Probate calendars for modern wills are to go online, as are newly-discovered soldiers’ wills.
The Federation of Family History Societies has sent the following information:
“The following report has been received from Lady Teviot, FFHS representative at the Probate Stake Holders Meeting held in London on 17th April 2012.
“Chaired by John Briden from HMCTS and representatives from Iron Mountain Document Management, much of the discussion centred on the time taken for the production of copies and whether the one-hour service at First Avenue House, which has been discontinued and replaced by a 48-hour service, should be reinstated.
“John Briden said that the service had to cater for different users most of whom were happy with the present arrangement. Another point which took up time was the sealing of wills and resealing and this was from the legal viewpoint and not from [that of] family historians.
Soldiers’ wills
“The discovery of 300,000 Soldiers’ Wills in boxes, which have never been entered in the Calendars [and] will become available online by the end of the year, is of great interest. They cover the Crimean War, the 1st World War and the 2nd World War – no mention was made of the Boer War. They apply to non-commissioned officers.
“The order of which it is thought wills and administrations will come online is:
- Soldiers’ Wills
- Probate 2006 to current
- 1996 to 2005
- 1940 to 1995
- 1858 to 1900
- 1901 to 1939
“There was some discussion as to whether the last two were in the correct order of availability. The using of the calendars will be the same as looking at a book and turning the pages.
“After meetings in Birmingham, there will be a further meeting in London on the 8th of May.”
You can read more about these calendars and wills at Geoff Swinfield’s blog. Ancestry.co.uk already has a calendar of wills from 1861-1941.
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