Contested Cases

A contested estate can be a goldmine of family history. Genealogists may discover new facts about their ancestors such as names of children, grandchildren, in-laws, friends, businesses, family properties and more. Until now, it has been difficult for family history searchers to access the secrets hidden in court records. Here you will find a complete record of every name mentioned in a contested estate in Newfoundland between 1817, when case reports first began in Newfoundland, and 1949 when it became Canada's tenth province. There are more than 800 individuals mentioned over the course of 187 cases. Each court case is listed individually with the date of the case, the name of the deceased, and the names of every person mentioned in the case. There is also a brief summary of why the estate was before the courts.