Wills Home Page

The four-step process of patenting land in Kentucky, i.e. warrant(s), entry, survey & grant, did not convey title within days or weeks. Occasionally patent applicants died before receiving their grant conveying land title. Heirs would submit a Will (or a copy of a Will) to the Land Office to establish their claim to the unfinished patent. If accepted, the Grant would be issued “to the Heirs of….”

This database lists Wills filed with the Virginia (VA), Old Kentucky (OK), and West of Tennessee River Military (WTRM) Series. Scanned images of Will documents are linked to the Wills Index. With the inclusion of names of family members, resident counties, requested disposition of slaves (many of which are identified by name in the Will), and other estate components, Wills can prove invaluable for historical and genealogical research.

To view the entire patent file, access the “Virginia Patent Series & Old Kentucky Patent Series” database or the “West of Tennessee River Military Series” database on the “Patent Series” page then search for the patent number associated with the Will.

To search the Wills Index, click here.