Ireland Probate Records: Difference between revisions

*'''Grant Books''', were the records of grants of probate and included administrations, marriage licenses, faculty of notary public, letters of tutelage and acquittance, commissions and some decrees. The grant books for Ireland dated from 1593 1858, but were mostly destroyed by the fire in the Public Record Office in 1922. The surviving Grant Books are for the years 1684 88, 1748 51 and 1839.

''Irish Probates Register''. Typescript. Salt Lake City, Utah: Family History Library, 1979. (Family History Library book Reg. 941.5 P2gs.)  

Phillimore, W. P. W., and Gertrude Thrift, eds. ''Indexes to Irish Wills. 1909-20''. Reprint. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970. (Family History Library book 941.5 P22i 1970; fiche 6036097 nos. 1-10.)  

Vicars, Sir Arthur, ed. ''Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland, 1536-1810''. 1897. Reprint. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967. (Family History Library book 941.5 P22v 1967; fiche 6026394.)  

Most probate index entries give the name and residence of the deceased and the year of the probate. If you find a desired index entry, the following published sources may help in establishing if a copy of the probate record exists:  

Hayes, Richard J. ''Manuscript Sources for the History of Irish Civilization.'' (Family History Library book 941.5 A5h.) Hayes' volumes contain references to many copy wills found in various archives and libraries.  

'''Public Record Office of Northern Ireland'''. ''Card Index to Wills in the Several Collections Held at the Public Record Office, Belfast 1536-1920.'' (Family History Library film 1565572-75 and 1565578.) This index was filmed by the Family History Library in 1990. The index lists many copy wills and other probate records found at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. The index is listed in the Place Search of the catalog under IRELAND - PROBATE RECORDS - INDEXES. Copies of the wills listed in the index can be obtained from the Public Record Office or can be viewed on microfilm at the Family History Library. The library's copies of the wills are listed in the Place Search of the catalog under:  

'''Ireland, Public Record Office'''. ''Testamentary Documents Card Index, Seventeenth to Twentieth Centuries.'' This card index lists surviving original wills and copy wills that were collected after the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922. These wills and copies of wills are now on file at the National Archives. The 1928 version of the index is published in Public Record Office, Dublin, The Fifty-Sixth Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records and Keeper of the State Papers in Ireland (Dublin, ireland: Stationery Office, 1931; Family History Library book 941.5 A5r; film 0990493 item 8 and 0100239 item 4; fiche 6023597-602). In 1990, the Family History Library filmed the index. The index is listed in the Place Search of the catalog under IRELAND - PROBATE RECORDS - INDEXES. Some copies of wills referenced in the index are also on film at the library. These are listed in the Place Search of the catalog under IRELAND - PROBATE RECORDS.  

Eustace, P. Beryl, ed. vol. 1, 1708-45 and vol. 2, 1746-85; and Eilish Ellis, ed. vol. 3, 1785-1832. ''Registry of Deeds, Dublin: Abstracts of Wills.'' Dublin, Ireland: Stationery Office, 1954-. (Family History Library book 941.5 P22e; vols. 1 and 2 only are on film 896,887.) These volumes contain abstracts of copies of wills registered after probate in the Registry of Deeds.  

'''Index to many abstracts and copies of wills in the Genealogical Office of Ireland'''. A copy of this index can be found in P. Beryl Eustace, comp., ''Index of Will Abstracts in the Genealogical Office, Dublin'' (Dublin, Ireland: Stationery Office, 1948; Family History Library book 941.5 S2eu; film 990,430 item 4.)  

'''Indexes and registers held by the Inland Revenue office''', London of Irish wills and administrations proved between 1828 and 1879. ''Commissioners of Inland Revenue, Irish Will Indexes, 1838-79'' (Family History Library film 597,268-72; indexes for 1862-63 are missing) and in any case the indexes from 1858 onwards add nothing to what can already be found in the printed caklendars wghich were published from that year on, see further. These indexes record the name of the testator, the name and residence of the executor, the court in which the will was proved, and the folio number of the original will. ''Commissioners of Inland Revenue, Irish Administration Indexes, 1828-79'' (Family History Library film 597,278-81; indexes for 1830-31 and 1851 are missing) gives the name and sometimes residence of the deceased, the name and residence of the administrator, the name of the court where the administration was granted, and the folio number of the original administration. The will and admon registers - on which the indexes are based - survive for the years 1828 to 1839 and are summaries of the originals wills and admons. The registers from 1840 to 1879 are missing, now presumed lost. The existing registers contain names and relationships of heirs and often the death date of the deceased. The registers and indexes are on film at the Family History Library. They are listed in the Place Search of the catalog under IRELAND - PROBATE RECORDS.  

Betham, Sir William.''Genealogical Abstracts [of Prerogative Wills of Ireland]''. Dublin, Ireland: Public Record Office. (Family History Library film 595,939-45; 596,139-40.) This source is arranged alphabetically. An invaluable source for abstracts of all preogative wills up to approximately 1810.  

Betham, Sir William. ''Volume of Abstracts of Grants of Administration, Prerogative, 1595-1802.'' This set of notebooks is at the National Archives. It is not arranged alphabetically. The Genealogical Office has a version that is arranged alphabetically. The Family History Library has a microfilm copy of this alphabetical version, ''Prerogative Court Records'', Dublin, Ireland (Family History Library film 100114 item 2). See above for comment on usefulness.  

Burke, Sir John Bernard. ''Sir Bernard Burke's Collection of Wills for Forming Irish Pedigrees.'' 42 vols. Belfast, Ireland: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. (Family History Library film 227,866-900.) This collection is indexed (Family History Library film 227,866-69).  

Clare, Wallace. ''Abstracts from Some Irish Wills.'' (Family History Library film 477,000 item 2.) This book provides abstracts of some wills held in the Public Record Office, Kew. It is indexed.  

Lt. Col. W. O. Cavenagh made numerous transcripts of many Cavengah and related families wills. These are typescript and contained in the Genealogical Office Mss. 471. This was microfilmed by the Family History Library on FHL microfilm 100,178.