Soldier's Wills

[unitedsound]

I take it they were not on the person when they died.

So where were they kept and how were they acted upon?

Were they ultimately filed with the soldier's records?

TIA

David

[gnr.ktrha]

Hello

In Scotland they are now held at the National Archives of Scotland [however, not all the wills have survived]. There was a thread about this a while ago. I don't think it was ever discovered what happened to Wills in the rest of the UK. I hope someone out there knows.

Regards,

Stewart

[daggers]

If proved in the normal way, they should be at the Probate Registry in York, for England/Wales wills. Has anyone tried there?

[museumtom]

A lot of the wills for the Leinster Regiment were kept in a solicitors office in Birr and eventually found their way on to the collectors market about 10 years ago. They were written on a plain piece of paper with a cannon stamped on it. It was witnessed by a senior NCO as far as I remember and signed by the will maker. Wording was very minimal.

Regards.

Tom

[unitedsound]

Thanks to everyone who responded.

My subject being a Scot, I have taken the advice of Stewart and have come up with this link which may prove useful to others.

http://www.nas.gov.uk/about/051121.asp

David

[Patrick Watt]

Hello

In Scotland they are now held at the National Archives of Scotland [however, not all the wills have survived]. There was a thread about this a while ago. I don't think it was ever discovered what happened to Wills in the rest of the UK. I hope someone out there knows.

Regards,

Stewart

I think its important to add about Soldiers Wills in Scotland, that only the ones for soldiers who died were retained, and consequently are available to view through the National Archives of Scotland. Presumably a large amount of men made out wills and were not killed but what happened to those wills I don't know.

All the best

Patrick