Family Tutor: Estates, Bonds

1.	Name of principal and sureties (persons insuring bond)
2.	Residence of the sureties
3.	Amount of bond
4.	Names of guardian, childrens' names and residence
5.	Guardian's name
6.	Judge's name, approval date, signatures of principal and sureties

Guardianship Bond

Guardianship bonds are an important part of the estate records that may be left by an ancestor. When a man died, most states required that there be a guardian for his minor children. The guardian's role was to protect the minor's interest in their father's estate. Children rarely lived with their guardians, unless their mother was also deceased.

Guardianship bonds offer important clues beyond the name of a deceased parent. First, they indicate that there is a guardian, which means the county or probate court minute books should report whether the guardian was appointed by the court or chosen by the minors. Minors were allowed to choose their guardians when they reached the age of fourteen, so the age of an orphan can be estimated based on whether the guardian was chosen or appointed. Secondly, they indicate that the ancestor probably left an estate.

Guardianship bonds are maintained by the town or county probate office or courthouse. Many towns and counties record guardianship bonds in special volumes, often called "Administrators', Guardians', and Executors' Bonds" or something similar. Many of those volumes are indexed by guardian or by guardian and orphan.

Most guardianship bonds have not been abstracted and indexed, nor microfilmed, unless the bonds were recorded in the county court minutes or will books. Those records that have been published or microfilmed can be found at the LDS Family History Library and Family History Centers, and in the collections of private, public, university, and state libraries.

Original records are maintained by the town or county probate office or courthouse. Contact the town or county probate office or courthouse to determine what restrictions, if any, apply to in-person research.