Ancestors lost in the crowd?
New to family history research?
Perhaps these articles on our website may help:
Census 1841 - 1911
Birth, Death and Marriage Registration
The London Gazette
Newspaper archives
Trade Directories
Articles on the History of Essex, Researching your Ancestors,
and British History
Wills and Adminstrations after 1858
How Wills can help you research your family tree and how to track them down after 1858.
Wills can be useful source of information for the family tree researcher. Not everyone made a Will, but if your ancestor is likely to have owned a house, or had substantial assets, or perhaps was a tradesman, then it may be worth looking to see if they made a Will. Until relatively recently, few Wills were made by women.
Wills are sometimes a goldmine for the researcher as they often contain details of the deceased's family and friends, as well as providing information on their personal assets and property. This is useful for filling out background information and giving an insight into your ancestors' lives and social position.
In England and Wales until 1858 Wills were dealt with by the Ecclesiastical Courts. This was a complicated system involving many different types of courts. Then the Court of Probate Act 1857 created a state controlled centralised system for probate. It is now known as the Probate Service.
All Wills proved (legally confirmed) after 1858 are now centrally recorded and indexed. Also indexed are Letters of Administration (where a person died without making a Will and their estate needed dealing with).
For information on Essex Wills before 1858 see our article: Wills before 1858.
The index is known as the National Probate Calendar (England and Wales only). This index can be viewed at a number of locations. Probate may have been granted some years after the death of the person. So you need to start at the date of death and work your way forward, probably for at least three or four years. After this time, it is probable that probate was not required. However, there are some cases where it can be several years before the probate was recorded.
The full index can be seen at the Search Room of the Probate Service, Principal Registry of the Family Division, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP, or you can apply for a postal search - full details on the Probate Service website. The index is also available at the local Probate Registries across the country.
Online, the National Probate Calendar for 1861 to 1941 can be viewed on Ancestry.co.uk (subscription or pay-per-view.)
Searching online is easier and quicker. You just need the name and approximate date of death, if possible. The Calendar entry provides their date and place of death, the executor of their will, and the value of their estate.
Although the entries in the Calendars only give brief information it will provide sufficient for you to assess whther it is worth applying for a copy of their Will from the Probate Service. This is a link to their application form (pdf).
Microfiche copies of the index from 1858 to 1943 can also be viewed at the Essex Record Office. Other places where the index or parts of it is available include the Guildhall Library, the Society of Genealogists, and county archives.
Remember, even if your ancestor died abroad it is still possible that there Will was dealt with in this country.
