This series contains Official Administrator probate/estate files. Several appear to be arranged in batches with the same number assigned to a number of files.
The series consists of letters of administration and letters probate from Fort Steele, 1906-1909 and from the Supreme Court of Cranbrook, 1906-1978. It includes Form A, Form B, and Form C, each arranged by date of filing. Form A are grants of letters probate in which the deceased individual named the executor of their estate in their will. Form B are grants of letters of administration in which the deceased left a will but named no executor, or the executor was unable to fill the role, so another individual is named. Form C are grants of letters of administration in which the deceased left no will (died intestate), so an individual is named as executor.
Probate files. Handwritten file list in box 1/file 1. For probate files from 1919-1941 see GR-1429. For additional probate files from 1942-1950 see GR-2254.
Probate orders and other documents relating to estates. Box 1, file 1 contains a handwritten list giving plaint numbers, name of the estate and the name of the documents retained (Orders, Inventory X & Y, Wills) and the information that all documents in files 1/97 to 78/22 with the exception of 108/21 and 25/22 were approved for destruction by OIC no. 1449.
Probate/estate records maintained by the Official Administrator. There is an alpha series by name of deceased, 1911-1978 and pages from an oversized "Administration Act" cash book, 1945-1970 and "Administration Act" estates record book, 1945-1967.
The series consists of grants of letters probate issued by the Merritt Supreme Court between 1921 and 1991. The grants were issued on “Form A.” A typical record shows when and where an individual died, and to whom the letters probate were granted. The granting of letters probate represents one step in probating the estate of a deceased individual, and grants authority to the executor or executrix to proceed with administering the estate. The first volume uses a slightly different form, and includes Form No. 9 and copies of some wills.
None of the volumes include indexes and several different file numbering systems are used over time. The records are arranged chronologically and list the probate number at the top of most records. Researchers can either use this number, or the name of the deceased individual, to search in GR-3004 for the actual probate file.
The series consists of volumes of grants of letters probate created in both the County Court of Merritt and the County Court of Yale between 1916 and 1974. Records typically include the name of the execut-or/rix and to whom administration of the estate was granted, and are similar in content and form to grants of letters of administration. The granting of letters probate represents one step in probating the estate of a deceased individual, and grants authority to the executor or executrix to proceed with administering the estate.
The majority of the records were filled out on Court forms 161 and 162. Some letters in volumes 1 and 2 have Succession Duty papers attached. Volume 2 includes some copies of wills annexed. The records are arranged chronologically by grant date and are not indexed.
The series consists of volumes of grants of letters probate created in both the Supreme and County Courts of Vernon between 1892 and 1997. Records typically include the name of the execut-or/rix and to whom administration of the estate was granted, and are similar in content and form to grants of letters of administration. The granting of letters probate represents one step in probating the estate of a deceased individual, and grants authority to the executor or executrix to proceed with administering the estate.The majority of the records were filled out on Court forms 161 and 162. Wills are not annexed. The records are arranged chronologically by grant date.
There are no indexes to the grants specifically, but the grants themselves could be used as an index to probate records if no other index was available. The number of the probate to which the grant applies has been written at the top of each form.
Probate cause books, 1884-1979 and case record cards, 1979-1983, and copies of wills, 1878-1911. A few entries are from the County Court. Cause book entries for probate numbers 2253 (1942) to 8188 (1982) are indexed. See GR-1577 for an index to probate numbers 1 to 1500 and GR-2990 for probate numbers 2300-8100. For probate files 1 to 2715 (1881-1946) see GR-1562 and for probate files 2716 to 8944 (1946-1984) see GR-3001. For probate files to 1992 see accession 83-1116.
This series contains an index to probates, nos. 1-1,500. Note that the files are not arranged in date order so several probates from 1928-1936 (numbered 1501 and higher) are not included in this index. See GR-1562 for probate files 1-2715 (1895-1946).
The series consists of original copies of wills probated in the Kelowna Supreme Court between 1986 and 2002. The wills are organized by probate number, and are generally arranged in numerical order. Files in boxes 15 and 16 contain wills dating from approximately 1987 to 1993 that were not filed elsewhere in the accession. Researchers are encouraged to check these boxes if they cannot locate the file they are looking for in the other boxes. While the wills are generally filed by probate number, there is one file that has been arranged alphabetically. This spans several years and appears to contain wills that were missed in the original filing.
An nominal index to probate records for Kelowna can be found in GR-2226. Researchers should use this index to identify the probate number for the relevant individual, and then use this number to find the original will.
Records are retained under ORCS 51460-30 of the Court Services Operational Records Classification System (schedule 100152).
