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Is there a Register of Will's

Jackie Hill

Jackie Hill

Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Can anyone tell me how to trace a will, is there a Register of Will's

I have read on the forum people going to the libery for old Will's
But what about present day Will's

Can you find out if someone made a Will

Jackie
 
A few years ago all post 1858 wills were at Somerset House, the index's were on open shelves and you ordered a copy will. Now the Probate Service are responsible for them. I think you will need to contact them as it isn't clear where you can go to search the index's. The link isn't much help, I think you may have to ring or write to them. Or perhaps someone else will know the way to go.

Wills (after 1858)
The Probate Department of the Principal
Registry of the Family Division
First Avenue House, 42 - 49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP
Tel: +44 (0)20 7947 6939
https://212.137.36.113/cms/wills.htm
 
hi jackie
regarding the wills service, you can go birmingham city centre
there is a building inside the old lewis,s store
or should i say above the old store
it is just the right handed side of lewis,s minories on corporation st
facing the shops that are oppersite the old lewis,s store
its the courts of somthink above two glass doors it is not steel house lane
side when you go through the two glas doors you wil meet
a secritury officier tell him you want the wills and probate office
he will tell you to get the liftup to the revelent floor
and on thar floor there is two or three doors on that landing
which tells you whats in behind one door of the other
it looks abit strange on one door it says court 1 and the other reception
and the other one is where the record are kept on the shelf
if the one you want is not on the shelf pop across the floor to the other
side of the landing there is a receptionist and some one of the staff
what can they do for you you tell them the person whom you are looking
and tell them you want to know was there a will made by the person
she will tellyou take a seat and she will go on the computer and check
for you providing you have got all your details of the person
if they come up trumps they will tell you the fee. you pay the fee
and you will be sent the details a week later in the post
it,s som-think courts out side lewis ;s right next door to the sqaure
peg pub , i know this because orinionaly went there myself in thr past
and i was told where to go by one old member of the liberian staff
it was five pounds but i think it is seven pounds now
in case you fail to finf this place or they have ceasred to public
later on today iwill put another address on for you to contact
which is the one i used ,somer set house no longer keep the
records of such as i have been told on the telephone by
there manager down london
best wishes astonian ;;;;
 
Jackie,

If you're anywhere near Central Library, they have a set of indexes covering 1858 to 1970. The indexes contain some basic details and I've extracted the LONGMORE entries and, up to 1954, they are on my website here:-

https://www.msheppard.com/wills.htm

It will give you an idea of what the indexes contain.

When I can find time I'll add the remaining 15 years! :D

Otherwise use the Courts Service as in Winston's posting.

Maurice
 
Thanks everyone for your help

I have contacted the Probates Office and sent off the fee, and I'm now waiting to see if it brings any results


Thanks again

Jackie
 
Hi,I've been doing a bit with wills lately so I know something of how to go about it.

First the "Register" is called The Calendar of Wills and in broad terms lists every will or Administration from 1853 to 1972[at the moment]

The nearest one in Birmingham can be found in The Birmingham Central Library on the 6th floor.Each entry consists of maybe 3 or 4 lines outlining the principal beneficiaries but it does state the name at death,where they died,often their age and the size of the estate. Once you have the details you can then go to the Probate Office which is in the County Court building[The Old Lewis's building] in Bull Street. Now that you have the details you fill in a very simple form and pay a fee of £5,the will is sent in the post to you around a week later.

Points of note,if you find an entry in the Calendar of Wills and it is for a will and not a letter of administration then the full text of the will is available in the Central Library. There is an area set aside for researchers which is accessed by passing through a barrier near the information desk.To use this area you have to obtain a "Readers ticket" or CARN["County Archive Research Network" ticket] you just fill out a form and its issued imediately. In the research area copies of the actual wills are kept in books dating from 1853 to 1972. Incidentally the CARN can also be used at a great many other libraries besides Birmingham,I have used mine in Walsall,Worcester Record Office,West Bromwich and Hereford.

If however the entry in the Calendar of Wills is for a letter of Administration then you have to go to the Probate office as previously described. Letters of Administration occur where the deceased dies "Intestate" [They did not make a will]

The Probate Office is very helpfull and they too have their indexes which are kept on microfiche which you can use quite freely.Both Wills and Letters of Administration are documents of Public Record.

In a great many cases the Calendar of Wills can also supply facts which enable the acquisition of death certificates too,especially where the exact circumstances of death are sketchy.

JP.
 
Thank you for the information, JP. I carried out a Google search of Calendar of Wills & it looks as though there are links to individual counties. Does this mean that it is necessary to either travel to the county concerned to research or pay for research as there is not a national list of wills?
I have only found 1 will for my family & am unclear whether it is my search technique that is wrong or if my family did not make wills.
 
Hi,As far as I know the Calendar of Wills in Birmingham Central Library is national,my family were scattered from Devon to Yorkshire[and many in and around Birmingham] and they were all in there. Most people around the last half of the nineteenth century were unlikely to make a will which is why so many are Letters of Administration,the property is dispersed but usually to the eldest male child whereas if there is a will there can be several beneficiaries and not neccessarily family. If you find they are Administrations then you have to go the Probate route as often the estate is allocated to the eldest living relative and genderised E.G male first female second.

JP.
 
Thank you JP.
Can anyone help?
For those of us who cannot travel to Birmingham what other centres are there for Calendars of Wills? The websearch I did only revealed county collections.
 
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