Prerogative Grants of Ireland - Help!

[Brie]

Good morning,

I'm looking for someone who knows about these, what they are etc.

On Ancestry there is the following: "Prerogative Grants of Ireland 1821-1830 Vol 16 F-M" In it is my 5x great grandpa. It lists his name, then the number 162, then either the capital letter J or I - they appear indistinguishable.

My first question is does anyone know what the number and initial mean/refer to? The document is so damaged that you can't read the head of the column.

The overall title for this selection of records as named by Ancestry is "Ireland, Indexes to Wills, Probate Administration, Marriage Bonds & Licences 1591-1866"

At the top of the page with gramps on it says in Ancestry's type "Administrative Grants"

So my second question is does this mean he didn't leave a will (slightly odd as he was a barrister) and that someone/some organisation has granted administration of his estate to someone?

And the third and final question: if that is the case are these records held anywhere? Are there details of who administered the estate and how it was administered? Basically where do I go from her? I doubt very much that it was substantial, I have a feeling he rather let money through his grasp.  Ok it was three final questions  sorry

Hope this makes sense and that someone can help
Brie

[Jon_ni]

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62077/ is the collection you mention described as an "Index" of Wills.
 
Ancestry state the collection is from "Original data: Indexes of Wills, Administration and Marriage Licence Bonds. Dublin, Ireland: Microfilm of original records at the National Archives." so also check http://census.nationalarchives.ie/search/dw/home.jsp and note their comment
"Before 1858, grants of probate and administration were made by the courts of the Church of Ireland (the Prerogative Court and the Diocesan or Consistorial Courts). Almost all of the original records were destroyed in the Public Record Office in 1922. Most of what appears on this site are indexes to the original wills."

you can try looking on Findmypast as there is a link to a code of sources index
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/articles/world-records/full-list-of-the-irish-family-history-records/life-events-birth-marriage-death/index-of-irish-wills-1484-1858
or on John Grenham's site
https://www.johngrenham.com/browse/retrieve_text.php?text_contentid=86

Whatever it is the original will is unlikely to exist.
https://www.johngrenham.com/blog/2016/10/10/wills-wills-and-more-wills/

[Brie]

Jon-ni,

Thank you for this. Maggsie sent the PRONI details in a PM but I had no luck there. Looking at what you have sent me it does seem very unlikely that I'm going to find something but I shall have a good read and hopefully get a clearer picture.

Brie

[Wexflyer]

Why not search directly on the National Archives site, and tell us, or even better, link us, to what it says, rather than to paywalled sites?
http://census.nationalarchives.ie/search/dw/index.jsp

A to "what they are" - do you mean what are Prerogative grants?

[Brie]

Wexflyer,

Sorry I meant Maggsie sent me the National Archives link not PRONI and I've been looking on there but to no avail. I have also just been looking at what Jon-ni has posted and it seems unlikely that anything beyond the index has survived. To be honest the actual index is pretty badly damaged itself.

Brie

[Wexflyer]

Wexflyer,

Sorry I meant Maggsie sent me the National Archives link not PRONI and I've been looking on there but to no avail. I have also just been looking at what Jon-ni has posted and it seems unlikely that anything beyond the index has survived. To be honest the actual index is pretty badly damaged itself.

Brie

Well, while your chances are slim, they are not zero. In the years after 1922 there was a campaign to recover copies of lost wills from solicitors offices, families, etc, so a proportion of "lost" wills were replaced.

[Brie]

Thanks Wexflyer,

I shall keep my pecker up 

You never know in this game do you, brick walls of 40 odd years suddenly crash down - not very often though I have to admit!

Brie

[jonw65]

If it's William P (Phibbs) Irwin you are after, the administrator was Henry Williams of Kevins Port
Index
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BG-Y3PM-3

The Register doesn't really add much, I'm afraid.
Date of administration was 15 Dec 1829 in the Prerogative Court.
Sum sworn under £5, so not a very valuable estate!
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BY-K9P3-X

We did discuss these registers and indexes before a while back on RC, they are something akin to the death duty registers that you may be familiar with
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/232755

[jonw65]

does this mean he didn't leave a will (slightly odd as he was a barrister) and that someone/some organisation has granted administration of his estate to someone?

That is correct, William died intestate.