Civil Court-Genealogy

Orleans Parish Civil Court Records

The City Archives houses all records of the Orleans Parish civil courts from 1804 through 1926. Among the Civil Court records are such genealogically valuable documents as wills, probate/succession records, and divorce proceedings. The Genealogical Society of Utah has microfilmed all records in these categories.

For a full description of the court records held by the City Archives, please see the Court Records link at the bottom of this page.

Probate and Succession Records

Perhaps the most important court records for purposes of genealogy are probate and succession records, documenting the disposition of the property left by deceased persons. (If the deceased left a will, the estate went into probate; if there was no will, the estate went into intestate succession.)

Antebellum succession records for white and free black property owners give date of death, reference to at least some heirs, and sometimes much more information. Some successions, for example, provide considerable detail on the expenses made on behalf of the deceased’s estate, including in at least some cases data on moneys spent for the care of individual slaves. Estate inventories include lists of slaves held by the deceased. Post-bellum records will include all races, though racial designation will not be shown.

Since 1804, three courts have handled probate and succession matters in Orleans Parish:

Court of Probates (1805-1846)
Second District Court (1846-1880)
Civil District Court – Docket 1 (1880-present)

Note: From 1846-1853, Second District Court shared probate jurisdiction with the First, Third, Fourth, and Fifth District Courts.

Court of Probates, 1805-1846

Successions, Wills, and Inventories

The Court of Probates did not use a docket number system for probate matters, but filed successions and inventories in a alphabetical/chronological arrangement, which the index reflects. The published index to these records is first arranged into alphabetical letter sections and then by year of succession. If a name is listed within a given year, then a succession (mf VCH280) record was opened for the named individual. If the deceased left a will, the index refers to it by volume and page number of the separate Will Books (mf VRD410). If there is an inventory of the deceased’s estate (mf VCH160), the index records the year that it was made.

The wills and successions in the Court of Probates have been digitized and are now available, free of charge, at FamilySearch.org. (The successions have been cataloged generically as “Louisiana, Orleans Parish, Estate Files, 1804-1846.” The wills continue to 1920.
The Court of Probates Index to Successions is available to view digitally.

Contested Matters

The Court of Probates also handled suits related to contested matters before the court. This series of records (1823-1845) is arranged by docket number.

The Court of Probates, Numbered Series is available on microfilm in the City Archives, call number: mf VCH282
An Index to the Numbered Series is available to view digitally.

Inventories of Estates

A separate filing of Estate Inventories (1803-1877), extending into the next court system, is also available.

Estate Inventories are available on microfilm, call number: mf VCH160.
An Index to the Estate Inventories is available to view digitally.

Second District Court, 1846-1880

Successions between 1846-1880 were mostly filed with the Second District Court.

Suit records of the Second District Court are available on microfilm in the City Archives, call number: mf VSB290
The wills and successions in the Second District Court have been digitized and are now available, free of charge, at FamilySearch.org.
An Index to Successions filed in Second District Court is available to view digitally.

As a rule, estate inventories were filed with the succession records after 1846. All succession records, both probates and intestate proceedings (when an individual dies without having made a will), are listed and filed together, arranged by docket number.

Following 1846, there is no longer a master index to wills. Researchers must consult the succession record to determine whether or not the deceased left a will; if there was a will, you should search the index in the Will Book (mf VRD410) covering the year of the deceased’s death. Volumes are indexed at the beginning of each year.

First, Third, Fourth, and Fifth District Courts, 1846-1853

From 1846-1853, successions could be filed in these courts as well as in the Second District Court. Suit Records for First-Fifth District Courts are available on microfilm in the City Archives, according to the following call numbers:

An Index to Successions filed in these courts is available to view digitally.

Civil District Court, 1880-1926

The City Archives holds records of the Civil District Court through 1927. A portion of these records are microfilmed, many are not. The Genealogical Society of Utah microfilmed approximately one-third of the suit record, generally including those likely to be useful in family history research.

Microfilmed records of the Civil District Court are available in the City Archives, call number: mf VT290.
Non-microfilmed records must be requested by docket number according to Materials Request Guidelines.

Indexing for Successions filed in Civil District Court is available for the years 1880-1903 only. These two bound volumes of indexes are also available to view in the City Archives, call number: LOUR 929.3 O71 v.3 and 4.

Beyond 1903, microfilm of the manuscript indexes to the Succession Docket (Docket 1) must be consulted. Available on microfilm in the City Archives, call number: VT350ai.

Wills continue to be indexed at the beginning of each year of the Will Books.