Canada, British Columbia Wills - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection contains images of will indexes and wills. Although the index spans 1861-1939, the images of the wills only span from 1861 to 1939. The Central Will Registry is maintained by the Department of the Attorney General for all wills probated in the province of British Columbia. The number for each will is written in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of the will in small script, be aware that some wills are missing from the collection. The Will Numbers are listed in the indexes under the "Remarks" column, and NOT the "Wills" column. Some letters of the alphabet are continued at the end of the index volume. The index to these wills is also the index to the Victoria Probate Registry district records.

For a list of an index and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in the British Columbia Wills collection usually include the following information:


 * Full name of deceased
 * Date of death
 * Names of family members (Spouse/Sons/Daughters)
 * Place of residence at the time of death

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the Record Type ⇒ Select the Index Year and Surname or Will Number Range which takes you to the images. Look at the images 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.

You should have the following information before you begin your search:


 * Ancestors name
 * Date of death
 * Will number

Search this collection by image

To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the “Record Type” ⇒Select the “Index Year and Surname or Will Number Range” which will take you to the images.

Look at the images 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.

To search through the index, you should do the following:

To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the “Index Year and Surname or Will Number Range” which will take you to the images.

Look at the images 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.

Related Websites

 * British Columbia Probate Registry
 * BC Wills Index
 * Wills in British Columbia

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada Probate Records
 * British Columbia 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 Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"British Columbia, Wills, 1861-1981," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 19 June 2012), Wills &gt; no 1871-2470 &gt; Image 15 of 2563, Solomon Dean, Last Will and Testament dated 9 February 1903; citing Department of the Attorney General, British Columbia Wills, 1861-1981. British Columbia Archives, Victoria, British Columbia.