Genealogy Chat

I am trying to find a will and or probate but when I search the GRO, the search returns nothing.
There was property involved so surely must have been a probate/will involved?

Any suggestions how else I can find out please?

Florence in the hebrides

When was the death?

Don’t forget that it can actually take many years before probate or admin is done.

names in was q4 1972

Unless the Will actually went to Probate, there will not be any record.

Not all Wills need to be proved..

Ah ok Erika ty for that

You say you've tried the GRO but probate is with the GOV.UK site (unless GRO a slip of the finger)

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

If there was a husband/ wife who died later then it is worthwhile looking for their probate/ admin, as it may cover the earlier death.

Yes sorry greyghost I meant GOV.UK.

Names when the person died, they were a widow. It's a bit of a mystery as to who got the property and what if there was a will, who was left whatever. It's a friends family Im trying to help. The people involved are no longer around except for grand and grt grandchildren.

Can you apply to the land registry for the history of ownership?

Have you got the probate/ admin for her late husband?
There is always the possibility that she didn’t actually own the property at the time of her death.

Names, I have that in mind, checking the deeds.

But I have found something that may shed some light, a starting point anyway.

The lodger that was living in the house when lady became widowed continued to live in that house until his death in 2001. I have found a probate for that person. So shall wait and see what it contains.

if it doesn't shed any light about ownership of the house, then yes I will check out the ownership of the property.

Although the family seem to think, the widow owned the property, it crossed my mind that it may of been rented but time will tell.

If she did own the house, she may have transferred ownership to the lodger before her death, if he was there for years and had become a friend, and possibly even partly a carer, or at least very helpful to her, latterly.

In that case, no Will would have been necessary as far as the house is concerned.

That happened with neighbours of ours.
Two elderly spinster sisters had a lodger for several years before first one and then the other died. The second sister had put the house in the lodger's name, and he continued to live there for many years until his own death.

Zoopla and Rightmove should be able to show if the house was sold after the 2001 death.

The Probate record tells you nothing about the contents of the Will. You have to obtain a copy of the actual document to find out what the deceased’s wishes were with regard to disposal of his/her assets

I got a copy of the probate and will for Harold Keeler, however the house he was living in at the time of his death was not the house he was lodging in since around 1940.

Short of paying out for the full deeds of the widow's house, not sure in absence of a will or probate for her, I can find out her last wishes.

The only other thing I could investigate through the local council is find out if in 1972, it was a rented council house and she didn't own it.