Where There's a Will...

   I love old documents. Love the feel of the paper or parchment, love the handwriting and style of 'speech'... and I love the information that they can reveal. Discovering that an ancestor left a will is a real boost to the family historian and a great way of increasing your knowledge about your forebears and their relationships with their siblings and offspring. 

Old wills and probate documents can make fascinating reading!

   A will is a written statement detailing how a person wishes to dispose of his or her property and rights after death. It can reveal family links and details of personal possessions, and expose who was in or out of favour at a particular time by the kind of ‘goods and chattels’ which were bequeathed. By using the knowledge you’ve already gathered during your research you can even work out other family specifics such as who was married to whom, whether spouses, siblings or children had already died and even if new grandchildren had been added to the family. 

   From the 14^th century up until the 10^th January 1858, the proving of wills came under the jurisdiction of the Church so can be found deposited in a number of locations.  Enquire at the County Record Office closest to where your ancestor lived and died but also try www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp when searching a wider area. Similarly, the National Archives of Ireland and Scotland should be able to help you, whilst www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk holds many Scottish wills from 1513 – 1901.

   From the 11^th January 1858 onwards, the Probate Act made the proving of wills a civil matter and across the country a Probate Court and registries were established. These can be obtained from the Principle Probate Registry in London or one of its subsidiaries. www.willsprobate.co.uk/grant_probate.html

The website www.thegenealogist.co.uk enables you to search wills proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and allows you to view the original will online. The current coverage goes back to 1600 but will eventually cover 1384-1858.

   Remember...  Before the Second World War about 10% of the population left a will so if you’re lucky enough to find one relating to your family members then you may be able to uncover some unique data which is not recorded anywhere else.

Interested in finding out more? Why not try Family History for Beginners published by The History Press.