Information Found in Wills

Information found in wills can be vital in genealogy. It can confirm family relationships, or identify new lines of research.

Wills typically start with "This is the last will and testament of..." to indicate that this is the most recent copy of the will.

Often, you then have to read through repetitive legal jargon to find the nuggets you are interested in. You may learn when the will was made – often shortly before death – and what assets people had.

Tip
The most useful information is often family relationships, although beware! People were often loose in their interpretations of parents, siblings and cousins – some were relatives by marriage rather than blood.

Earlier wills in particular often list all a person’s children. Remember, if a child is missing, it doesn’t mean you have the wrong family.

An eldest son may have been omitted because he might already have received his inheritance.
A daughter may have been missed off because she had already received a marriage settlement.
A widow might not be mentioned, as her inheritance may have been settled before death.
Property may already have been settled, so may not appear in a will.

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