Daily AncestorLetters testamentary
Letters testamentary are the court document confirming the executor named in a will and giving them authority to settle the estate.
Letters testamentary are issued by the probate court once a will has been accepted. They prove that the named executor may collect assets, pay debts and distribute property.
They are the counterpart of letters of administration, which are issued when there is no will or no executor. The issue date helps narrow down when the testator died.
As seen in a recordCounty probate court record, 1800s
Will of Jno. Pratt proved, and letters testamentary granted to Lucy Pratt, executrix.
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Daily Ancestor. "Letters testamentary." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/letters-testamentary. Last checked 2026-10-01.