Wills - the Last Testament - Family History
Whilst researching our family history, it is likely that we will discover the
last will and testament of one or more of our ancestors. It is a legal
document that records their last wishes regarding the distribution of their
wealth.
The information contained in wills can give us the names of individuals that
were either closely related to, or otherwise very important to the person
dictating the will. It is often true that the witnesses to the will would
either be relatives, close friends, or business associates.
In the UK, records of wills are kept in most record offices or county archives,
in annual volumes, and recorded alphabetically. Wills are therefore relatively
simple to locate.
Once
found, one simply applies to the Probate
Office responsible for the area in which the will was proven.
There is an excellent online resource run by the National
Archives with many online documents, including wills dated between 1383
and 1858, war medal awards and much more.
Further
information about wills after 1858 may be found on the H.M.C.S. website.
To see
an example of a will then you can print copies of the two images below.
A typical Will
Probate Report
