Wills and Other Probate Records: A Practical Guide to Researching Your Ancestors' Last Documents (Readers Guides) [Paperback]

'A welcome,comprehensive guide to a challenging but rewarding collection of records.'

'This charming pocket-sized guide is a beginner's dream.' --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

'A most informative little book full of really helpful hints...I have no hesitation in recommending it.' --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Our ancestors' wills and related records can be a valuable source of genealogical information: an opportunity to find out more about their lives, families, livelihoods - sometimes even their personalities. However, the records can seem complex. From 1858 wills were centrally registered, and researching them is straightforward, but before 1858 wills were administrated in a network of church courts, and the records are scattered. This guide seeks to make will research available to all, from the novice family historian to the seasoned researcher seeking clarification on complexities. It makes sense of the records and the institutions to approach as well as the indexes and the digital resources increasingly available. Legal terminology and Latin phrases are translated, and the text is illustrated throughout with examples of the records including wills.