Daily AncestorIntestate
Intestate means dying without a valid will, so the estate is divided by state inheritance law under a court-appointed administrator.
A person who died intestate left no valid will. The court then appointed an administrator, and the property was divided among relatives according to the inheritance laws of that state.
Intestate estates still create records: petitions for administration, bonds, inventories, sales and final divisions. These often list all the heirs, sometimes with their relationships and residences.
As seen in a recordCounty probate court record, 1800s
Letters of administration granted to Ann Lee on the estate of Jas. Lee, who died intestate.
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Daily Ancestor. "Intestate." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/intestate. Last checked 2026-10-01.