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Wills??

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Kerin

Kerin Report 30 Sep 2009 18:02

Does anyone know where I can get copies of a will. I know that the national archives has an archive you can search but I don't think that it has a copy of every will ever made!!!
I have searched my family name (thankfully an unusual one) and can only find two that are appropriate to my family, but my family are a very big farming family and have and some parts of the family still do own a lot of land so I would expect a few more wills.
Or are wills sealed and not released to the public for a few years like the census records

I think thats all of it

Kerin xx

Chrisu

Chrisu Report 30 Sep 2009 18:36

There is a set of indexes for wills and letters of administration held at some libraries. I use the ones at Birmingham Central Library they cover the whole country not just Birmingham so it may be worth asking at your local library if they have a set you can look at, this will tell you if there is a will. Then you can order it from York Probate sub registry, £5 for search and to send you anything they find
York PSR
Castle Chambers
Clifford St
York
YO1 9RG

I believe that as soon as the will has gone to probate it becomes a public document so you should be able to get a copy

Kerin

Kerin Report 30 Sep 2009 20:38

thanks for the answers both of you, I have reached a part of my family research where I have got past wanting to know the fact and figures and now want to plump it up a bit with personal stuff

i just checked the probate office website and it i can view the indexes at the court building in oxford which is great as i live in banbury. it says to contact the place first as they may not have the indexes for the whole country

Christine

Christine Report 1 Oct 2009 22:32

I have had copies of 2 wills from the Wiltshire History Society. Their website has lists of documents, some of which you can view on line. A copy in the post costs £5. Other counties may do likewise.

Researching:
Hill, Jewell - Cornwall. Langley-Shropshire,Cole, Neate -Wiltshire,Lott, Ewell- Kent.Punter, Gadd, Wapshott, White, Weston - Surrey. To say nothing of the other half's family!

Kerin

Kerin Report 2 Oct 2009 12:02

i was speaking to my dad as the will i want to get is his grandfathers. he said that a lot of his property was sold to pay death taxes so i think that his estate mustve been over the £5000 threshold to qualify for death taxes

Kerin

Kerin Report 4 Nov 2009 21:56

I went and searched the probate calender indexes today in the regional office in oxford and ordered a copy. they said I can pick it up tomorrow. thanks for the advice