Ireland Calendar of Wills and Administrations - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection covers the years 1858 to 1920.

This project is part of an agreement with the National Archives of Ireland. FamilySearch is responsible for creating an index to these records.

The records were created by the Probate Registry, which took control of proving wills and administrations in 1858. Before this, four different types of ecclesiastical (church) courts dealt with these cases. A Principal Probate Registry was established in London in January 1858, and several district probate registries were created around the country. From then on, the registries oversaw all grants of probate and letters of administration. This collection is the Calendar of these grants.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

FHL microfilm, 46 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Record Content
Each record contains a summary of the will and probate information, which includes the following:


 * Name of the deceased
 * Address
 * Occupation
 * Beneficiaries
 * Date of death
 * Value of the estate
 * Birth information

How to Use the Record
Beginning Your Search

To begin your search, it would be helpful to know the following information:


 * The name of the deceased
 * The place of residence
 * The approximate death or probate date

Searching the Calendar of Wills

Fill in the requested information in the search page. Using this search will give you a list of possible matches for your ancestor. Compare the information about the ancestors in the record list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Browsing the Images

To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Record Type" category ⇒ Select the "Year" category which will take you to the images

Look at each image one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Using the Information

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the information in the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records since the probates exist for an earlier time period.
 * Use the birth date along with the residence or place of birth of the deceased to locate census and church records.
 * Use the occupations listed to find other types of records such as employment records or military records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Information to keep in mind:


 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the deceased or the testator.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Locate Your Ancestor?

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the records of nearby towns.

Related Websites

 * Genealogy: Wills and Testimentary Records
 * Online British and Probate Indexes
 * Index of Wills and Administrations, 1861-1941
 * National Archives of Ireland

Related Wiki Articles

 * Ireland Probate Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata > San Ponciano > Matrimonios 1884-1886 >  image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clementina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata, Buenos Aires.