York County was formed in 1785 as a county of Camden District. York obtained its own court of ordinary (or probate court) in 1787. The wills abstracted in this work are found in the following York County will books: A (1787-1799, LDS microfilm renumbered YK 72 at the South Carolina Archives), Will Book A-1 (1800-1813, South Carolina Archives microfilm C1695), Records Book D (1814-1820, South Carolina Archives microfilm C1690), Will Book or Estates Records Book G (1819-1837, South Carolina Archives microfilm C1691), Estates Records Book 2 (1837-1840, South Carolina Archives microfilm C1694) and Will Book 3 (1840-1862, South Carolina Archives microfilm C1695). When necessary, the original wills in the estate packets have been consulted. A few wills which were not recorded in the will books are included. Chapters include: Will Book A, 1787-1799; Will Book A-1, 1800-1813; Estates Records Book D, 1814-1820; Will Book or Estates Records Book G, 1819-1837; Estates Records Book 2, 1837-1840; and, Will Book 3, 1840-1862; followed by: Testator Index, Personal Name Index, Slave Index, and Place Index.

"Designed as an aid in discovering South Carolina marriages, this collection of 2,341 marriage references and relationships is the result of the searching of York County, SC Estate Papers 1787-1900. The year 1869 was selected as the cut-off date"--Introduction.