10 August 2010

Ancestry Adds England and Wales Probate Calendar 1861-1941

Ancestry has posted "England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941", one of the major genealogical datasets for which many of us have long been waiting. http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1904

This is the first availability at all but a precious few locations in Canada, none closer to Ottawa than Montreal. With this digitization you save not only the cost of travelling to use the record, you also don't have to manually search through microfiche year by year.

Information varies across different entries, but each typically includes:

  • Probate date
  • Full name of the deceased
  • Death date
  • Death place
  • Registry where issued
You will usually find the amount left in the estate as well.

Ancestry warns that their collection currently does not include the years 1858-1860 and there are some gaps for the years 1863, 1868, 1873, 1876, 1877, 1883, 1888, 1899-1903 and 1910-1911.

Remember, if you're not an Ancestry subscriber you can likely get free access through Ancestry Library Edition at your local public library.

1 comment:

  1. The Toronto Family History Centre is one of those “precious few locations in Canada” which has the England and Wales National Probate Calendar. Not only do we have the complete Calendar of Wills and Admins from 1858 to 1957, we also have the Prerogative Court of York Index of Wills and Admins 1688 to 1858; Indexes to Wills and Admins for many counties (the ones not yet on-line), including the Archdeaconries, various Dioceses, and the Peculiar Courts; and a binder containing a Guide to Pre-1858 Probate Jurisdictions for each county. Perhaps ease of access will excite people about the possibilities of probate records and they will be encouraged to look for earlier and broader probate information.

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