User:Ridgew/Sandbox

Record Information
Although any person, regardless of class or wealth, may have left a will or might be mentioned in one, wills were made primarily by the middle and upper classes, mostly by males with property. Before 1882, a wife who died before her husband could not make a will except with her husband’s consent or under a marriage settlement created before her marriage. A widow, however, could make a will.

Before 1750, heirs often did not prove wills to avoid court costs. The will was often kept in case someone later objected to the distribution of the property. As a result, sometimes wills were probated decades after the testator’s death. Some archives have collections of unproved wills. Others may be among family papers.

Until 1833 real property could be entailed. This specified how property would be inherited in the future. An entail prevented subsequent inheritors from bequeathing the property to anyone except the heirs specified in the entail.

The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth holds the original wills proved in Welsh ecclesiastical courts and has published images online.

Probate records are used to legally dispose of a person’s estate after his or her death. The probate process transfers the legal responsibility for payment of taxes, care and custody of dependent family members, liquidation of debts, and transfer of property title. The transfer is to an executor or executrix if the deceased had made a will, to an administrator or administratrix if the deceased had not made a will, or to a guardian or conservator if the deceased had heirs under the age of twenty-one or if heirs were incompetent due to disease or disability.

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before beginning a search in these records, it is best to know the following information: When entered into the search box on the Collection Page, these pieces of information are the most likely to find the correct person, though other information may be substituted if the name, location, and date are not all known.
 * Full name of the individual in question
 * General location of the event
 * Date range for record

Search by Name by Visiting the [ INSERT COLLECTION PAGE URL Collection Page]
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page to return a list of possible matches. Compare the individuals on the list with what is already known to find the correct family or person. This step may require examining multiple individuals before a match is located.

View Images in This Collection by Visiting the Browse Page
If granted the rights to view the digitized records in this collection (see below), the images may be found by following this series of links: ⇒ Select Browse through images on the initial [ INSERT COLLECTION PAGE URL collection page]. You may also follow the link in the "To Browse This Collection" section above to reach the same page. ⇒ Select the appropriate  INSERT FIRST BROWSE HIERARCHY TIER  ⇒ Select the appropriate  INSERT SECOND BROWSE HIERARCHY TIER  ⇒ Select the appropriate  INSERT FINAL BROWSE HIERARCHY TIER  to go to the images


 * The FamilySearch Catalog may have more information or additional images relating to these records. To access the Catalog, follow the links below. To learn more about how to use the Catalog, visit the Introduction to the FamilySearch Catalog page.

Gloucester

Gloucestershire Genealogy

Durham Genealogy

Yorkshire Parishes

Abbotsbury Wyke Regis

Abbotsbury Wyke Regis

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To see the images:

Locality: COUNTRY AND PROVINCE

Locality: COUNTRY, PROVINCE, AND CITY