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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
While a part of the British Empire, many residents of Jamaica sent their wills to London, England | While a part of the British Empire, many residents of Jamaica sent their wills to London, England or Edinburgh, Scotland to be proved. Most people's wills were proved locally on the island, and some were proved in courts on both sides of the Atlantic. The Island Record Office holds records as early as 1662.<ref>John Titford, ''My Ancestor Settled in The British West Indies'' (The Society of Genealogists Enterprises, Inc.:London, 2011), 148.</ref> | ||
===Indexes=== | ===Indexes=== | ||
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A published index to Jamaica testators is available online and in print. It covers wills proved both locally and in London: | A published index to Jamaica testators is available online and in print. It covers wills proved both locally and in London: | ||
*Mitchell, Madeleine Enid. | *Mitchell, Madeleine Enid. ''Alphabetical Index to Early Wills of Jamaica, West Indies, 1655-1816: PCC Wills, 1655-1816, Registrar General's Office, Spanish Town, 1662-1750''. [Pullman, Wash.]: M.E. Mitchell, 2000. {{FSC|1013940|item}} 972.92 P22m; free digital version at [http://sites.rootsweb.com/~jamwgw/early.htm Index to Early Wills at Jamaica, 1655-1816]. | ||
A list of early Jamaican wills, taken from a manuscript at the British Museum (now [[The_British_Library|the British Library]]), was published in 1910, and is now available online: | A list of early Jamaican wills, taken from a manuscript at the British Museum (now [[The_British_Library|the British Library]]), was published in 1910, and is now available online: | ||
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*[http://www.apex.net.au/~tmj/jam-tstr.htm Testators of Wills Proved in Jamaica] is a free online index to microfilmed wills covering the years 1756 to 1930. | *[http://www.apex.net.au/~tmj/jam-tstr.htm Testators of Wills Proved in Jamaica] is a free online index to microfilmed wills covering the years 1756 to 1930. | ||
Indexes to early Jamaica wills proved locally and in London were also published in ''Caribbeana''. | Indexes to early Jamaica wills proved locally and in London were also published in ''Caribbeana''. | ||
[https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/inventories/ Jamaican Inventories transcribed] (10,219 for the years 1674-1784) | [https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/inventories/ Jamaican Inventories transcribed] (10,219 for the years 1674-1784) | ||
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===Proved in London=== | ===Proved in London=== | ||
Nearly 1500 | Nearly 1500 Jamaican wills were proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in London. Approximate numbers by century:<ref>[http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp?WT.hp=Wills "The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Wills,"] accessed 22 November 2010. Some references refer to places named Jamaica in the British Isles, rather than the island in the Caribbean.</ref> | ||
{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="70%" | {| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="70%" | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''1657-1699''' | |'''1657-1699''' | ||
|80 | |80 | ||
|'''1700-1799''' | |'''1700-1799''' | ||
|624 | |624 | ||
|'''1800-1858''' | |'''1800-1858''' | ||
|745 | |745 | ||
|} | |} | ||
After finding a desired entry in indexes, it is now possible to view digital images of the original Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills online at two United Kingdom pay-per-view websites: | After finding a desired entry in indexes, it is now possible to view digital images of the original Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills online at two United Kingdom pay-per-view websites: | ||
*[https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12122 Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (1384-1858)], courtesy: The National Archives, | *[https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12122 Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills (1384-1858)], courtesy: The National Archives, UK. The database can be queried by testator's residence, such as "Jamaica." | ||
*[http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/user/subscriptions.php#record_sets PCC | *[http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/user/subscriptions.php#record_sets PCC Wills Index and Images (1384-1858)], courtesy: The Genealogist. (in progress) | ||
===Proved in Edinburgh=== | ===Proved in Edinburgh=== | ||
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