Family will, where did the money go?

RAS

Since probate is a public record, you wouldn't be breaking rules if you quoted the reference off Ancestry.

Although I've been unable to find probate records since the "new" system came in. It was clunky but functional before.

But in the situation you are describing if aunt without any will, this may have become bono vacantia?

lincroft1710

It appears you can search for wills relating to pre 1996 deaths


https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate


But you won't be able to download a copy of the will, you would have to apply for a hard copy

mrsyardbroom

RAS said:

Since probate is a public record, you wouldn't be breaking rules if you quoted the reference off Ancestry.

Although I've been unable to find probate records since the "new" system came in. It was clunky but functional before.

But in the situation you are describing if aunt without any will, this may have become bono vacantia?

I don't know if there was a will or not. I believe there was. Who do I quote the Ancestry reference to? I wanted to try and find out who probate was granted to, but I can't do that on the Government website because they only have digitised records after 1st January 1996. The Government website brings up the same document as Ancestry, but that only tells me how much money was left and not who got the dosh.

mrsyardbroom

lincroft1710 said:

It appears you can search for wills relating to pre 1996 deaths


https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate


But you won't be able to download a copy of the will, you would have to apply for a hard copy

That only gives me the information that I already have. I was trying to find out if there was a will and who got the money.

RAS

mrsyardbroom said:

RAS said:

Since probate is a public record, you wouldn't be breaking rules if you quoted the reference off Ancestry.

Although I've been unable to find probate records since the "new" system came in. It was clunky but functional before.

But in the situation you are describing if aunt without any will, this may have become bono vacantia?

I don't know if there was a will or not. I believe there was. Who do I quote the Ancestry reference to? I wanted to try and find out who probate was granted to, but I can't do that on the Government website because they only have digitised records after 1st January 1996. The Government website brings up the same document as Ancestry, but that only tells me how much money was left and not who got the dosh.

As explained for the past few years I've been paying £1.50 for an electronic copy of the grant and will using the probate.gov.uk site, nearly all predating 1998. I'd have to search a lot of trees to find the earliest date.

Since the new system came in I've not even been able to find the records for most people, even whose deaths are more recent and whose records show up on Ancestry.

Maybe someone on MSE who has successfully used it in the last year can advise?

lincroft1710

mrsyardbroom said:

lincroft1710 said:

It appears you can search for wills relating to pre 1996 deaths


https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate


But you won't be able to download a copy of the will, you would have to apply for a hard copy

That only gives me the information that I already have. I was trying to find out if there was a will and who got the money.

The website seems to suggest you could apply for details of the will. PR may have a hard copy but not guaranteed as may have destroyed them.


But if not then it would appear you've reached the end of the road.  Trying to find if a local solicitor drew up the will or applied for probate would be nigh on impossible after nearly 40 years, which would have been my other suggestion

mrsyardbroom

RAS said:

mrsyardbroom said:

RAS said:

Since probate is a public record, you wouldn't be breaking rules if you quoted the reference off Ancestry.

Although I've been unable to find probate records since the "new" system came in. It was clunky but functional before.

But in the situation you are describing if aunt without any will, this may have become bono vacantia?

I don't know if there was a will or not. I believe there was. Who do I quote the Ancestry reference to? I wanted to try and find out who probate was granted to, but I can't do that on the Government website because they only have digitised records after 1st January 1996. The Government website brings up the same document as Ancestry, but that only tells me how much money was left and not who got the dosh.

As explained for the past few years I've been paying £1.50 for an electronic copy of the grant and will using the probate.gov.uk site, nearly all predating 1998. I'd have to search a lot of trees to find the earliest date.

Since the new system came in I've not even been able to find the records for most people, even whose deaths are more recent and whose records show up on Ancestry.

Maybe someone on MSE who has successfully used it in the last year can advise?

They have digitised the records from 1st January 1996 onwards, but not before. They have nothing except the the basic probate information that doesn't explain where the money went. I've tried many different ways but cannot pay for the information. It simply isn't there. I just get referred to an image result of the Calendar of Wills all the time. It's very frustrating. AI insists that searching the National Will Register is free, but when you go to the site they ask for a minimum of £65 for a search. I have found some very old wills and they've been very interesting. A will can often give lots of family information and can confirm relationships.

silvercar

“ Apparently she died in 1986, just three months after my father died”

Then, if she had made a will leaving everything to your father, she outlived him so his children inherit in his place. 

RAS

I thought I posted but seem to have lost it.

The reference number is for more recent wills. For an older will or grants you need the name, DOB, date of grant, and registry. 

I have just double checked by adding a previously received will to my basket in "find will", and it succeeded for a will proved in 1959.

First have you scrolled down three paragraphs below the 0 results image you posted earlier?

If you are seeing a copy of the index page for your relative, you need to click the little "Click to Open Image and Order" link that's below "x document page(s) returned" and above the little image. The details you need should be in the brief index entry.

It's still asking for £1.50, and but I wasn't able to work through to the payment page.

One oddity by the way. 

If probate was granted after the year of death, you have to click on the right hand side to access the images for grants in the following years. EDIT, I have in some cases found grants many years after the death. 

Keep_pedalling

mrsyardbroom said:

I can't download a will or detailed probate record because the probate was granted before 1996.

When the documents were issued after 1st January 1996 they will show in the Digital Search Results, otherwise there is just a brief entry shown as an image.

I have obtained a copy of probate and the associated will for someone who died in the 1970’s from the probate office.