Genealogy Chat

n

I have just sent of for the will of
my relative ... now just have to sit and wait ...lol
Hazelx

Thanks to the tips on here I have found several relatives details of their wills. I sent for 6 yesterday so fingers crossed not too long to wait. Mind you with the advertising on Ancestry of their availability I imagine the wait to be a little longer than usual.
Di

You can also get copies of some wills from the National Archives, online. If you find one in their database, you pay £3 and you then have (I think) 28 days in which you can download it.

However, the one I got seemed to be a hand-written transcript, as it had part of 2 other unrelated wills on the pages above and below it in the same hand-writing. The transcription must, I think, have been done some time ago.

Wiltshire Archives will also send you a copy of an original will if it is in their archives. You can search online and the charge is £5. Probably other counties will too.

n

I sent off for a copy of a will a few weeks ago after reading the name and details etc on Ancestry Probate registers. I sent the form and £5 to the York office as they requested only to receive a letter yesterday from the Norwich Probate Sub Registry saying

'I can confirm that a search of the records has been made on the following information given by yourself but no record can be found'.

Underneath this they have typed

MARY ANN CAROLINE POWELL
Issue date 1934
Issuing registry Middlesex london
Date of death 12 May 1934

These are the details from the Ancestry Probate calendars so are some wills 'lost'

Julie,

I would suggest ringing the probate registry helpline to see if they may be able to answer your question.

Probate Department, Principal Registry of the Family Division,
First Avenue House,
42-49 High Holborn,
London, WC1V 6NP
Telephone Helpline: 0845 3020900

Good luck.

Nudge

nudging up...

Can you check this out at your local library...if so what does it show for the wills? does it tell you everything that is on the will or is it just broken down.you then order the certificate to see it all, is that right?

Nudgin' up...

Thanks Chris I now have it on my threads

Nudgin'...

n
i think its time to put this where people can see it

lorraine

I have a copy of my great x 3 Grandfathers will, unfortunately I can't make much sense of it. He was very rich and left lots of stuff to his children and grandchildren. Is there anyway of finding out how much it was? I only have UK ancestry so can't search the wills on there

Linda,

If the will was proven in England between 1860~1941 details of the total value of the estate may be on the probate calendar which is on Ancestry. If you would like to send me a PM giving me details of his name, where and when he died I will take a look for you.

N.B. The probate calendar only gives basic info such as where and when the person died (Sometimes their home address as well if different), when the will was proved, who were the executor/administrators of the will and the value of the estate. It does not detail who were the beneficiaries and what they were left.

Like yourself I too have a copy of my 3 x Great Grandfathers will. He died in 1839 and was quite a wealthy man who owned numerous properties in Suffolk. The will is hand written in Old English Secretarial Script with very little punctuation and is very difficult to read. My favourite part is where it is written, "To my beloved wife Sarah I bequeath all my wines, beers and spirits" He sounds like my kind of man. Sadly as he had 13 children who survived him, once distributed, his wealth was spread very thinly and none of it reached me. (lol)

Can you go to the library to look on Ancestry to see if your ancestors left a will, if so do you just put the name and date when a person died and does it then say if there was a will

In short I do not know what level of Ancestry is used by the libraries. If they do have a version that enables you to look you need this database:

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

thank you for your kind offer Jonesey, PM sent.

My ancestor was very rich, unfortunately my line was the black sheep of the family and he is the only one not mentioned in the will.

Nudgin'...