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  • Help with Locating a Will

    I have been given a transcribed copy of a will written on the 24th June 1824 for George Frederick Frantz c1757-1824, I was wanting to locate the original version of the will for my self, but don't know exactly where to start. I have tried looking around the National Archives site but seem to be going around in circles, with no results. Could someone please tell me if I should be able to find this will on the National Archives site, and if so where do I go to find it or should I be writing to the Family History Centre Woking, Weybridge Parish Records. (as stated on the bottom of the will) Sorry if this is a silly question, but it's the first record like this that I have searched for.
    [COLOR="Purple"][COLOR="darkorchid"]Thanks

    Mystic.........

  • #2
    Hi Mystic

    This link looks like the one you want. You can download it for £3.50

    JavaScript Support Check

    I put Frantz in the search box then narrowed it down to wills from the options on the results page.
    Gillian
    User page: http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/...ustGillian-117

    Comment


    • #3
      Thank you Gillian, I have been sitting here for ages looking, when you go to the National Archives site do you just put in the surname? or do you need to put other information in? I thought more was better, obviously I was wrong.......But thank you for finding it for me.
      [COLOR="Purple"][COLOR="darkorchid"]Thanks

      Mystic.........

      Comment


      • #4
        Mystic - as Frantz is a relatively uncommon name and I knew I was just looking for a will, I simply used the surname.

        It's a case of trial and error when I use TNA - I just try the various options and see what works! But, generally, I try to keep the search as broad as possible.
        Gillian
        User page: http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/...ustGillian-117

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks again, I will keep trying!
          [COLOR="Purple"][COLOR="darkorchid"]Thanks

          Mystic.........

          Comment


          • #6
            As I understand it, though, the documents available from the National Archives are contemporary handwritten transcripts.

            The original with his signature will probably be in the local Records Office.

            Comment


            • #7
              Mary - I've downloaded four wills from TNA and each one was a scan of the original. I just assumed they all were - I will go back and check the Frantz details on TNA.
              Gillian
              User page: http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/...ustGillian-117

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Mary from Italy View Post
                As I understand it, though, the documents available from the National Archives are contemporary handwritten transcripts.

                The original with his signature will probably be in the local Records Office.
                Er, no. Where a will is depends on the court it was proved in (and pre 1858 there were scores of different courts). Wills shown on TNA's website are the registered copies of those proved in the PCC. I doubt whether original wills survive anywhere, unless they were contested soon after being proved, in which case they would still be at TNA.

                After about 1796 there were Estate Duty copies, forming the basis of the Death Duty registers. Again, most of these were destroyed. I think the only instance of their survival is for instances where the originals were destroyed by wartime bombing, eg Devon, and those were sent to the Record Office. And in this instance, copies would only have been made if Estate Duty applied - so although I have ancestors making wills in the period, there were no copies to survive.
                Phoenix - with charred feathers
                Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

                Comment


                • #9
                  btw, Surrey wills for anyone dying in the 1820s are not, as you might logically think, at the Surrey History Centre, but at London Metropolitan Archives.
                  Phoenix - with charred feathers
                  Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I do apologise - I think I must have misunderstood the original post and confused the issue.

                    Mystic - when you said transcript, I thought you meant a modern transcript.

                    Mary - similarly, I read your contemporary as contemporary to us ie in our time, not contemporary as in the will author's time. So, by "original", I meant the original proved copies.

                    Mystic - I hope I didn't mislead you.
                    Gillian
                    User page: http://www.familytreeforum.com/wiki/...ustGillian-117

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yes sorry, I meant written in the author's time. The ones I've downloaded from TNA have been in that hard to read script, and look as though they've been transcribed into a volume.

                      The ones I've got from Record Offices have been much easier to read, and had the original signatures.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I have purchased a copy of the will, it is in an old style writting, very hard to understand but it appears to be a scanned copy of a page with other parties wills included. Gillian you didn't confuse me if anything you helped me. I have since been able to find information regarding another family member on the National Archives. Maybe I didn't use the right terminology, but I have achieved my goal of finding the actual will- although now reading the posts I'm unsure exactly what type of copy I have, hopefully now I will be able to navigate and locate other peices of info if need a little more easier.

                        Edit: The will I have appears to have a signature at the end of the will, I assume this is a copy of an original will?
                        Last edited by Mystic; 30-01-09, 22:13.
                        [COLOR="Purple"][COLOR="darkorchid"]Thanks

                        Mystic.........

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I've always assumed that the TNA images are of probate transcriptions made at the time of probate. The most "live" signature you might get would be of an executor.

                          Christine
                          Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            It appears that the will has "Proved" written on the bottom of the will, so I assume this means pobate was approved? So would this mean that this was a probate transcription??
                            [COLOR="Purple"][COLOR="darkorchid"]Thanks

                            Mystic.........

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              If it's a standalone document, then it may be an original, but marked/certified for probate. If it's a probate transcription, then it's likely to be in a sequence of lots of Wills.

                              We were very fortunate to come upon one of OH's ancestor's original Wills - with an attached sealed document signifying that the Will had been proved. All folded up neatly in the attic. Given that Devon lost a whole lot of original Wills in WW2 when their collection was bombed in Exeter, I think they were quite pleased when OH's family agreed with me that it was more appropriate for it to go to the Plymouth & W Devon RO on permanent loan. (I felt that [a] we were only a small part of a large number of descendants and [b] they had the means to look after it much better both in environmental conditions and security.)

                              Christine
                              Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Wow, that is fantastic, you were very fortunate and generous to share such a thing.
                                As I stated earlier, this is the 1st time I have obtained a will- I take it from what you have said that it is a probate transcription as there are other people's will both before and after. Sorry to ask so many questions just trying to understand what I have rather than assume, everyone has been very helpful.
                                [COLOR="Purple"][COLOR="darkorchid"]Thanks

                                Mystic.........

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  No need to apologise for asking for information. If it's something that you don't know, there may be someone else who doesn't, and hasn't been brave enough to ask!

                                  Christine
                                  Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Thanks Christine.
                                    [COLOR="Purple"][COLOR="darkorchid"]Thanks

                                    Mystic.........

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      TNA has many original wills proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. These are not available on line but can be scanned for a fee. You have to write to TNA to see if they hold the original will you are looking for.

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