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Archives of Manitoba

Archives of Manitoba
130-200 Vaughan St.
Winnipeg, MB
archives@gov.mb.ca

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Archives of Manitoba

A Guide to Probate Records at the Archives of Manitoba

Probate records, including wills and estate files, for Manitobans are available at the Archives of Manitoba. This guide is intended to explain how to find probate records that were filed in the Province of Manitoba between 1870 and 1984. For probate records filed after 1984, see the Manitoba Court Registry System, an online database available directly from the Department of Justice.

Getting Started

Finding probate records in the Province of Manitoba involves a multi-step process that requires the deceased’s name and the year that the estate was probated.

  • If the estate was probated in the Winnipeg (Eastern) Judicial District, proceed to Section I.
  • If the estate was probated outside of the Winnipeg (Eastern) Judicial District, or if you do not know the judicial district in which the estate was probated, proceed to Section II.

Section I. Estates Probated within the Winnipeg (Eastern) Judicial District

Step #1: Determine the Estate File number

Locate the estate file number or the book and folio number of the documents you are trying to find by searching the Online Index noted below.  The entries are organized roughly in alphabetical order by last name.

With the estate file number, or the book and folio number, proceed to Step #2 in order to find the location of the estate file.

 Step #2: Finding the Archival Location of the Records

Using the estate file number obtained in Step #1, search the Keystone Archives Descriptive Database to find the location of the file.  The listings for the Winnipeg estate files are arranged chronologically by the year the probate was granted.

To search the database:

  1. Click on “Archival Descriptions”
  2. Enter “Winnipeg estate files” in the Keyword(s) in Title field
    1. The lists at the bottom of the page are organized by year. Click on the accession associated with the year you are searching for to see the file lists
  3. Enter “Winnipeg estate files” in the keywords field to produce a list of additional, related records

Once you have the archival locations, contact the Archives of Manitoba to view the records.

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Section II: Estates Probated Outside the Winnipeg (Eastern) Judicial  District

Step #1. Finding the Application Number

Search the Keystone Archives Descriptive Database for Surrogate Court application indexes in order to find the application number of the deceased.

To search the database:

  1. Click on “Archival Descriptions”
  2. Enter “surrogate court application indexes” in the Keyword(s) in Title field
  3. The index is available on microfilm in the Archives Research Room and is organized alphabetically and by the year in which the estate was probated.  Select the file listing for Accession Number GR 3728 to identify the microfilm reel number you will need to begin your search (Microfilm Reels M-1266 to M-1270).

Microfilm may be viewed in the Archives of Manitoba Research Room or on loan through the Microfilm Program.

Once you have the application number, proceed to Step #2.

Step #2. Determining the Judicial District

With the application number obtained from the application index in Step #1, search the Keystone Archives Descriptive Database for the relevant application register to find the judicial district in which the application was processed.

To search the database:

  1. Click on “Archival Descriptions”
  2. Enter “Surrogate Court application registers” in the Keyword(s) in Title field
    1. The list at the bottom of the page indicates the time period covered by each set of registers.
  3. The application registers are available on microfilm and are organized by application number. Select the file listing for Accession Number GR3750 to identify the microfilm reel number you need to continue your search. (Microfilm Reels M-632 to M-633, and M-1278 to M-1305).

Microfilm may be viewed in the Archives of Manitoba Research Room or on loan through the Microfilm Program.

What else can I find?

In addition to the judicial district, other information contained in the application register includes the name and residence of the deceased, the date of death, the name and address of the applicant, the type of application (probate, letters of administration, or special grant ), and the date the order was granted.

  • If the estate was probated outside of the Winnipeg (Eastern) Judicial District, proceed to Step# 3.

  • If the estate was probated in the Winnipeg (Eastern) Judicial District, proceed to Section I.

 Step #3. Determining the Estate File number

To find the location of the legal instruments and the estate file numbers, browse the Judicial District indexes located in the Keystone Archives Descriptive Database.

To search the database:

  1. Click on “Archival Descriptions”
  2. Enter “judicial district indexes” in the Keyword(s) in Title field
    1. The indexes are listed by district at the bottom of the page
  3. Click on the district in which the estate was probated to locate the index you require. 
  4. The indexes are alphabetically listed and can be found on microfilm reels which will provide you with the file numbers for estate files, and the book and folio number of the legal instruments (Microfilm Reels M-1276, M-1271, M-634).

Microfilm may be viewed in the Archives of Manitoba Research Room or on loan through the Microfilm Program.                        

  • To find the legal instruments using the book and folio number found in the Judicial District Index (pre-1973 files), proceed to Step #4a.

  • To identify the location of the estate file using the estate file number found in the Judicial District Index, proceed to Step #4b.
Step #4a: Finding Archival Locations for Probate Records filed before 1973*:

Use the information found in Step #3 to search the listings of the regional probate books below to find the archival locations for the various legal instruments issued prior to 1973*.  File listings may be found in the Keystone Archives Descriptive Database.

Regional Surrogate Court Probate Books

The Archives of Manitoba has probate books from the following regions:

  • Brandon (Western Judicial District)
  • Dauphin Judicial District
  • Minnedosa (Northern Judicial District) 
  • Portage la Prairie (Central Judicial District)
  • St. Boniface Judicial District

To search the database:

  1. Click on “Archival Descriptions”
  2. Enter “Regional Surrogate Court Probate Books” in the Keyword(s) in Title field
    1. The probate books are listed by judicial district at the bottom of the page.
  3. Click on the district you wish to browse.  The list of records will be at the bottom of the new page.

*After 1973, legal instruments were filed with the estate files.

Once you have the archival locations, contact the Archives of Manitoba to view the records.

Step #4b: Finding Archival Locations for Probate Records filed after 1973*:

Search the Regional estate files listings in the Keystone Archives Descriptive Database for archival locations using the estate file number found in Step #3.

Regional Estate Files

The Archives of Manitoba has estate files for the following regions:

  • Brandon (Western Judicial District)
  • Dauphin Judicial District
  • Minnedosa (Northern Judicial District) 
  • Portage la Prairie (Central Judicial District)
  • St. Boniface Judicial District
  • Morden Judicial District estate files
  • The Pas Judicial District estate files

To search the database:

  1. Click on “Archival Descriptions”
  2. Enter “Regional estate files” in the Keyword(s) in Title field
    1. The records are listed by district at the bottom of the page.
  3. Click on the district in which the estate was probated to locate the files you require. 

* Prior to 1973, legal instruments were filed separately from the estate files.

 Step #5: Once you have the archival locations, contact the Archives of Manitoba to view the records.

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