Genealogy Chat

A couple of points on this: 1. Documents Online only contain a very very small percentage of wills made before 1858. Most wills were not proved in the PCC, and are found in record offices. Wiltshire is hoping to put their wills online, but the project has been going for years now. 2. I've heard a rumour that wills post 1858 are going online. Gossip says in the next year, but I wouldn't hold your breath. And yes, yes, yes, wills are wonderful. So are the associated documents. One elderly maiden aunt mentioned all her brothers and sisters (in order of age). All the nephews and neices (arranged by sibling, then in order of age). When she died, a decade or so later, every beneficiary had to sign to say they'd received the money. Name, date, address and occupation. (Conversely, some wills just say, to my loving wife, while the witnesses are probably a friend and the vicar, and the executor is a neighbour)

Northumberland & Durham wills up to 1858 are at Durham University library. There is an on-line catalogue http://aesica.dur.ac.uk/probate/ Found DOZENS of mine there. You can order photocopies by email or post. They charge for the actual photocopies plus a handling charge of £4 or £5 plus postage. My last batch cost me £14.55 for 11, much cheaper than York (and quicker). At this sort of price I'm getting wills of brothers & cousins, as well as my direct line, and its amazing how they can help confirm family relationships. Just wish more of my rellies had bothered. One I have [from York, not Durham], has listed bequests to his wife & children: this proved to me that one didn't die in infancy (I'd not found him on 3 consecutive censuses) also helped me trace a daughter baptised as Eleanor (and on 1861 census as Eleanor) but later known as Ellen. This chap's bequests totalled £220 but unfortunately his total estate at death was only £82 9s and 8d. Hope his wife got a decent share.

Blimey, that was a good deal Vicky. Im sure there must be a lot more wills of my lot but I cant find them yet. After all several had their own businesses and I would have thought the nouse to have made a will. Perhaps Mr Smallweed was holding on to them!