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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: kathhale on Friday 03 September 10 08:00 BST (UK)

Title: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: kathhale on Friday 03 September 10 08:00 BST (UK)
Hello everyone,
on ancestry I have found the basic details of a will for a JOHN PICKSLEY .
He lived Moor Park Preston
The details are only basic and I wondered if anyone knows if it is possible to find the original will any were.
I have looked on National Archives but as far as I can see the date is wrong for them.
any advice greatly appreciated
Kath
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: garstonite on Friday 03 September 10 08:34 BST (UK)
Hiya Kath...the site I used to use was
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/Recordoffice/Wills/?sysredir=y   BUT...I have just been on there for you and it says it has been moved ...let me try again....in the meantime have a look yourself ...you may see something I cant...allan   back soon
ADDED....SORRY KATH...THIS SITE LOOKS NO GOOD NOW.....allan >:(
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: garstonite on Friday 03 September 10 08:44 BST (UK)
John Picksley  aged 48
buried 2nd August 1866
St John church, Preston,Lancs
abode  Moor Park
buried by R Shepherd
I presume this is your John Picksley  ???.....allan
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: mosiefish on Friday 03 September 10 08:58 BST (UK)
This is the form to use for post 1858 wills:

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/pa1s_0405.pdf

Regards,
Mo
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: kathhale on Friday 03 September 10 09:04 BST (UK)
Yes that is John Picksley.
I have his death certificate . Thanks for the burial info.
I will attach the page I found on ancestry.
What I am interested in trying to find out from the original will is who else he may have made bequests to.
As you can see it names a REUBEN SIMS as his brother,he was Johns business partner and although I have tried for years to find a family link I have never found any between the two men
anyway thank you for your input
kath

Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: alpinecottage on Friday 03 September 10 09:04 BST (UK)
A copy of a post 1858 will can be bought from The Probate Registry in York, using the form signposted by Mo above.  They take about 4 weeks to arrive (well, mine did earlier in the summer).  www.theprobateservice.gov.uk gives more info.

When you say "the date is wrong", don't forget the will date is not based on the death date but rather on the date when the family got round to applying for probate.  It can even be years after the death, but was more usually a couple of months in 19th century.
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: kathhale on Friday 03 September 10 09:08 BST (UK)
Thank you I will do that.
When I said the date was wrong I did not explain myself, I meant that documents on line do not publish wills up to 1866 they only go up to about 1858 or something like that.
Sorry page would not attach
Off to look at the site for ordering the will
Thank you
Really appreciate everyones help
Kath
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: alpinecottage on Friday 03 September 10 09:15 BST (UK)
The cut-off date of 1858 is because that was when wills ceased to be proved by various church courts all over the place and were dealt with by the central registry which still deals with them today.  All those post 1858 wills are on a very useful index which can be checked at various record offices and I think are also online on one of the subscription sites.
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: dawnsh on Friday 03 September 10 09:28 BST (UK)
There is a list of regional probate registries here

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/civil/probate/registries.htm

If you are near to one, you could make enquiries about getting a copy from there, some local registries are able to offer a 'national' service.

You only need to give them the full name, date of death, and the date and place the will was proved, all these details are available on the calendar.

If you can't go local, then you need to send a cheque for £5 with the same details to the Probate registry at York, more info here

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1226.htm

Dawn
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: garstonite on Friday 03 September 10 10:27 BST (UK)
Yes that is John Picksley.
I have his death certificate . Thanks for the burial info.
I will attach the page I found on ancestry.
What I am interested in trying to find out from the original will is who else he may have made bequests to.
As you can see it names a REUBEN SIMS as his brother,he was Johns business partner and although I have tried for years to find a family link I have never found any between the two men
anyway thank you for your input

John Picksley married Eliza Sims in 1843   www.lancashirebmd.org.uk   Reuben Sims was obviously a relation of Eliza....maybe the will should sayReuben Sims - Brother IN LAW ...allan ???
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: Galium on Friday 03 September 10 10:33 BST (UK)
When you get the will it may become clearer, but Reuben Sims is not named as John Picksley's brother:

"....was proved at Lancaster by the oaths of Ingham Picksley of Kirton in Lindsey in the county of Lincoln Timber Merchant the Brother Reuben Sims of Moor Park aforesaid Agricultural Engineer and Alexander Falkirk of the City Manchester Iron Merchant the Executors"

"the Brother" refers to Ingham Picksley.   A person's description in a will (where they are from, what their occupation is, what their role is etc.) generally comes after their name - as all three men are described as "Executors" after they have all been named.


Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: garstonite on Friday 03 September 10 10:36 BST (UK)
Well spotted Galium...that solves that little query....allan ;)
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: kathhale on Friday 03 September 10 12:17 BST (UK)
Thank you everyone !
Thank you Gallium.
Although John Picksley married my ancestor Eliza Sims , I have found no evidence that Eliza and Reuben Sims are related and when I read the extract from the will I thought there must be a link
John and reuben were business partners and it seemed too much of a coincidence that Reuben Sims had the same surname as John Picksley's wife,Eliza SIMS and I have been trying to find a family link , I thought that the will had given me that link.

Thank you so much
very much appreciate everyones help
Kath
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: behindthefrogs on Friday 03 September 10 12:52 BST (UK)
I think it is extremely likely that Reuben was his wife's brother.  In 1866 the term brother in law was still being used in some legal documents to mean step brother and so a wife's brother would be referred to as brother.

David
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: kathhale on Friday 03 September 10 13:09 BST (UK)
Thank you but I can find no evidence that Eliza Sims and Reuben Sims were brother and sister.

Eliza's parents were THOMAS AND SARAH SIMS NEE MILLINGTON and she was born 12/10/1819 in Colchester. She moved to Bolton Lancashire about 1830/32 with her family.
She married John Picksley in Bolton in 1843.
Eliza's mother ,Sarah,died in 1832 in BOLTON LANCASHIRE and as far as I know THOMAS SIMS never remarried.
 Reubens father was JOHN SIMS and Reuben was born in Preston in 1821 .
John Sims married twice his second wife was CATHERINE BURSCOUGH who he married 5th march 1822.
John sims's first wife and the mother to Reuben and his brother Willian b1818 I cannot find.

I still think that there must be a family link between the two Sims families but I just cannot see it
Thanks again
Kath
Title: Re: help finding a will in 1866
Post by: Peter123 on Friday 05 August 11 19:51 BST (UK)
Hello Kath,

John Sim and Catherine Burscough are my GGG Grandparents. They actually married at Walton le Dale on 9th August 1817. Details are:

John Simm - (X), Labourer of Walton
Kitty Burscough - (X), Spinster of Walton
Witness: Robert Breakell; John Tomlinson
Married by Banns by: Edmd S Radcliff Curate
Register: Marriages 1815 - 1830, Page 75, Entry 223
Source: LDS Film 1656765

William (3/10/1818-1895) and Reuben (1820-1895) were their children. I am descended from their daughter Ann (1828-1901).

I have lots of information on Reuben and his partnership with John Picksley, for example,

Albion Foundry, 1872

The first iron foundry was in Bedford set up by John Picksley and Reuben Sims on land near the canal leading from Thomas Street. The venture was well established in 1853 and its main line was household grates, trap grids and similar iron ware. But in time it became interested in farm machinery and its Standard Mower was so popularly known that its name is memorialised today in an inn along Chapel Street. While Foundry Arms has in a different way perpetuated the entire works. In 1865 this company was made public; its interests were scattered and there was a depot at Smyrna in Asia Minor.

I have a copy of John Sim's Will but not John Picksley.

Please contact me, if you wish to hear more!

Best wishes,
Peter