Finding a Will!

[Barmaid]

OK you clever lot - I need to find a Will!

Chap (ggg grandfather) - James Thurlby died in North Rauceby in 1848. I have found the details on the Death Duties register of FmP for PCC and County Court Wills for that year. Executor was John Minta of Normanton in Leicestershire. So I know now that a Will exists (or existed!). So where is it? Unfortunately I can't read the "Court" column. I've searched A2A and no trace. I am guessing the only way is to go to Leicester, Lincoln and Nottingham (the most likely record offices) and trawl through their registers - unless anyone has any better suggestions, please?!

[dothawkes31]

Prerpgative court of canterbury, he had property in more than one ecclesiastical jurisdiction, that means the higher church court was used to administer probate and so you should find it in the PCC wills barmaid
http://www.nationalar...mentsonline/wills.asp

the PCC was the highest church court in the land and in fact he mau have had lands in the northern districts too as land across northern districts was proved at York but land in the north and south was escalated to canterbury, so should be a good will to find too

[dothawkes31]

*Prerogative Court of Canturbury AKA PCC

[dothawkes31]

actually this is the only one i could find:
Description Will of John Thurlby, Cordwainer of Uffington , Lincolnshire
Date 17 March 1852
Catalogue reference PROB 11/2150links to the Catalogue
Dept Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury
Series Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers
Piece Volume number: 6 Quire numbers: 251-300
Image contains 1 will of many for the catalogue reference

Number of image files: 1
Image Reference

Format and Version

Part Number

Size (KB)

Number of Pages

Price (£)
134 / 115 PDF 1 1 326 2 3.50
Total Price (£) 3.50

[Barmaid]

Thanks Dot.

I've already checked the docsonline Dot - I found that John Thurlby. Don't know if there is a connection since the village of Uffington (where that John Thurlby was born and died) is the village where James Thurlby's grandsons ended up farming - about 30 miles away from Rauceby.

I don't know where else to look! I am fairly sure they were quite well off - I know he leased 500 acres from the Duke of Bristol in 1831. I also know he has the most over the top ostentatious memorial in the churchyard. I just want to know a bit more!!!

[dothawkes31]

incase you need the rest of the Thurlby graves they are here:
http://www.interment....tpeter_rauc/index.htm

[Barmaid]

Dot - thank you! What a fantastic site!!!

I can't believe that there is a pic of the grave too. Ohhhhh, I get so excited about sites like this!

[dothawkes31]

My ancestors John and Thomas Twidale also leased land from The Earl of Bristol at North Rauceby BTW!

[Barmaid]

lol - I wonder if we will find an intermarriage?! I can trace the line back to that area of the country to about 1650- I've got a Will from a direct ancestor which is dated 1714. I still want James' will though!!!! I think I will start by emailing Leicester Record office, (I seem to think I have checked Lincoln) and see where that takes me.

[dothawkes31]

It's odd it is not showing up in the lists checked, unless it is is indexed but not extant

[Barmaid]

Well I found mention of it in the death duty registers. I would have been amazed if he had not left a will. I'll see what I can dig up at Leicester!

[dothawkes31]

woooohhhh just re-read your OP and see you checked death duty registers! I alwayd thought these were the tax on administrations, that means no will was proved and letters of administration had to be obtained!

[Barmaid]

No it doesn't! Death duties are what we now know as inheritance tax (or capital transfer tax). This has been payable in one form or another for several hundred years. There was duty payable both on the court seal and on the value of the estate. Because it was in the "List of Wills", that's a clue!! (Lol, sorry I'm not being sarcastic!), but the definitive thing for me is that there is an executor. You can ONLY have an executor appointed by a Will - otherwise its an admin with an administrator (but an admin CAN have a Will, but would be an admin if the named executor has died). Confused yet?! lol, I am. (However, thankfully, I do this for a living and there have been few changes to the law in several hundred years).

[dothawkes31]

mmm yes I understand the executor bit, so agree there must have been a will, I was thinking of the the death duty registers (estate duty registers) kept by the inland revenue when a person died intestate , and yes there would have been an administator''trix named for that.