WILLS AND THE LAST TESTAMENT

For the Family historian this is one of best ways to look at your ancestor's history.Over a few years I have collected wills that could or are part of my ancestry,we can all list names but there is more to genealogy than just lists, lets put the meat on the bones.

Where ever you come from in England there are many exciting and wonderful records offices and the like, and the one of most interesting to people with Cumbrian ancestry is at Carlisle, where you will find many wills indexed, in one book alone Wills Proved in the Consistory Courts of Carlisle 1661 to 1750 there are over 20,000.

The easy wills to read are transcribed into books and cover the mid to late 1700,s into the 18/1900,s,all Wills Administrations and Invenrty,s in this period have many repeat legal terms but still hold a story about your ancestry whether they be poor or rich.

Before this period you will find them in original form and available as copies, this is perhaps the most interesting area as it often is full of spelling mistakes as we know today, you will see ink blotches on the paper and mistakes corrected as they were written, but this adds to the interest, paper was expensive or any material used for writing on, so waist not want not. You will notice on many at the end finger prints at the side of names or marks.

The words are often more poetic as they refer to [My dearly beloved wife or children] This we do not have today and holds feelings for our loved ones.

Where there is Latin text added on many wills of this period they are usually for bonds or administration and follow a similar format through. Often a form of shorthand Latin.

The old English text is much different and can vary much, this part I am still learning much about and hope to have translated wills of this period on this site in the near future, please do not ask me to help translate for you at this stage, my knowledge is not that good .

These earlier wills also provide a look into the values the people held, if we think of today we go to the supermarket and buy all we need, Then you will see in the inventories a picture of the values of that time. All things of use are mentioned and little about money. Your bed, bedding, furniture and livestock and crop, all, had a purpose the Dunghill would we include this today, no but then it helped you get a better crop, so more food.

The religious format at the beginning was important to. In the name of God, Amen, and I leave my soul to almighty God, my redeemer and maker for the remission of my sins. My body to buried in a decent and Christian manner, these form pictures of their lives in the mind.

In the wills I have transcribed you will find names of other families and maybe one of yours, so please take a look and I hope you enjoy what you read.

There are about 180 wills in my possession dating from 1602 to late 1800,s,I look forward to adding them to this site over this winter.

Graham Hewitt