Is the a searchable "wills" database?

[Jayson]

Hi

I have looked, but failed to find a searchable database for wills online at the Lichfield Record Office.

Have I missed it or is the such a database?

Jay

[ainslie]

What time-scale?  Since 1858 all wills proved in England and Wales are listed in annual volumes of Calendars of Probate - several per year, split alphabetically.  They can often be found in county record offices.  More recent years may be on microfiche.
Earlier periods depended on church diocesan courts with many complications.  Your county RO probably has a leaflet or guide to searching.  Some, proved at Canterbury, are online at the National Archives.

[Hammerman]

There is a database for post 1858, but it's not online yet.

I was up the Probate office in Holborn last week. They have a computer there that you can search Wills from 1920 to date, but they give a warning that it is not 100% accurate,they recommend you check the books as well.

Also at WDYTYA the Probate department had a searchable database which allowed searches from 1858 to date, which showed scans of the Probate books, again they said it wasn't error free, but they were saying it should go online soon.

I suspect they are wary of the extra work they will get from this. I'm sure many will want to order their relatives Wills if it was easier. When I was there last week I waited 3 hours for their one hour service. I've waited longer, finally resorting to having it posted to me the next day! With an online ordering service I think they will be swamped.

Oh for the days when they were at Somerset House. Maybe rose tinted glasses but I seem to remember it took less than half an hour for them to produce or copy the Will for you, for only 25p per sheet. When they moved to Holborn I believe it went up to £5.

[Jayson]

Thanks for this.  The wills I'm looking for are before probate jurisdiction was taken away from the church courts in 1858.

Jay

[oldtimer]

Hi Jay

The only ones indexed are between 1650-1700

http://www.staffsnameindexes.org.uk/StartPage.aspx?Mode=ShowIndex

Probably too early for what you are looking for

Judy

[sillgen]

If it is pre 1858 then it is worth checking http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp
but that only covers only the PCC (Canterbury ones).  However if people owned property in several counties then their will was proved in Canterbury rather than the local church court so it is always worth looking.
Andrea.

[BumbleB]

If you can hang on until after the Easter holidays, I wil go into Lichfield Archives and have a look for you.  Just let me know the name and approximate date.  As far as I'm aware the card indexes are in alphabetical order.

BumbleB

[oldtimer]

Birmingham and Midland SGG have indexed Lichfield Wills by surname and place.

Have a look here -

http://www.staffsnameindexes.org.uk/StartPage.aspx?Mode=ShowIndex

[Jayson]

oldtimer

Thank you so much for the link it was really helpful, and I have found one will that I shall order.

Jayson