Index to Irish Wills 1484-1858: Where to find the wills?

[jonw65]

What do you reckon about the consanguinity column?

Was the TNA guide any help, Gilby?
Stranger or not?

[Gilby]

Yes, definitely, that is a very useful webpage!  Thanks!  I agree that it is “Stranger”, e.g. compare the "Stra" to the "Ste" in Stevenson in the executors box at the top - very similar. 

The National Archives guide also identifies one of the abbreviations in the "What deemed" column, abswp = absolute legacy with a proviso (conditional grant).

My reading of the death duties record for Thomas Wilson is now as follows…

Thomas Wilson of Coggery [Cogry], Co Antrim.
Died Dec. 1831.
Will dated 27th May 1831.
Proved 17th Sep 1832, Down.
Sworn under £276.

Executors:
Robert Wilson of Coggery.
James Stevenson of Four Mill [Mile] Burn.

Legacies:
1.   £200 (absolute) charged on testator’s lands in Drains (bequeathed to Robert Wilson) as well as on the personal property.  To Robert Wilson, a natural child. 
2.   £10 (annuity) charged on testator’s lands in Drains (bequeathed to Robert Wilson) as well as on the personal property.  To Anne Kirkwood, a natural child.  For life, provided she does not return to Ireland during the life of her husband.
3.   £50 each (absolute, with proviso) charged on testator’s lands in Drains (bequeathed to Robert Wilson) as well as on the personal property.  To John Kirkwood, Anne Kirkwood, and Thomas Kirkwood, “stranger’s in blood” [probably children of testator’s illegitimate daughter].  Death duties only liable should two of the three die.  Should all three die under the age of 21, then the legacy is to go to Thomas Wilson (relationship not stated).
4.   Residue in legacies not liable to duty.

Inventory:
House goods = £12-10-0
Securities = £133-16-6
Stock = £88-0-0
Other property = £39-0-0
Total = £273-6-6

Am I reading it correctly that the legacies were charged on land which had been bequeathed to Robert Wilson?  Does it make sense that Robert Wilson’s legacy of £200 would be charged on land already owned by him?  If not, does this show that there were two Robert Wilsons who were beneficiaries of Thomas Wilson’s will?

The stipulation that Anne Kirkwood is not to return to Ireland during her husband’s lifetime is an unusual one.  Often a legacy for a child abroad is only offered on the condition that they do return.  I wonder what the story was in this case.

[jonw65]

Hi Gilby
I think you have read it perfectly.
It is an excellent guide from TNA, glad it was useful. The story of Anne Kirkwood sounds as if it will be a good one, but I haven't been able to get a line on it.

Gosh, I am well out of my depth with your specific question about the land. Can someone help?
Jon

[Gilby]

Well, it turns out I actually have a copy of Thomas Wilson's will from PRONI (D300/1/5/98).

I can confirm there were two Robert Wilsons (several in fact).  Thomas gave his land in Drains to his brother Robert Wilson subject to certain legacies including the sum of £200 to his son Robert Wilson.

Anne Kirkwood's story is less interesting than I was expecting.  Thomas's wish was that she and her husband should reside in America "or some other foreign country" and if they were to return then the annuity was to stop.  However, if Anne was widowed then she could return to Ireland.

I think that was still a useful exercise even if it turns out there's more information elsewhere!

[Gilby]

From the Index of Irish Wills 1484-1858 on Findmypast...

First name(s)    James
Last name    Hamilton
Archive reference    T/9915
Year    1707
Address    Ballynagarvie
County    Antrim

As I understand it, the T references are Testamentary records deposited at the PRO after the Four Courts fire.  Many of those were microfilmed and can be found on familysearch.org.

However, many wills like the above are absent from familysearch, and I can't find them in the National Archives online catalogue.  Does anyone know what's going on, and how/where can I find wills which fall into this category?

[Jon_ni]

Gilby

First I tried a Name Search on PRONI
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/about-name-search

James Hamilton. Townland:Ballynagarvie, Co. Antrim.
Description :    Prerog[itive] Will ext
PRONI Ref :    T/737/27
Date : 1727
Original Documents: The original documents referred to in this index DO exist. Further information can be found under the PRONI reference above.

But on going to their eCat and input T/737/27 and inputting reference I got nowhere. So I tried the NAI Catalogue with reference and name in advanced search and got nowhere.

However, no need for any of that. It IS imaged on the standard NAI Genealogy sub-site with census, soldiers wills etc
Prerogative and diocesan copies of some wills and indexes to others, 1596 – 1858

direct link = http://census.nationalarchives.ie/search/dw/details.jsp?id=183408

Genealogy sub-site https://genealogy.nationalarchives.ie/

[Gilby]

Oh nice, thanks!  I hadn’t realised it was one of the survivors in the Prerogative will books.

I’d come across the T/737/27 reference on the PRONI name search and wondered whether the will might be buried in the “Memoirs of the Chesney family” (T737/1).

I don’t think the T/9915 reference has anything to do with the PRONI reference, but I may be wrong.  I need to find another example…

[Gilby]

Here’s another T reference I can’t trace. 

First name(s)    Oliver
Document type    Will
Last name    McCausland
Document status    Certified Copy
Year    1722
Archive reference    T/8686
Address    Strabane
County    Tyrone
Notes    Attestation is not signed
Where grant proved    Prerogative Court

It’s a Prerogative will too, but it just misses out on being in one of the surviving will books.

There are copies of the will at PRONI (which I have seen), but none have a reference corresponding to the above.