Genealogy Chat

any websites that could assist me?

Hi What year? Gwynne

not entirly sure (having a stab in the dark) james corlett died in 1859c march quater

Hi, All wills from 1858 are indexed. But the indexes are not online you have to go to a record office to search them. If you are sure he left a will you can write to the probate office in York with his exact date and place of death and a cheque for £5 made out to the paymaster general and they will send it to you. Gwynne

Louise Reading through this may be of help to you: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/wills/ THERE'S ALSO THIS INFORMATION BELOW WHICH GR HAS ON THE HOMEPAGE BUT FOR SOME REASON CHOOSES TO HIDE WAY DOWN THE PAGE SO YOU HAVE TO SCROLL TO FIND IT. I HAVE E-MAILED THEM ABOUT MAKING THE INFO ON THE SITE EASIER TO FIND AS HARDLY ANYONE KNOWS WHERE IT IS. "Issue 3 Wills after 1858 All wills proved and grants of administration made after 12 January 1858 are in annual indexes at First Avenue House (42-49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP, 0207 7936 7000). Wills and administrations were indexed separately up to 1870, and then all in the same in the same annual index thereafter. Copies of the indexes up to 1943 can be found elsewhere on microfiche- ask at your local record office or Mormon Family History Centre. If you need the death record of someone who is likely to have left a will or administration, it is generally much easier to search the probate indexes (which are annual, and give a fair amount of detail, including date of death), than the General Registration death indexes (which are indexed quarterly each year and give little detail). The indexes up to 1892 state the relationship (if any) of the administrators to the deceased. Postal searches cost £5 for a four year search and a copy of the will, with £3 for each extra four year period you want searched. Postal searches can be made through the Postal Searches and Copies Department, The Probate Registry, Castle Chambers, Clifford Street, York, YO1 9RG. Don’t forget that wills could be proved several years after someone died: sometimes a married person’s will would not be proved until the surviving partner died. Issue 1 - General Registration Index Issue 2 - Census Research Issue 3 - Wills after 1858 Issue 4 - Collecting non-written records Tips provided by Anthony Adolph " NELL

Hi Nell Reading this with much interest. The bit you just posted with regard to wills after 1858 - the bit about some wills may not be proven until the death of the other partner or up to 4 years after the death. Do you think this would apply to wills prior to 1858? I'm getting desparate! lol. I'm trying to prove a relationship between my 4x g grandfather and the man I suspect is his father. My suspect doesn't appear to have left a will but prospective siblings may have done. But they would all be prior to 1858 Jeanette x

If you go onto The National Archive website quoted above, there's a section on wills before 1858, which I think you can search online. nell

Thanks Nell. I'll have a look Jeanette x