Wills and Probate
Probing into Probates & Wills
Learn how to find and use wills and estate records to learn more about your ancestors.
Abstract Thinking: Deeds and Wills
The court system keeps track of legal proceedings involving our otherwise undocumented ancestors. Linda Herrick Swisher tells us how to use these records in our genealogical research, in this article from the Jan/Feb 1997 issue of Ancestry Magazine.
British Probate Records
Free Record Information Leaflets from of the Public Record Office provide information on where to look for a will or grant of administration in the United Kingdom, plus information on death duty registers.
Irish Ancestors: Wills
Explains wills in Ireland including the information supplied and various types of wills.
Library of Virginia - Index to Wills and Administrations
Online index to the will books and order books for 37 Virginia cities and counties for the period up to 1800.
Skillbuilding - Analyzing Wills for Useful Clues
From OnBoard, Volume 1 Number 2, the newsletter of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Reproduced here on their Web site.
Unusual Words Found In Wills
Browse this free glossary to find meanings for many of the unusual words found in wills.
USGenWeb Archives
This digital library of contributed genealogical records for the United States includes many transcriptions of will and probate records that have been placed online by volunteers.
Where Did the Money Go?
Wills are an excellent genealogical source. That's the upside. There is a downside. Old wills can be vague, unspecific, and downright confusing. However, other probate records may clarify what is not clear in the will.
Wills and Testaments
Donna Prezcha covers wills and probate records: what they are, what they look like, how to find them, and what you can learn from them.