Wills and Probate Records are an invaluable source of information for Family Historians.

It is important to recognize that wills were not all made by wealthy people. Many men and women, who were comparatively poor, also left a last will and testament to indicate who was to inherit what they possessed. An inventory attached to a probate record will specify precisely what the dead person left and thereby paint a vivid picture of how this ancestor lived.

Wills will not only confirm the children who were living at the time that the will was made, they will usually give the name of the man’s widow and, if they were living, the deceased person’s parents. Thery also frequently note the names of the daughters’ husbands and may give further details about the extended family.

Wills almost invariably note the deceased’s occupation or social status and also where they were living.

Wills will often give an insight into the deceased’s religious beliefs and sometimes indicate the relatives or neighbours with whom they have fallen out. Sometimes a will may uncover a family secret such as an illegitimate child.