Wills hold a lot of valuable information for genealogists. This is especially true if you happen to have gaps in your research that you have been trying to fill in. Did you come across an old will that belonged to one of your ancestors? Read it over carefully! You might learn a lot.
A will is a legal document that allows the person who made the will to designate who he or she wants to receive real estate, and other personal property, after the person dies. If the person was male, he will be referred to as the “testator”. If the person was female, she will be referred to as the “testatrix”. The gender specific terms are useful. If you don’t know very much about this particular ancestor, and the ancestor had a first name that could be given to a man or to a woman, the legal term in that person’s will can reveal the ancestor’s gender.
Who did your ancestor leave land to? Often, land was left to that person’s spouse and children. It may have been divided up between several children. You might find that your ancestor left land to a child that you were not aware of. Or, this document could be used to help confirm a parent/child relationship between two of your ancestors. It can further your genealogy research a little bit more.
Wills can also be used to help you trace a female ancestor. Women are harder to find documentation of for a number of reasons. If the woman got married, she most likely changed her surname from her maiden name to the surname of her husband. This makes it difficult to find the historical data to confirm who she was, or how she might be related to you. If a male ancestor made a will and he was married, the name of his wife will appear on the will. This is another way that wills can be a treasure of information for genealogists.
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