Genealogy Chat

Hi Can anyone tell me how i go about getting wills of ancestors cheers Dave

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp
You can search and download Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) wills made between 1384 and 12 January 1858. Until 12 January 1858 all wills had to be proved by the church and other courts. The PCC was the most important of these courts dealing with relatively wealthy individuals living mainly in the south of England and most of Wales.

These PCC wills are all registered copy wills, meaning they are copies of original probates written into volumes, by clerks at the church courts.



Wills and Death Duty Records, after 1858
Legal Records Information 45
1. Wills
Wills proved from 12 January 1858 to the present day are held only by the Court of Probate. You can access them and buy copies at the Probate Search Room, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP (tel: 0207 947 6000). You can also order copies by post. The address for requests by post is York Probate Sub-Registry, First Floor, Castle Chambers, Clifford Street, York, YO1 7EA. The same applies to letters of administration, which are granted if no valid will was made or found.

2. The National Probate Calendar
There is a detailed index to wills, called the National Probate Calendar, up to the year 1943 which is more widely available. This gives the date and place of death, and usually more information as well, including the address fo the deceased and the value of the estate. It can be seen on microfiche or microfilm, at:

The National Archives
Society of Genealogists
Guildhall Library, London
3. Buying copies
If you have the date of death, you can buy copies of wills and administration grants by post. Write to the Court Service, York Probate Sub-Registry, First Floor, Castle Chambers, Clifford Street, York, YO1 9RG. A handling charge is payable in addition to the copying charge.


http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1226.htm

the national probateindex is usually also held at record offices and some major libraries

and welsh wills pre 1858 are online for free download