Wills

[millofski]

Is there anyway of seeing or ordering a copy my great-grandfather's will (died in 1955)?

[rosie99]

£1.50 from the Probate Office
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

[millofski]

Thanks, where would I find the Date of Probate.  It appears to have been sealed in London, would assume this would be the registry office?

[phil57]

Thanks, where would I find the Date of Probate.  It appears to have been sealed in London, would assume this would be the registry office?

Use the search facility on the Probate website that rosie99 posted the link to. Start with the year of death. If not found in that year, move forward a year and search again. Once you have found the calendar record in the index, all the information is at hand to fill in the boxes to the right of the image and order a copy of the will.

The help on the website is worth reading ;-)

[arthurk]

'Sealing' is the term used when a will that has been proved in another jurisdiction (eg Scotland) is sent to the English probate registry to be recorded there. There is no need for a further probate in England, as sealing is sufficient.

Sealing in itself gives rise to very little paperwork, and I was once advised by someone in the probate registry that anything I ordered from them would tell me no more than the index does.

In cases like this there will be some kind of grant outside of England, and this should be more informative; where this was might be apparent from the index, but if it isn't we might be able to help you trace it. You'd need to tell us more about your great grandfather - at least his name and where he lived and died.

[mazi]

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=811617.msg6718339#msg6718339


Also the links on this thread have information about sealed wills

Mike

[millofski]

'Sealing' is the term used when a will that has been proved in another jurisdiction (eg Scotland) is sent to the English probate registry to be recorded there. There is no need for a further probate in England, as sealing is sufficient.

Sealing in itself gives rise to very little paperwork, and I was once advised by someone in the probate registry that anything I ordered from them would tell me no more than the index does.

In cases like this there will be some kind of grant outside of England, and this should be more informative; where this was might be apparent from the index, but if it isn't we might be able to help you trace it. You'd need to tell us more about your great grandfather - at least his name and where he lived and died.

Thanks - my great-grandfather was Arthur Henry Brace.  He died 23rd April 1955 in Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire.  The basic summary I game across just said "Brace Arthur Henry of 4 Broompark Drive Newton Mearns Renfrewshire 23rd April 1955 Confirmation of Bertha Brace Widow. Sealed London 13 July." The rumour was he apparently ignored his wife & 1 daughter in the will, was trying to find how true that was.

[arthurk]

'Confirmation' in Scotland is the equivalent of Probate in England, and indicates that there was a will. In this case it will be in the National Records of Scotland, but not online. In order to see it you'd have to either visit the searchroom or arrange to order a copy.

These links give more information about procedures in Scotland:

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/wills-and-testaments

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/wills-and-testaments

[rosie99]

£1.50 from the Probate Office
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills

I don't know what information you would get from there

Brace, Arthur Henry of 4 Broompark Drive Newton Mearns Renfrewshire died 23 April 1955 Confirmation of Bertha Brace widow. Sealed London 13 July