![\"Last](\"https:\/\/www.hibbittbarnes.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/will.jpg\" "\\"Last")
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Where There’s A Will There’s Usually A Way – But Not In This Case!<\/p>\n
Did you know the majority of wills that were proved in Devon were destroyed during an air-raid on Exeter in 1942? Some Devon wills, however, were originally proved in London at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and these have survived.<\/p>\n
Somewhat tantalizing is the fact that calendars (lists) of many of the lost wills had been compiled before the war and so we know about the previous existence of a will that our Devon ancestor left but, in many cases, the contents have been lost forever.<\/p>\n
Over a number of years, the Devon Wills Project tracked down a proportion of copies, transcripts and abstracts of the lost wills and administrations from a variety of sources and created a central index of where these documents can be found. The index can now be viewed at https:\/\/www.devonfhs.org.uk\/devon-wills\/<\/a><\/strong> and is also available to FindMyPast subscribers at http:\/\/search.findmypast.co.uk\/search-world-Records\/devon-wills-index-1163-1999<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n I’m currently researching some of my North Devon ancestors and have learnt that my 7 x great-grandfather, Nathaniel Randall from Hatherleigh, left a will after he died in 1731. You’ve guessed it, all we have now is a list entry. I wonder what his will would have told us about his family, his occupation and his wealth and status in those times. Sadly, we shall never know!<\/p>\n [UPDATE:<\/strong> since I first posted, DNA has revealed that the Randall line is probably not my biological line after all.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Where There’s A Will There’s Usually A Way – But Not In This Case! Did you know the majority of wills that were proved in Devon were destroyed during an air-raid on Exeter in 1942? Some Devon wills, however, were … Continue reading