Another question about death duty registers

[Jane_Adams]

I didn't want to hijack the other person's thread, but I have a quick (and hopefully easily answered) question about the death duty registers.

I've also been on Findmypast and have found entries of 2 wills for my 3 and 2xgreat grandfathers (different branches).

Both of them have 'ne' against the folio number, which I have discovered means No Entry but what does that actually mean? Is there actually a will? I don't want to pay the fee if there isn't anything.

[Kerrywood]

NE means no duty was paid. There should nevertheless be a will or a grant of administration in the relevant probate court or registry.

Kerrywood

[Geoffers]

Is there actually a will? I don't want to pay the fee if there isn't anything.

Try Northampton Record Office - see if they have the Probate Calendar (an annual index of wills and administrations) on film; it is easy to use.

If you find an entry which refers to probate, then order a copy of the will.

If you find an entry which refers to admon, or administration, then you are unlikely to get more information than appears in the calendar.

In either case note down the full entry and remember to record the year in which you found the entry.

[Jane_Adams]

Try Northampton Record Office - see if they have the Probate Calendar (an annual index of wills and administrations) on film; it is easy to use.

If you find an entry which refers to probate, then order a copy of the will.

If you find an entry which refers to admon, or administration, then you are unlikely to get more information than appears in the calendar.

In either case note down the full entry and remember to record the year in which you found the entry.

Can Northampton Record Office provide me with this info even if the people concerned weren't from this area?

One of them was from Shropshire and the Death Duty Register shows Shrewsbury. The other was from Builth Wells in Breconshire and the DDR shows Hereford.

The Shropshire one was a farmer (think the last census said of 100+ acres), and I found records which referred to him as a "prosperous farmer" so I had kind of expected to find a will. The Builth one was a tailor which as I understand it wasn't a particularly prosperous profession although you never know.

Both people died in mid 1880 (one in May and one in August), and both DDRs were from 1881, both showed spouse as executor.

[Geoffers]

Can Northampton Record Office provide me with this info even if the people concerned weren't from this area?

Yes, it covers the country and includes quite a few people who died abroad. The probate calendar commenced in 1858 when jurisdiction for probate changed.

[Jane_Adams]

Just thought I'd update this thread.

Due to not being able to get to Northampton Record Office (mainly due to having to lug 2 year old with me!) I just ordered the 2 wills.

Last week I got a reply back from the probate office enclosing a will for one of them and a letter to say that they were unable to trace a will for the other.

So the upshot was a 50% success rate :)

Still none the wiser why he didn't have to pay duty, however.

Oh a question actually. It said on the first page that the value of the personal estate was "under £800". When it says that, what does it mean by 'under' - this could mean anything from £1 to £799.

I had the same thing on another will that said it was "under £18,000"