Bit of an unusual request

[MythicalMarian]

Could any of our American cousins on the Forum tell me how we in Britain can access a will proved in the US? This seems to be the opposite problem to our Americans friends asking how to obtain wills from England, but I have found myself in exactly this position. I would dearly love to get my hands on a will proved (and I know it was) in 1816.

Any chance? Zilch?

[bamagirl]

Could any of our American cousins on the Forum tell me how we in Britain can access a will proved in the US? This seems to be the opposite problem to our Americans friends asking how to obtain wills from England, but I have found myself in exactly this position. I would dearly love to get my hands on a will proved (and I know it was) in 1816.

Any chance? Zilch?

Hi, Marian.

The availability of wills to the public, especially online, depends very much on the location. In the U.S. we have states, which are each divided into counties (usually - some states are commonwealths and some states have parishes instead of counties). In either case, the records are usually held at the county level, but may be available from the state archives.

Confused yet? This is the down side of our system.

In addition to the official governmental repositories, some records are available on the genealogy sites such as FamilySearch, Ancestry and local historical societies.

Can you provide some details? Names, places, dates, possible heirs?

It might take a little digging, but that's what we're here for.

-Barb

[MythicalMarian]

You're an angel, Bamagirl - and I am now hanging my head in shame. I've just found the damned thing proved over here in the UK! I can't believe I've been so stupid. I had fully expected the guy's will to have been in the PCCs as he was a bit of a traveller between here and the West Indies, with family in the States and Canada. Not finding it there in the PCCs, I assumed (how many years have I been involved in this hobby? - unforgivable!) that it must have been proved over in America, even though he actually died in Liverpool before he could return to the West Indies. No - it's in the Lancashire wills as bold as brass.

So sorry everyone - you will note that I've grown no less scatty in my absence.....

And thanks again, Bamagirl - I will certainly bear your advice in mind should I find a 'genuine' American will

[bamagirl]

No worries. And congrats! We'll just put it down to the internet being in a constant state of change. Yeah, that's the ticket!

Cheers,
Barb

[mfwebb]

I am currently searching for the possible existence of a will in the US having recently discovered that a great uncle of my wife who disappeared from Leeds UK, emmigrated to the USA in 1904 and lived the rest of his life in Seattle. He died in 1955 in Seattle never having married and with no children. I have not been able to trace the existence of a will (and I don't expect there to be one) but I have recently e-mailed Washington State Archives as they hold an index of wills and probate for King County, where Seattle is situated (the powers of the internet didn't exist when I started researching family history). I asked them to do me a look-up and to tell me how I can obtain copies of any doumentation found from here in the UK.

I have had an initial response that they will check their records and get back to me.

All the best,
Malcolm Webb
Lincoln UK