Find 30,410 records in this index collection of probate court proceedings in Somerset, England between 1300 and 2001.
Here’s an example of an index entry.
Name: Valentine Littlejohn
Occupation: Yeoman
Will Date: 1640
Will Parish: Langford Budville
Will Place: Somerset, England
Reference Title: Littlejohn Family Will, 9 June 1640
Reference Number: DD/SAS/C795/HV/46
Reference Date: 9 June 1640
Ancestry gives the following context.
Many probate records in the Somerset region were lost during World War II. Therefore, the records in this collection were created by South West Heritage Trust: Somerset Archive Catalogue for the purpose of preserving the history of the region and providing a searchable digital index of existing probate records. The records are just an index of an actual primary source that are housed by the South West Heritage Trust: Somerset Archive Catalogue.
Wow – I didn’t realize probate records from that area suffered loss during the war. I’m assuming from bombs?
I’ve forwarded this article on Somerset records to the group of 15 of us Canadians who are all members of the Somerset/Dorset Family History Society. We are spread across Canada from B.C. to the East coast. We are called Out of County groups from the SDFHS and its June issue of The Greenwood Tree journal highlighted many of our stories in that issue.
Glad to be one of those who had our stories published about our S/D ancestry — as well as those from Australia and elsewhere.