Link: Index of Wills and Probate 1841 - 1925 Victoria Archives

[tropicalj]

Hello  there

I  received  this notice in an email today

Vic Public RecordsOffice have released for testing - a searchable  online version of the Vic Probate Index for 1841 to 1925 ... This is a wonderful development for historians and family researchers .. the probate indexes generally contain the death date, occupation, residence - often removing the need to purchase death certifcates -but that is not all ...If the actual probate document is digitized then it appears possible to access it as a PDF image - an option which has been available for sometime - but with the added benefit provided by the searchable index - an invaluable addition to any serious researchers toolbox.

http://prov.vic.gov.au/index_search?searchid=54

I  had a look  and very very good

kind thoughts Jenn

[trish251]

Hi Jenn

It looks so interesting - my gg grandparents are listed!! WOOHOO!! I just had 1 minor correction to your link

http://proarchives.imagineering.com.au/index_search.asp?searchid=54

Trish

[cando]

Ah PROV would have had my old email address   Thanks Jenn for passing on the info.

All my lot are there... and this is going to save a trip to PROV once they are all digitised.

Another good resource.

Cheers
Cando

[cando]

Notice from website...I had endless trouble trying to order any wills to see if they were digitised.  Evidently there had been a problem with servers and now....

This database is currently undergoing pre-release testing.

The index has been taken down to address some issues identified by testing. The index will be launched later in December 2008.

Cheers
Cando

[trish251]

I saw that today as well - "too many hits" perhaps. The demand for internet access to archives seems to often be underestimated.

Trish

[sparrett]

SOoo,
Still not quite time to list it on our Reources List at the top of the board.

Looks like it won't be too long though.

I am looking forward to it.  In the little while it was up I got an exact death date for one of mine .  It was one of those things where the month of death actually made a difference.
It was wonderful to not have to get a cert, or partial transcript to learn what I wanted to know.
Sue

[tropicalj]

I  was able  to  download the will of Thomas Adams Bayley  last week  just fluked it I  think, when  it is fully operational it will be a bloody marvellous resource.

Jenn

[cando]

You should be able to still Order Wills if you have the index number...it is only the new database that has been taken down.  Unfortunately none of my ancestors will have been digitised yet.

Cheers
Cando

[trish251]

I don't know if mine are digital or no - when I clicked the link to the catalogue - nothing happened (well nothing happened before I gave up waiting    )

I look forward to it returning

Trish