death duty register?

[hilarykellis]

Hi,
I searched for Benjamin Whitehead, my ancestor, in the Death Duty Register Index and found him. I don't live in the UK so I sadly don't have access to the Nat'l Archives. Is there a way for me to send off for a copy of the death duty register for this ancestor? Sorry, I'm quite new to this..

[Waitabit]

Hi Hilarykellis, if you found this on NAtional Archives, there is a "help & FAQ" just above the info on the right of page. Click on this & go to 'payments' or click here
This will tell you how to send for & pay for the info you want. You'll need a Visa card or similar, which if you keep to just enough to pay for these things shouldn't be a risk to you.

Similarly, you can click on 'add to shopping' then 'check out'

Maybe there is an easier way which someone will offer up later.

[hilarykellis]

Hi waitabit,
Thanks so much for your response. I found the entry in the index online at Findmypast.co.uk. Do you think there's some way I can write to the Archives with the name of my ancestor, year, and court and they can find my document and send it? I'm so confused, as usual, haha.

[Waitabit]

This will find the National Archives for you:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...death-duty.asp

click on search in the first paragraph, Death Duty Registers (1796 - 1811) fillin the name of your person & follow earlier leads.

good hunting. Download is almost immediate if you have the card available.

[Waitabit]

Sorry, didn't answer your query, there is a 'contact us' below the form that is to be filled out "Getting in Touch" this will tell you much more thanI can, as I've only ever applied online & downloaded the info.

[hilarykellis]

Thanks again! Upon searching the site directed me to Benjamin's abstract of administration, which I've seen before. This isn't the same thing as an entry in the Death Duty Register, is it?

[Waitabit]

Oh dear, where is Kerrywood when I'm stuck?
sorry, I'd started cooking & had to dash back to the stove. simply?..I don't know but as it's listed under the heading of Death duty registers, I gather it would give that., hang on & I'll google,...yuk!, well anyway I understand abstract in this sense to be a group or selection of, so add..Administration.. must be a collection of papers to do with death duty etc.

I'm sorry, this is not my forte, best wait for someone knowledgable in this area.

[Kerrywood]

Upon searching the site directed me to Benjamin's abstract of administration, which I've seen before. This isn't the same thing as an entry in the Death Duty Register, is it?

If this record is what you are looking at, then effectively it is the same thing. As well as the Abstract of Administration, it should contain details of any duty (tax) that was payable on the estate.

If you want to download this abstract, click Add to Shopping and then follow the payment instructions (as advised by Waitabit above).

If you already have this abstract, you might be able to get a copy of the whole grant of administration, though it may not add much to this. I think these probate records are kept at Durham County Record Office, but someone with more Durham experience than I may know more.

[hilarykellis]

Hi Kerrywood,

I had ordered the administration before and it states the sum sworn, the administrator of the will, Benjamin's full name and where he lived, and the administrator's full name and where he lived, it didn't state how much of a duty was to be paid. Do you think the full administration document is worth searching for?
I was hoping for more information (i.e. the executors, how the money/property was divided up/who inherited what/any annuities installed). So even though Benjamin's listed in the Death Duty Register Index, the abstract is his only documentation in that respect?
Sorry, just trying to understand everything as I'm still new to this. Your help has been invaluable so far..

[Kerrywood]

The original document was a grant of administration (from which you have an abstract). So there probably was no will.

A grant of administration is normally made by the court if someone dies without leaving a will, or if their will is not valid for some reason. The grant authorizes someone close to the deceased to administer their estate and to distribute the assets appropriately.

I was hoping for more information (i.e. the executors,...

If there is no will, there are no executors -- just the administrator, whose personal details you already have in the abstract.

... how the money/property was divided up/who inherited what/any annuities installed).

I believe the administrator was required by the court to distribute the assets proportionately in a fixed order of precedence. Offhand I'm not sure of the details. I daresay they could be found online somewhere.

So even though Benjamin's listed in the Death Duty Register Index, the abstract is his only documentation in that respect?

There's a very slight chance that (a) there was a will that did not go to probate at the time, and (b) the full grant of administration survives. The will, if there was one, would be worth looking at, but probably not the administration.

Unless anyone here can help further, I think your best bet will be to contact Durham County Record Office and ask whether there are any surviving probate records for this man, beyond what you already have from TNA. That sort of general query is normally answered free of charge.