Ireland Calendar of Wills and Administrations - FamilySearch Historical Records

Ireland

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains summaries of wills and probates for the years 1858 to 1920.

These records were created by probate registries beginning in 1858. (Before 1858, church courts handled wills and probates.)

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name of Deceased
 * Address
 * Occupation Prior to Death
 * Administrators of Will/Probate
 * Death Date
 * Deceased’s Estate Value
 * Birth Information of Deceased

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of deceased
 * Approximate date of death

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Record Type
 * 2) Select Year to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * 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

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Ireland.
 * Ireland Guided Research
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.