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Thank you! So if there is no will, is it still worth sending for any documentation? There must be some……?

Like a lot of people I’m now rushing to obtain a will before charges rise on 17 Nov. I can see the exact one I want on Ancestry’s list of wills. It is for a death overseas in 1915 for which probate was issued in 1936. The reason for delay is probably that a property was not sold until 1936. However when I try to find it on the official Gov Probate website in order to purchase a copy it cannot be found although I have entered all the correct details e.g. name, exact date of death, exact date of probate issue. There is no means of querying this via the website.

What would you advise me to do?

Thank you for suggestions. I’ve used Men and Carts for other ancestors with positive results but my Glass ancestors seemed to escape being recorded on these documents! They were never landowners unfortunately and none of them seemed to leave wills until my own father did.

I’ve been tracing my ancestry since 1972 and despite extensive efforts have not got much further back on my Glass line than late 1700s. So I’m trying a different tack. Matthew and George Culley were great agricultural reformers in North Northumberland although they originated in Denton, Co. Durham. In their book “Farming Letters 1798-1804” they refer frequently to

            Tom Glass, Will Glass and Jemmy Glass

who worked for them as cattle and sheep drovers, incl. between their farms in Glendale and  the Culley family  farm in Denton. Tom, born at Learmouth, Nthbld. eventually moved to the farm at Denton. Will Glass was his uncle and I think Jemmy was related to both but I’m unsure how.

My Glass ancestors were all farm workers or shepherds in the same part of Glendale as these men and I’m sure they may be related.

Can anyone suggest some new sources of information that might help? I’ve recorded all  church references (Anglican & non-conformist) to this surname and drawn up family groups but need more evidence. Other Culley documents do not mention the Glass men again. The census from 1841 is too long after this period  ( latter half of 18th c. ) to establish a connection.

Any suggestions as to a way forward? I’d be grateful for a new approach/ perspective . After so many years of searching I need it!

Belfordian

I’ve had a good search through the Presbyterian and Parish records for Belford. It’s always wise to check both as parents sometimes used both, depending upon circumstances at the time, whichever was more convenient and it could change between generations.
First of all John Johnson and Margaret Gradon were married at Kyloe Church not Doddington as you mention at one point. Kyloe  Church  closed a long time ago and is now a private house but existing records are held at Berwick Archives in the Library(open Wed and Thur only). The parents may not have been strict Presbyterians as they married in an Anglican Church. Many Presbyterians took advantage of living near the Border and hopped over to Coldstream or Lamberton

The baptisms of their children do not appear in the Belford Erskine Church (also now closed). I checked transcripts for 1793-1820 published by Berwick Archives. Unfortunately I seem to have mislaid the microfiche of the Belford Scotch Church so could not check it directly but I believe they are included in FamilySearch and none of your Johnsons  appeared on that website apart from two burials at Belford Parish Church of children who died as infants. I could not find them in the Parish Church baptisms. I also looked in Warenford Presbyterian Baptisms but no luck there.

Not everyone was baptised. I’ve managed to find very few baptisms for my Presbyterian ancestors, possibly because their registers did not survive as well as the Anglican ones.

I did find the baptism of a John Jackson in the Spittal Presbyterian Register on 17 March 1773 with father James and mother Ann. Is that a possibility?  I also noticed that a Thomas Johnson and wife Alice had a child named Adam in 1819 and wondered if they were connected to your line.

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to find anything new. If I come across anything relevant I’ll certainly get in touch.

Val