Genealogy Chat

see below in a sec...

My dad recently brought home a bundle of old documents from his aunts house for me to look at so I could see how long a number of houses have been in my family. This bundle contained Deeds, Titles, Letters and Probate documents. I was amased to find just how useful these everyday documents are. The deeds go back to 1904 when the houses were built, the lease was then sold to my ancestor who sold it to her daughter and then bought it back, each tile the address of the purchaser and seller was given. The deaths of owners and the sale/ transfur of ownership during probate id documented and even letters concering the purchase of the freehold and subsiquent receipts were include as well as clear descriptiona of the location of the land and houses. The Probate documents contained a copy of the will and the date of death (which no-one could remember), the real full name of 2 of the children that were known by pet names. If you have any such documents from your families, I urge you to look after then as meny of these papers are irreplaceable yet contain missing links. But be warned that errors may appear. One man is listed as John Berrington Lewis in one document and Henry Berrington Lewis in another yet his name was Henry Uppington Lewis these are original errors that are set in stone and still caursing confusion a centery later.

Very useful indeed. My family don't seem to have any such bundles of documents, unfortunately. But the wills / probate documents, at least, are not 'irreplaceable' as you can get copies from the Probate Registry in York for £5 each. Kate.

I guess to me the Probate stuff is irreplaceable as they have original signatures in ink and little notes telling you where to sign in pencil - no moden copy would have those, at best it would be a photocopy and the pencil would be lost.