Genealogy Chat

Can anyone help me please? I have found in my records a will for my grandfather stating that everything he owned was left to his wife. How can I find out whether she left a will when she died? Or where to look if she did?

After 1995
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

Probate pre 1967 on Ancestry.co.uk and other sites.

Unless any Will she made went to Probate, you won't be able to find any trace

If she died between 1966 (Ancestry) and 1996 (gov.uk link) you could pay for a Probate search. I think it's £10 now.

Download form PA1S from this link
http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetForm.do?court_forms_id=739

Look at:
https://www.gov.uk/find-persons-will

Hello Patricia and welcome to the Community boards.....




(I'll let Patricia know how to find her replies) :-)

Thank you friends for your advise. And thank you Cynthia for your message on how to find and read replies. I would not have know this otherwise. I will all advise a go and see how I get on. My gran died in 1965 so will look into the probate search.

Thank you again

Ancestry have up to and including 1966.

If you would like to give us her name, and where she died we can have a quick look.

Patricia,

You may be just a little wary of posting your gran's name on this board. Might I suggest that you send a PM [private message] (I suggest DetEcTive if he/she does not mind????, or even me) with her full name.

Inky - don't mind at all................if that's what Patricia wants to do.

Hi all, I'm not really familiar with the message board. I am not afraid to post my grans name I just don't know how it all works.But thanks anyway. Well, my grans name was Elizabeth Ann Bassett. She died on 19/03/1965 in Cornwall. Her husband was Wesley Walford Bassett if you need that info. I would be grateful for anyone who would have a look for me and thank you for your help. :-)

Think you may be in luck!

Bear in mind that this is the entry on the Probate Calender

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966 about Elizabeth Ann Bassett
Name: Elizabeth Ann Bassett
Probate Date: 9 Jun 1965
Death Date: 19 Mar 1965
Death Place: Cornwall, England
Registry: Bodmin

Of Scarcewater Grampground Road Ladock Cornwall died 19 March 1965 Administration Bodmin 9 June to Henry Daniel Bassett farmer. £907

Administration normally means that she didn't leave a Will and was issued so that her Esate and Debts settled. You can still purchase a copy of the Letter of Administration using the links given above.
Although I've never purchased one, I'm led to believe that they tend to name all entitled heirs (next of kin)
.............

As the next post indicates, her husband predeceased her. It's rather unusual not to read a woman's maritial status - widow, spinster, single woman (normally means divorced, seperated or co-habiting) married woman.

Her husband's entry, in case you don't have it

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966 about Wesley Walford Bassett
Name: Wesley Walford Bassett
Probate Date: 6 Mar 1951
Death Date: 20 Sep 1950
Death Place: Cornwall, England
Registry: Bodmin

of Scarcewater Ladcock Grampound Road Cornwall died 20 September 1950 Probate Bodmin 6 March to Lloyds Bank Limited. Effects £4300 17s 8d

Note - Lloyds Bank wasn't the heir - they only settled the Estate.

Henry Daniel Bassett, as you probably know, died in 1979.
If he left a Will which went to Probate, it is not on line.


England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Henry Daniel Bassett
Birth Date: 27 Oct 1913
Date of Registration: Jun 1979
Age at Death: 65
Registration district: Truro
Inferred County: Cornwall
Volume: 21
Page: 0664

OMG, Thank you so much DetEcTive. Henry Daniel was her eldest son (my uncle) and he died suddenly - literally dropped dead on the farm. So it is likely that he did not make a will! I will message you personally if that is ok with some more recent details. :-)

No problem - PM replied to, but here are the links again so that you can click on them

Probate Form
http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetForm.do?court_forms_id=739
Once you've got there, down load form PA1S and send it with your cheque for £10 per grant/search to the address on the form.
The Postal Searches and Copies Department, District Probate Registry,
York House, 31 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2BA.
If you can't be bothered with the form, just write them a letter.

Land Registry
https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

If you need a copy of Henry's DC for his date of death, use the details as posted earlier and order for £9.25 from http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/
After you've registered, on the first page, click the box that says you know the gro references.