Ireland Calendar of Wills and Administrations - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection covers the years 1858 to 1920. Each record contains a summary of the will and probate information.

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.

Record Content
Calendar records usually include the following:


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

How to Use the Record
As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, the approximate death or probate date, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Search the Collection
To search by index: 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.

To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Record Type" category ⇒Select the “Year" category which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image 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.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

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.

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

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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
 * Ireland Maps
 * Ireland History
 * Ireland

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: