Lancashire-based mystery driving me mad!

[LizzieW]

You are welcome.  A new Probate Service system for searching the probate calendars and ordering copies is becoming available online this month, in case you are interested.

www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/society-genealogists-raises-concerns-over-new-wills-service

I think the problem with the new one is that it only gives the names - and if it's a common name that's no use - it doesn't give information like the ones on Ancestry.  I know many family history societies are concerned about the fact that it's no longer possible to go to the London probate research room as it is being closed and the on line lists are a very poor substitute.

[smudwhisk]

Chris Paton's Genealogy Blog includes an update on the service from yesterday - http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/update-on-london-probate-service.html.

I do hope they are not going to include the full names of Executors in the index for say the last 50 years because it could well lead to privacy issues, especially for anyone who has been an Executor in recent times (although obviously not post 1995).  Its one thing for the information to be available at the Probate Offices or on pay per view site, but this site is freely available.  I know of several people who were Executors during the last 40 plus years.  I really do hope this information is not going to be included in the index but its unclear from that update whether this will be the case.

[LizzieW]

Thanks for that Smudwhisk.

[LizzieW]

I searched for my cousin who died in 2012 and all you get is this:

Surname    First name    Date of probate    Probate number    Date of death    Document type    Registry

then Add to Basket if you want to order a will.  I chose not to, as I'm not interested in my late cousin's will - I feel it's private.