Getting copies of UK wills from Australia

[JeanetteH]

Does anyone in Australia have any experience in getting copies of UK wills that date after 1858?

I have found the details of the will I want from the calender of grants of probate (filmed by the LDS).

I had read somewhere, some weeks ago on the HM Court Service website http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/wills.htm (but now can't now find the actual page I got this from), that the only payment option for those abroad is to send a cheque/draft, payable through a UK bank in pounds sterling. That's going to be expensive!

[ChristineR]

You would probably find it a lot cheaper to hire a researcher - the Archives web site has a list of independent researchers. The easiest option for payment is a credit card, but maybe some of them may have a direct debit to their bank account option too.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/gettingstarted/paid_research.htm?source=ddmenu_research7

ChristineR

[JeanetteH]

You would probably find it a lot cheaper to hire a researcher -

Yes, that's what I suspected . . . unless there's someone in Australia who do a service to get copies of wills . . . same as they might for BMD certificates. That's what I'm wondering.

Jeanette

[Wirral]

If the probate was proved at Chester (mainly for Cheshire residents, but does include others), then you can search & buy online by credit card http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Recordoffice/Wills/Home.htm
It covers 1492 -1940 and has 130,000 entries!

[Mythology]

I imagine that this is the page you found:
http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1183.htm

In the payment bit, it includes ...
"The fee should be payable to "HMCS", and if it is paid from abroad, must be made by International Money Order or bank draft, payable through a United Kingdom bank and made out in £ sterling."
... which does seem rather restrictive.

I've never used International Money Orders, so don't know if that's a reasonable alternative or whether, like a lot of things where a small sum is involved, the cost of the Order is more than the cost of the item you're purchasing, but if you haven't already done so you could check that out.

[Mythology]

Alternatively, as you have the details so there wouldn't be a lot of time involved, just a case of filling in a form, if you have a reliable friend over here, you could risk sending them cash in the post and ask them to order it for you.

£5 is about twelve and a half dollars - if one of my Australian friends sent me 15 dollars to cover what I'd lose in currency conversion charges, I'd be happy with that.

[JeanetteH]

I imagine that this is the page you found:
http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1183.htm

Yes, that's the page.


In the payment bit, it includes ...
"The fee should be payable to "HMCS", and if it is paid from abroad, must be made by International Money Order or bank draft, payable through a United Kingdom bank and made out in £ sterling."
... which does seem rather restrictive.

I've never used International Money Orders, so don't know if that's a reasonable alternative or whether, like a lot of things where a small sum is involved, the cost of the Order is more than the cost of the item you're purchasing, but if you haven't already done so you could check that out.

Australia Post don't do international money orders for the UK and an international draft for pounds sterling will cost more than the cost of the will!

Doing it this way, I'd want to apply for several wills at once to save on fees.

That might be my best option so far.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Jeanette

[JeanetteH]

If the probate was proved at Chester (mainly for Cheshire residents, but does include others), then you can search & buy online by credit card http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Recordoffice/Wills/Home.htm
It covers 1492 -1940 and has 130,000 entries!
Would be good if it was!

And that prompts another question - now I look at the details I have from the index, it gives the date of the grant but it doesn't actually state where it was granted.

Do I presume it's where the deceased lived and died (which was on Old Kent Road, Surrey)?

Jeanette

[Mythology]

The only one I have a photocopy of at home is from 1886, but from memory I think the index entries all follow much the same style, so towards the tail end you should have something on the lines of ...

... who died [date] at [address] was proved at [court] by [executor]

If it says "Principal Registry" rather than having an actual place name for the court, that's London.

[JeanetteH]

If it says "Principal Registry" rather than having an actual place name for the court, that's London.

That's what it says. Excellent!

Thanks for that.

[JeanetteH]

Thank you everyone for your responses!