order of courts or register setting forth the nature of such paper or proceedings, with proper
references to the place of recording the same ......." In most counties these are called Estate
Dockets.

PETITIONS AND ORDERS

Record of petitions to and orders of Orphans' Courts in the settlement of estates.

WILLS

Record of wills of deceased persons probated in the Orphans' Court.

ADMINISTRATION BONDS (ADMINISTRATORS AND EXECUTORS BONDS)

Record of bonds entered into by administrators and executors requiring that they faith-
fully perform their duties in the settlement of estates.

LETTERS TESTAMENTARY

Record of letters testamentary issued by Orphans' Courts to executors of wills committing
to them the administration of the estates of deceased persons.

LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION

Record of letters of administration issued by Orphans' Court authorizing administrators
to proceed with the settlement of estates of deceased persons.

INVENTORIES (LISTS OF DEBTS, INVENTORIES OF PERSONAL PROPERTY, IN-
VENTORIES OF REAL ESTATE)

Record of appraisements of the personal property and lists of debts due to decedents.
Since 1848, the appraisers appointed to appraise personal property have also been required
to evaluate real estate (Ch. 222, 1847). The earliest appraisements of real estate were simply
recorded as totals in Orphans' Court Proceedings, but from time to time various counties
began to record them in full in Inventories. More recently, some counties have established
this as a separate series.

APPRAISERS WARRANTS

Record of warrants issued to appraisers authorizing them to prepare inventories of the
personal property and real estate of deceased persons.

ACCOUNT OF SALES (ACCOUNT SALES)

Record of sales of the personal property listed in the inventories of decedents. Often
recorded in Inventories, but sometimes found as a separate series.

ACCOUNTS (ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTS)

Record of accounts filed by executors and administrators stating the value of decedents'
estates and listing the payments made to creditors and to satisfy other charges against the
estates. Often this record also shows the disposition of the balances remaining in estates
among the heirs, but this information may be entered in a separate record called "Distribu-
tions." (See below.)

17