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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Scrabble on Friday 11 November 11 14:53 GMT (UK)
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I would like to find a will as follows
Robert Welch died Ipswich Suffolk 8 Feb 1869, his wife died a year later also at Ipswich.
He was a Royal Navy Commander but had been retired for 20 years when he died.
I haven't been able to find a Navy will online, at least, there are two dating from much earlier, around the time he joined the navy which could be him but he wasn't even married at that time let alone had children so wouldn't there be a later version? Or would he make another will after leaving the navy?
I have never looked for a will before so any advice appreciated.
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Hi Scrabble,
This is the website all about ordering Grants of Probate and/or Wills after 1858. Any Wills before 1858 are ordered and downloaded through The National Archives.
http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/courts-and-tribunals/courts/probate/copies-of-grants-wills.htm
The form you have to fill in is:
http://hmctscourtfinder.justice.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/pa1s-eng.pdf
The basic charge is £6 for one copy of a Will but please read about ordering further copies in the first link posted to you.
I have recently used this to order a Will of my great uncle. It can take up to 21 days before you hear anything.
Dora
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The full index of wills can be searched in person at the Probate office in Holborn in London. I see you are not far away, so that would be a good way to look. If you find there is a Will you can order a copy while you are there.
If you cant get there, then you can apply for a search by post.
All details on this link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/courts-and-tribunals/courts/probate/copies-of-grants-wills.htm
The index up to 1940ish is usually avaialble on Ancestry subscription site, or maybe on the library edition that you can use at your local library - however I have just tried to check for you and it seems to have disappeared! Dont know why, or whether this is temporary or permanent!
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Thank you both.
I think I will try to get to Holborn sometime soon as there are probably a few more possible wills I could look up while I am there. I'm off to make a list...
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Well worth it!
I remember the first time I went - I made a list of EVERYONE with their death dates (or as near as I knew) and was amazed just who I found wills for! Not the ones I expected.
Also amazing the info gleaned from them.
(that was in the day when they were only 75p each to buy a copy, now it is £6 or something :( )
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Any Wills before 1858 are ordered and downloaded through The National Archives.
This doesn't matter as far as your will for Robert Welch is concerned, but I have to point out that it is only a very small proportion of pre-1858 wills that can be ordered through the National Archives. They only hold those proved at the PCC. The vast majority are held in numerous different archives throughout the country.
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Hi
The Ancestry probate index 1861-1941 has gaps (which is stated on the website)
'Our collection covers 80 years from 1861 to 1941. We currently do not have the books for the years 1858-1860 and there are some gaps for the years 1863, 1868, 1873, 1876, 1877, 1883, 1888, 1899-1903 and 1910-1911.'
Any wills found in online indexes either post 1858 or pre 1858 would be probated wills which would have required the person to have died and the will to have past through a legal process. Before death a will is the personal property of the person who made it.
From experience naval officers aren't great role models when it comes to probated wills, they just don't seem to be that keen on writing them.
'Modern surveys differ on what proportion of the current population has a will, but even the most optimistic put it at less than half. The National Consumer Council’s research in 2007 not unsurprisingly revealed that older people and those in higher socio-economic groups were more likely to make wills. Given the modern context it isn’t unexpected that most of our ancestors did not leave wills..'
Always worth checking though as lizdb says it can be quite surprising who does and who doesn't leave a will.
Regards
Valda
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Hi Chatters. I'm after a will or probate document for an English ancestor, George Carpenter who was killed in India in 1845. He was born in Leicester in 1820 to parents William Carpenter and Ann Parr. As this is before the National Probate Register how can I get this? Any assistance greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Mark
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Hi Mark
Are you sure he died in 1845? There is a will on the National Archives site, but the date of probate is 1855:
Will of George Carpenter, Brigadier General in the Service of the United East India Company and on their Bengal Establishment
20 February 1855
PROB 11/2206
If it is the right one, you can download a copy for £3.50 here: http://www.rootschat.com/links/0le6/
Alexander
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Hi Alexander. Thanks for the post. My George Carpenter was a private, aged 24 years and buried 6 September 1845 in Bengal India. Do you know where I can get the will or probate record for this one?
Thanks
Mark
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No, that's definitely not your guy then. That will was made in 1834.
I think it is unlikely a 24 year old private would have made a will or had any reason for administration to be granted. But I could be wrong...
Alexander
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Thanks Alexander. The 1845 death record we have doesn't show place of birth or parents and we wanted to confirm that it is our George. We thought this may be listed on a will but as you say he probably wouldn't have one anyway as a 24 year old private. Probably no other way to confirm this. Thanks for your help.
Mark