Wills FAQ

Pre-1858 Derbyshire Wills You need to write to Lichfield Records Office at The Friary, Lichfield WS13 6QG or e mail them at [lichfield.record.office@staffordshire.gov.uk] as they have the Derbyshire Wills from before 1858. They will send you a photocopy for 50p a page plus postage. They may or may not charge you a search fee depending on how easy it is to locate the will in their indexes. Alan Bloor

Mike gives some tips on finding the right Will: example: SKIDMORE John 1860 Matlock All Wills proved at Derby Probate Office between 1858-1928 for the Surname Skidmore are listed below that surname heading. If you are looking for Alfred Skidmore but his name does not appear, he did not leave a Will proved at Derby. That's the way it goes sometimes. The year. This year is the year the Will was proved, usually the same year but sometimes the next, sometimes because of disputes etc, it could be years. So if for example you notice the same name, same place but wrong year by a number of years, if your suspicions are aroused, it may be worth checking this Will out, it may be your ancestors Will being proved years after his death. One thing I have noticed that when requesting Wills from me, some have ancestors who died, let's say latter part of a year,say 1875. So they have seen the Will list, asked for Joe Bloggs 1875, because thats when he died, but the Will was proved in 1876. Just a small point but it does help when checking them out for you. Please make sure you use the Will date ,otherwise I an looking through the wrong book and going slowly but surely mad. OK, that's enough of that.I do not need your agreement on this latter point! Name; Self explanatory, but remember some people may have been known by other names ,pet names all their life, my cousin Stuart is really Reginald,(I can see why he changed) but on official doc's he is Reginald. Presumably Wills are the same. Place; this is where the testator was living when they wrote their Will. They may have moved later to the place where they eventually died, so it may be that John Skidmore wrote his Will in Matlock but died at say Chesterfield. You may have a burial of him at Chesterfield, but because his name does not appear on the list as of Chesterfield you may dismiss this Matlock Will as your ancestor. Off course these are extreme cases, but if they were easy you would have find them, wouldn't you. You have to look for the less obvious. So if you tie in the year, name but the place is not right,then it is possible it just might be. If you want me to check these out, please give me some sort of indication of what I should be looking for, occupation for example, wife's name,childrens name, not ages. Now to the Wills, I have not checked John Skidmores Will so to all intents and purposes he is off Matlock and did not die in Chesterfield. Then again..

Mike gives a few thoughts about ADMINISTRATIONS So your ancestor died but he didn't leave a Will, but he had goods etc who took control, who administered the estate. The Admin list gives the name of those who died, if over two years previous to Administration the year of death, also if it is not husband or wife, or child it lists those who did administer including nieces and nephews. In addition a wife may have re-married and even moved away, they are also listed. These Admins cover more than is listed here, depending on the circumstances they may reveal date of death, occupations, children and ages, if a wife remarried, who acted as sureties other references like died sea and name of ship (not on this particular list) and people who started to Admin estate but died themselves soon afterwards,people who are acting as guardians to children and value of estate. They are a mine of information. They do not contain, obviously bequests, because as you are aware they are not Wills. Remember those entries without a date died either 1860 or 1861. For those entries without an Administrator named means it's usually the surviving mate,or child.If however it gives an address or place different from the deceased I have made a notatation Check that some people died years before, No's. 23-27 and others. Also where they died. Not always where they lived, not always Derbyshire. Remember there is possibly more disclosed on these Admins than I can record here. For those who died outside the County it will give date of death and place. A very useful indicator which quarter to search for the death certificate. Remember these Administrations cover more details than can be listed here. Most died either in the year of Administration or the year before. Those who did not are listed with the year of death. The names in capitals are of those who died,other names mentioned relate to whom the Administration was granted or other relatives to enable a better identification and also places where these people, often married daughters, re-married widows or sons now live. Those with no names do have Administrators who are basically husband or wife,son or daughter or even mother or father generally living in the same place . So you had an ancestor who died,had property but did not leave a Will. Who administered the estate. Many cases it was the wife or children but not always so. In the list below any Administration granted to a spouse or child of the deceased will be left blank basically unless there are details that may give you some family history in which case I have noted them. In other cases I list to whom Admin. has been granted. Most of the Admins were granted within a year or two of death, so the year 1864 is the year that Admininistration was granted,.not always the year of death.If a death falls either in the year of Admin or a year or two before I have not listed it as such but left it blank, which you will see is the majority of cases. Some Administrations were granted many years after death in which case the year of death will be recorded. Administrations give other names as well, including details of who is the guardian to orphans, which orphans often went to live with their guardian sometimes miles away from the parish in which thier parent died. Value of effects, where they died which in the list above is shown, but it is usually where they lived. They list creditors who after the wife has renounced Administration take over any remaining assets, sometimes leaving the family to the horrors of the work house. Elizabeth WILDSMITH 1872 Alvaston died 1864 Samuel WILDSMITH Innkeeper In the entry above the person who died intestate, that is, without leaving a Will is Elizabeth Wildsmith, she lived in Alvaston and although the Admin was granted in 1872 Elizabeth died in 1864. The Admin will give you the exact date. The Administration of her affairs was granted to Samuel Wildsmith, whose relationship to Elizabeth will also be recorded on the Administration document,in this case he was her husband. His occupation of Innkeeper is also recorded as are the occupations or marital status of most of the deceased. To save time I have simply not listed occupations but you will find them on the documents. The one above is just an example, a correct example mind you ,he was an Innkeeper. John ASHTON 1872 Charlesworth mentions Robert ASHTON Oldham Road, Manchester, John ASHTON. In the entry above we find the evidence that one of John ASHTON's children Robert had moved into a neighbouring County. It may be on checking the Census you couldn't find your ancestor in the area you hoped he would be in. People move, some of you were once in England. Robert only moved to Manchester but no one told you. Now you have his address from the Admin and you can go pick up the pieces. For many of the people who are listed as living outside the local area full street address is given including number of house. I have listed only the town they were living in. Frederic George DENTON 1872 Clay Cross mentions Emma DENTON In the entry above Emma Denton is the Administrator. However it does not necessarily mean she is Frederic's wife. She could be his daughter, an aunt, a sister or mother or even grand-mother. On the lists I have not recorded these details,time is of the essence. Paul TURNER 1872 Brampton mentions Emma CROFTS, Wilfred CROFTS Sheffield In the entry above although not in this case ,if you saw the womans surname as different from the deceased it is possible it is a daughter or sister being mentioned. However it could also be that the female has re-married and moved away. Generally speaking that would mostly occur in Admins where the person died a few years before the Admin grant. All Admins give the value of the Estate from as little as five pounds to thousands of pounds. They do not show bequests because they are not Wills.In some cases where Wills have been made,the person responsible for Administering the Will has died before it could be done. In that case new Administrators are appointed and these are also in the Administration documents.

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