills, inventories, administrator's accounts, receipts, petitions, guardianships, and other data pertaining to the settlement of an estate. The data in these books were recorded either by the judge of the court or by the registrar.

Danielle L. Roberts and Margaret R. Jenks have checked the books at the courthouse in cases where the films are illegible or pages were not filmed. The current Register, Sheri Brown, has allowed us full access to the books. Dawn D. Hance has edited these extractions. Her extensive knowledge of the area has added much detail to these records. Her extractions of the Rutland Herald and other early Rutland area newspapers have added more data. Using these extractions we have listed items on estates where the probate records are missing due to the lost volumes.

Volumes 1 and 2 are believed to have burned when Judge William Ward's home burned in the 1790s. Three more fires have been investigated. In February 1842, the B. F. Langdon's barn burned. He was register at the time, but there are no reports of anything but the barn burning. His home is still standing. A disastrous fire on 26 January 1854 burned out seven businesses, the Odd Fellows Hall, the Sons of Temperance Hall, Probate Judge Warner's office, and two homes. The New York Times picked up on the story the next day, reporting the probate books were all saved. Several newspaper reports of the 9 January 1862 Poultney fire that burned all the Poultney records have been found. There is no mention of any probate records lost. At this time, we have no idea what happened to the missing volumes, 7, 9, 12-18. The packets with the original documents are also missing up to the time of the Civil War.

It will be noted that many of the estates mentioned in these early volumes are for residents of Orwell, now in Addison County, Vermont. Also, numerous estates were probated in the Fair Haven district for residents of other states who held some property in Rutland County. Some records show property held in former homes.

Part 1, Volumes 3 - 6, 8, 10, 1797 - 1816
vi + 137 Pages, 4300 Names, Every Name Indexed
Now available from Sleeper Books at www.sleeperco.com

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