Genealogy Chat

I am thinking about taking out a short subscription to Ancestry and having a blitz on family wills.

I know the initial search is free, and I also know what info is shown in a transcription, as there have been lots on here.

Please can someone tell me what I can see if I click on "View Image". Is it the whole will, however long?

Also, can I download the image, to print off/study at leisure? Or do I have to print it straight off Ancestry?

For wills after 1858 the image is just an image of the probate index. You have to send off for the actual will (if there is one).

Before 1858, if Ancestry have the will , you can download the full will but there is no transcription. You have to decipher it yourself and it takes a bit of practice as it is in old script.

Ken, thankyou very much for the info and also the attachments in the PM.

I thought an image of the whole will was expecting a bit too much!

I'll have a look at the probate details and perhaps send for some of the more interesting wills - it gets a bit expensive after a while!

Thanks again.

What you have seen people posting, is what you will see on the image.

Normally name, where they lived and date they died, executor/s and how much probate was

Thanks, Jax. At least it will tell me if there was a will.

Be careful with the wording - if it says Probate then there was a Will. Letter of Administration means that there wasn't.

Never having purchased an Administration one, someone else would have to suggest how useful they can be.

I have one in my tree (dads uncle) its says administration (with will) I have always fancied trying to get that one as he was a widower with no children and have no idea who the women was who was named.....plus probate was granted on the day I was born :-D

Jax - don't forget that the named persons in the Probate index are just the executors of the will or had the admin granted to them - they could be anyone!

The cost of the wills has recently gone up from £6 to £10.

Have they gone up to £10? Now we're kicking ourselves for those delayed purchases :-|

Jax - go for it. It might explain who she was.

I bought a Will for one of OH's rellies - the executor was an unknown person. The Will was a DIY version where he explains that Elizabeth was his long term wife in all but name. No wonder I couldn't find his marriage to 'Betty' or identify the births of his known children!

With this one dad doesn't seem to know this uncle, so if he left anything to his siblings, he would have thought he would of heard about it...maybe she was a long time lady friend?

She could have been Jax, or a trusted neighbour/carer.

If the Probate gives her address, perhaps that would help?

+++DetEcTive+++ - :-D

The new charge is fairly recent - I gather the web page wasn't updated for a few weeks so people were getting their cheques sent back. Are we supposed to be mind readers? :-|

Andysmum - rather than taking out a sub for ancestry, why not just post your list on here and we can populate the details found on ancestry. Then you can decide which wills (if any) you want to order but at £10 now it's a bit expensive :-(

However, you'll save the cost of an ancestry sub, so maybe can afford an extra couple :-)

Thankyou Flip. It's very kind of you but I find half the fun in genealogy is doing the research.

A month's sub on Ancestry is £12.95 at the moment, so not bad for a one-off.

I don't blame you I would rather find it myself

Have you taken out the 14 day free trial in the past?

Quote from +++DetEcTive+++ "Never having purchased an Administration one, someone else would have to suggest how useful they can be."

I have one Administration where there was no Will in 1898.

It gives name and address of person (as was on the transcript) and (formerly wife of ..................)

It also states that she was a Singlewoman without parent, brother or sister and Intestate.

It gives the names, addresses and occupation & relationship of the two persons granted Administration.

Also gives date of her divorce from former husband.

When I applied for my first batch of grants I did not realise what letters of administration meant.

I was very disappointed to find that there was no additional information on the copies of the three Letters of Administration I received.

The status of the person and the name and occupation are normally given in the entry in the Nationa Probate Calendar (which is what the image on Ancestry is of).

If they are not given in the calendar, then it may be worth obtaining the adminidtartion letter.

Hi Andysmum,

Fair enough, I agree with you it's much more fun doing it yourself. Just don't forget to cancel the sub towards the end of the month - otherwise they'll keep taking it. :-D