11 December 2014

England and Wales Probate Online

England and Wales family history researchers, bookmark this page. https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

From it you can now search probate records from 1858 to 1996, it's a more complete collection than has been available on Ancestry although not completely name indexed. That's in addition to the later probate records and soldier's wills previously available.

A search on surname and year brings up the appropriate page of the probate calendar for the year specified even if there's no death for a person by that name probated during the year. The indexing uses the first three letters of the surname, common names may mean needing to scroll. You can click to move back and forth year by year. Remember, probate doesn't necessarily occur in the year of death.

The calendar entry usually gives the date and place of death, amount probated and name of the executor/executrix.

You can order a complete copy of the probate document online from the calendar page.


1 comment:

Gail Roger said...

Noooooo! Christmas is coming! I have stuff to bake, cards to send, presents to wrap, a house to clean! You can't tell me stuff like this!!