Norfolk Wills

Norfolkman40

Does FamilySearch have wills online for Norfolk (UK) for the period 160 to 1700, if so how do I search for them?

With many thanks.

Geoff.

Graham Buckell

The only English will records I see are

So sorry - no Norfolk.

Your best bet is probably the Norfolk Record Office

https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/article/31114/Wills-and-other-probate-records

Norfolkman40

I suspected as much. Thank you for the reply.

Paul W

@Norfolkman40

There are collections of Norfolk probate records available on the FamilySearch website, but as they are not indexed you will have to possibly look through whole films before you find the will / administration you are looking for.

See https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=1927878&query=%2Bplace%3A%22England%2C%20Norfolk%22&subjectsOpen=496130-50

You will notice some of these can be viewed on a public account from home, but others have restricted viewing rights.

I assume you have some idea of the various jurisdictions in Norfolk - e.g., Archdeaconry of Norwich, Archdeaconry of Norfolk, Norwich Consistory Court, etc. Depending on the parish in which your ancestors / relatives lived their wills would have been proven, and to be found, in any one of these.

It does help if you can find a reference in one of the calendars of wills - that should at least direct you a more precise part of the film. I just noticed there do also appear to be indexes for certain jurisdictions / time periods.

I will try to help if you have more specific queries regarding the subject of your search. However, before the old library closed, I used to find things much easier by consulting paper copies of indexes for Norfolk wills held at the Society of Genealogists' Library, in London. I believe they also have these at the Norfolk Record Office at Norwich, and possibly elsewhere.

In summary, initially I would check the Catalog to see what is available to view online on the website. If you do find anything of interest, please view via one of the links within the Catalog - definitely not by using the "Images" section, whereby you will find viewing of images to be painfully slow, due to a "throttling" feature, designed to stop you from reading a whole film, image by image!

Example of some of the material available to view online:

Norfolkman40

Thank you for your very comprehensive reply.

My main problem is that I used to use NORS (Norfolk Online Record Service) to get the Volume and folio numbers etc but that has now become difficult to use, or so it seems to me.

For example, one specific one I'm looking for is Andrew Hastings (or Hastens), died 13 Apr 1726 in Horning Norfolk UK. I'm fairly certain that comes under the Archdeaconry of Norfolk. Of course, he may not even have made a will!! Anyway, I will plod on using your advice above and see what turns up.

Thanks again,

Geoff.

Paul W

Geoff

What I had forgotten is that I'd previously found details from the Norfolk Record Office website (NROCAT).

I just went to https://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/article/31114/Wills-and-other-probate-records and then to https://nrocatalogue.norfolk.gov.uk/ but was unable to find Andrew Hastings in a search. However, I did find the entries below, suggesting I made my search using the correct criteria:

According to https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/NFK/Church/Adminareas#anw Horning was in Waxham Deanery - itself located within Norfolk Archdeaconry. The FamilySearch Catalog shows a possibility of two films that should have any wills for residents of Horning whose will was proved in 1726, as shown:

Unfortunately, as you will see from the icons, both films have restricted viewing rights from a public account: in this case, meaning they can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library, not from home.

I would still suggest you make your own further enquiries, as I may have missed something. Another warning (from my experience) is that a will you are seeking might have been proved in another court to that suggested. I'm sure I remember finding one for one of my relatives on (I believe) a film covering Norwich Consistory Court, instead of one for the Archdeaconry of Norwich! Also, I believe Administrations and Wills appear on separate films.

Finally, I am a member of Norfolk Family History Society and did manage to find Andrew Hastings' burial on NORS - no other detail than the basic transcription, as you can see:

Please get in touch again (either here or through a private message) if you think I can be of any further help.

Paul W

After writing the above I went back to the NRO online catalogue (much changed from when I last used it) and quickly found entries for my TUNGATE relatives - including quite a few references to probate records. (See https://nrocatalogue.norfolk.gov.uk/informationobject/browse?page=1&sort=relevance&sq0=tungate+&sf0=&levels=&topLod=0&startDate=&endDate=&rangeType=inclusive&sortDir=desc.

This does suggest there are no (traceable) probate records relating to Andrew Hastings, as is the case for the majority of my Norfolk ancestors.

(See https://nrocatalogue.norfolk.gov.uk/informationobject/browse?page=1&sort=relevance&sq0=hastings&sf0=&levels=&topLod=0&startDate=1710-01-01&endDate=1750-12-31&rangeType=inclusive&sortDir=desc for search results on HASTINGS for 1710-1750 period)

Norfolkman40

Thank you so much for all of this and for your time spent, it has been really useful. I have a bit more to go on now.

Rgds,

Geoff.