Wills after 1941

[Smukke]

Is there any way of tracing Wills online after 1941 ?

[jubed]

Hi ,sorry I can't answer your question as I would also like to know how to go about this. We know of  a will that was published in the News of the World in the early fifties and can't find out whose will it is. Have looked online and also contacted N.O.W. with no result. Any ideas ?
   Thanks Julie

[KGarrad]

I think you can only apply to The Probate Service, part of HM Courts & Justice.

There is a fee to pay (6 pounds?) and a form to fill in (PA1S).

See www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/courts-and-tribunals/courts/probate/family-history.htm

[jubed]

Many thanks, will look into that and keep you posted.
  Best wishes Julie

[lizdb]

Yes, exactly the same as it was before some of the wills up to 1941 came on line.
If you are in London, then the full index right up to present day for the whole country can be viewed at the Probate Office in High Holborn.
SOme local indexes are held at large local librairies sometimes I believe, and other probate offices too.
Or you can apply to somewhere (used to be York but has recently changed) for a search.

But all the info is on their website.

[dawnsh]

I should be able to get to Probate at Holborn next week.

If you post the names and dates of death I can check the calendars for you before you send off £6.

Dawn

[jubed]

Many thanks Dawn. Unfortunately, we're not sure whose the will was. We think it was either Cicely Annie Barbera Rice(nee Shaw formerly Bedwell) b 1891 or Jack JP Shaw b 1916 both possibly Eastbourne area. We have no dates of death unfortunately. The will was probably made in the early 1950s and the N.O.W. was looking for descendants of William Cecil Bedwell and Sara Ann .Green.Don't know if this is enough info.
 Thanks again Julie
 

[dawnsh]

Hi Julie

You need a date of death before you can look for a will. The calendars are compiled by the year the probate or adminsitration was granted then alphabetically within the year.

Even HMCTS need the date of death to do a search as their records are only completely computerised after 1996. All other searches have to be done manually year by year.

I think William Cecil died around 1939 but I can't find dates for the other 2. Are they his mother and brother?

Dawn

[jubed]

Hi Dawn, many thanks for this.Sorry if I wasn't very clear, we do have a date of death for William Cecil(we actually have his death cert- he was my husband's paternal grandfather) Cicely was his mother and Jack his half brother.We haven't been able to find their dates of death either and think they possibly went to South Africa after the first world war. My husband's parents saw
 an article in the N.O.W. in the early 1950s and unfortunately didn't respond in time.
Best wishes Julie