Daily AncestorCourt of ordinary
The court of ordinary was Georgia's county probate court from 1851 until 1974, when it was renamed probate court; its judge was called the ordinary.
In American law an ordinary was a judicial officer given power over wills, administration and guardianship in several states. In Georgia, probate and marriage business moved from the inferior court to a separate court of ordinary in 1851, and the name changed to probate court in 1974.
Georgia Archives warns that catalogs often mix up inferior court and ordinary court records, so check both for wills, guardianships and marriage licenses. The term court of ordinary was used in some other states as well.
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Daily Ancestor. "Court of ordinary." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/court-of-ordinary. Last checked 2026-10-12.