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  1. #1
    Wilkes_ml
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    Default Letters of Administration

    How often do Letters of Administration contain more information than that contained within the Probate Index?

    I have at least 6 or 7 ancestors who had Administrations granted and don't really want to pay for a copy of each one if there is no additional information, but I guess I won't know untill I purchase them.

    What do other people do with Admons?

  2. #2
    Brick wall demolition expert!
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    In my experience it can vary tremendously.

    One of my ancestors died intestate in 1828. She had been married 3 times; the first being to a member of my tree. Whilst I knew that she had remarried once, it was not until someone showed me the grant of administration to her sons from her first marriage that I found out all about her marriages and when she died.

    Others contain little or no additional information to the Probate Index.

    Sorry - it seems to be a question of pot luck! Oh for the days when you could sit in Somerset House and for a few pennies have the wills and admins shown to you on the day, and you could then decide whether or a copy was worth while - which again cost I think no more than £1.

  3. #3
    Wilkes_ml
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    Thanks Megan, I guess it is like buying a BMD certificate that you know will probably only contain information you already know, but it is nice to have just for the sake of "completeness".

    I still have a copy of my original search list from my last trip to the probate office where I had to manually search each book, and write out the information by hand in my notebook....now I can print off the probate index page from my pc...and that seems such a big difference.

  4. #4
    Loves to help with queries
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    I do agree with Megan that it varies. I have one admon for a spinster. The parish where she lived had many missing entries from the registers and the admon enabled me to fill in gaps for all her siblings, so it was very useful, cicilysmith

  5. #5
    Wilkes_ml
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    I think I migt as well order them, as I'll always be wondering if I don't lol I'm going to have to re-order a couple of wills anyway (thought it would be a good idea to scan all the paper copies I've purchased in the past) and some seem to have gone AWOL. A reminder to myself that I must keep my filing in order, and scan everything when I recieve it!

  6. #6
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    I think you're probably talking about the National Probate Index in other words post-1858 probate. Is that right?

    If that's right, experience of pre-1858 grants isn't relevant.

    In my experience a grant (post-1858) is unlikely to tell you anything more than the Probate Calendar. An exception might be if you can't work out from the Calendar exactly who it was who got the grant. The grant may tell you the relationship.

  7. #7
    Wilkes_ml
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    Yes, I forgot to say I am talking about the post 1858 National Probate index, rather than the various pre-1858 wills.

    The post 1858 Probate index usually contains Wills, Administrations, Administrations (with wills) all combined in same yearly index book (Though some years the administrations were indexed seperately).

    On my last visit to the Probate Office, I copied out the administration information from the original hefty books, which have since been made available on Ancestry. Now I can just print out the pages!!

    I was under the impression that administrations very rarely contained additional information to the index - all the administration entries I have found so far have listed place and date of death and either spouse or adult child the administration was granted to, with their address.

    I guess the only time other people may be mentioned would be if there was a dispute over the administration.

  8. #8
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    I was under the impression that administrations very rarely contained additional information to the index
    This was pretty much what I was trying to say. If the calendar says "administration to Fred Bloggs" and you can't work out who Fred Bloggs is, it may be worth getting the grant because the grant may say something like "Fred Bloggs, son-in-law".

  9. #9
    Wilkes_ml
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    Yes, thanks Peter for confirming that. At least the Index entries that I have found have all been straightforward and administration given to relatives that I know of.

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