*** Source: Early California Wills, California: California Society, D.A.R., 1952, 952 pgs; Volume 3. *** ---page 001--- 1 PART I INTRODUCTION (Important Explanation) Mrs Harry W R Chamberlain General Chairman Registers of Action of Probate Proceedings on file in the Office of the County Clerk, Mr Thomas H Sexton, San Diego County Court House, contain three types of cases: those pertaining to Guardianship; Letters of Administration; and Wills. Only the Guardianship cases are labeled in the General Index. ALL ESTATES ARE FILED IN ESTATE BOXES AND INDEXED IN THE GENERAL REGISTERS BY ESTATE BOX NUMBERS. Thus, if a Genealogical Researcher is trying to discover whether John Smith, who died in 1885, left a Will or died Intestate, he must find the number of John Smith's estate in the General Index, then search through the documents in the Estate box or boxes until he discovers the type of estate left by John Smith. Since many estates have more than one box, frequently five and sometimes as many as seven, it is obviously a difficult matter for the County Employees to try to help with this type of research, especially so if the request for help comes through the mail. The Genealogical Committees of the Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution in San Diego County have given their labor and time to provide this book "Abstracts of Wills, 1848-to January 1, 1900" with the hope that it will benefit those who shall come to San Diego County searching for information concerning its pioneer settlers. Registers of Action of Probate Proceedings at the County Clerk's Office begin with a volume labeled ["]Old Court Register, Volume 2,["] and the first entries are early in 1870. Obviously, Volume 2 implies that there has been a Volume 1. Many Wills in the Estate Boxes known as Old Court Boxes have written upon them "Book I, page ---". At some time, perhaps about 1870, possibly later, a reindexing of the records in the County Clerk's Office took place. All Estates recorded in what was this first Volume I of probate porceedings were telescoped into succeeding Registers, not all of them being placed in Old Court Register, Volume 2. Some of these estates whose probate dates are before 1870 are found in Registers in which most of the estates bear dates nearly as late as 1900. It is possible that some of these early cases may be found in Registers since 1900 as the Chairman has not been able to find all of them in the Registers prior to that date. A few early cases found in the Recorder's Office have no estate boxes. ---end---