Wills, a General Question

[a chesters]

I have the probate record of many of the ancestors in England, but am wondering where I can find copies of the actual wills. I have a few actual wills, but would like to find those I do not have, but am not sure just haw to go about finding them. I have looked at the links provided, but it is quite possible that I am not seeing the obvious way to find a will. They are all post 1858, having checked the http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=380696.msg4690253#msg4690253 for information, but I need a helping hand 

Would I need to contact the various county record offices, or court system?

Any help would be appreciated.

A Chesters

[dawnsh]

Hi A Chesters

If you have found a calendar entry, you can apply for a copy from Her Majesty's Courts & Tribunals Service by following this link

http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate/copies-of-grants-wills

However, at the moment, they do not take payments drawn on overseas banks or by credit card but that may change in 2014. (noticed the flag in your profile)

Please note that if the calendar entry is for an administration only -not a probate- it may not be worthwhile applying for a copy as all you'll get is an a4 sheet of paper with the same details on it which will cost £6. If you need it for legal purposes though, that is a different matter.

Dawn

[a chesters]

Dawn, Thank you very much for that information.

I know I am a bit dumb in matters legal, but by calendar entry, do you mean the date of the probate, or the date of death 

None of my queries are for legal purposes, just genealogical and plain interest, wanting to know who the recipients were, and any other clauses.

Again, many thanks

A Chesters

[dawnsh]

The 'calendars' are the records available for the public to see, either at the district probate registries, on microfiche at the archives who have bought them, or more recently online at Ancestry 1858-1966.

Depending on the date range of the 'calendars', information included may show the place of death, address of the deceased, occupation, and who the executors were. They all include the date of death, the date probate was granted, the court where the probate was granted and the value of the estate.

Hope this helps.

Dawn

[a chesters]

Thank you for that Dawn.

I will have to make a list of the wills I am looking for, and go through the Ancestry records next time I am in the library.