UK Probate Genealogy

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UK Probate Genealogy

Obtaining european passports for people with european ancestry. 56 Irish passports and many others achieved already.

Helping families prepare family trees and family histories. The history of your house and assisting with probate questions.

13/05/2026

Please, give us a clue - Attention all will writers and drafters - what to put in a will to enable easy tracing when the will is executed

In the last 12 months I have had at least ten traces in which the will writer had really not helped by allowing the testator to make gifts to friends with no clue, beyond first and surnames, as to who the beneficiary is.

e.g. “I leave £5000 to my friend Joan Ashton” – no-one in the family had ever heard of Joan Ashton – we traced back through all the testator’s previous workplaces and one retiree remembered that she had moved to Hull. So, we had a Joan Ashton in Hull. We didn’t know if it was her married or maiden name. Lots of letters to all the Joan Ashtons in Hull of around the right age eventually produced a result. It took 4 months and delayed the payout to the rest of the beneficiaries by the same amount.

Or “I leave £1000 to my friend Michael McGregor” - Michael it turned out had been in the army with the testator and had changed his name. The testator, it turned out, knew this but his will was not amended accordingly. Again a big delay before we traced him via a series of snooker clubs to Dublin.

Please, will writers and testators give us a last known address and/or date of birth and expand the description of the friendship or relationship. e.g. my friend from my time at Acme Packaging – it will save everyone a lot of time.

Names have been changed to protect the innocent (or guilty!).

n.b. five of the ten wills were self made, two by law firms and three by seemingly untrained will writers and none of whom are still in business.

12/05/2026

That one person you still can’t find and is holding the whole probate process up

How to find those missing beneficiaries or executors holding up probate or estate distribution – these are some of the options (the list is not and will never be exhaustive!)

1. Use someone like me! But then I would say that wouldn’t I? At UKPG we have traced approximately 98% of all people we have been asked to find – mostly they take a few days but the longest was three years! (via a name change and four countries)
2. Social media, especially Facebook, is great if you have a family tree as it helps identify family groups. i.e. matching first and surnames . Facebook locations usually identify where someone came from as well.
3. The nosy neighbour – often the single best source of information - if you can find the local busybody or curtain twitcher they are usually delighted to spill the beans on the comings and goings at the address – “oh yes, I know them, a right bad lot – he was …..ing her and he was … etc etc and they all moved to Blackpool (other towns exist) in 2021”
4. Ancestry and Findmypast newspaper archives – all sorts of clues as to locations, professions and other family members
5. The gazettes – London, Belfast and Edinburgh – especially if the subject of your searches was in government service, a bankrupt, received an award or was previously an executor or trustee
6. Google (of course) as well as Linkedin
7. Companies House – if they were a director or company secretary – there are 7.8 million directorships in the UK so there’s a decent chance of a hit there
8. Alumni associations often keep good records of pupils and will happily pass on messages
9. Local religious groups will often bend over backwards to help trace someone in their parish
10. Former workplaces and sporting associations are another useful source of information
11. Resources abroad – too many to mention and I will post in the future about tracing techniques in various different countries
12. Use someone like me at UKPG again for a quick response and regular reporting!

07/05/2026

"Everything Your Client Believes About Missing Heirs Is Wrong"

3 myths about probate research 👇

❌ "If we can't find an heir, there isn't one."
✅ Records exist in places most people never think to look.

❌ "It will take months and cost a fortune."
✅ Many searches are completed quickly and cost far less than leaving an estate unresolved.
❌ "Any genealogist can do it."

✅ Probate research requires specialist legal knowledge alongside genealogy skills.
We do this every day. Ask us how we can help with your next case. 35 years experience and over 200 cases completed in the last 5 years

07725 993 400 - www.ukprobgen.co.uk

06/05/2026

"The UK's Best-Kept Secret for Probate Solicitors"

Trusted by solicitors across the UK for probate genealogy research.

We locate missing beneficiaries, verify family connections, and deliver legally sound reports — helping you close estates efficiently and compliantly.

Based in the UK. Researching worldwide. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.
35 years experience and over 200 cases completed in the last 5 years
07725 993 400 - www.ukprobgen.co.uk

05/05/2026

"Stop Letting Estates Sit Unsolved — There's an Easier Way"

Are you a solicitor dealing with an estate where beneficiaries are unknown or hard to find? 🔍

We do the detective work for you. From tracing living relatives to producing fully documented heir reports, UK Probate Genealogy handles the research so you can focus on the law.

35 years experience and over 200 cases completed in the last 5 years

Quick turnarounds. Clear reports.

Drop us a message or visit our website to find out more! 👇
07725 993 400 - www.ukprobgen.co.uk

30/04/2026

"They Didn't Know He Existed. He Inherited Everything."

📜 Behind every probate case is a family story.
Sometimes that story has missing chapters — relatives who emigrated, changed their names, or simply lost touch over generations.

We piece those chapters back together. For solicitors, for families, and for people who deserve to know they were remembered.

UK Probate Genealogy — finding the people who matter. - 35 years experience and over 200 cases completed in the last 5 years

07725 993 400 - www.ukprobgen.co.uk

29/04/2026

"The Estate Nobody Could Solve — Until They Called Us"

Did you know? When a person dies without a will and no known relatives, their estate doesn't automatically go to the Crown.

A thorough genealogical search can often uncover legitimate heirs — sometimes across multiple countries.

We work quietly in the background so you can deliver results for your clients. 35 years experience and over 200 cases completed in the last 5 years

07725 993 400 - www.ukprobgen.co.uk

28/04/2026

"Your Probate Case Is Stuck. We Know Why."

Probate cases stall when beneficiaries can't be located. That's where we come in.
At UK Probate Genealogy, we specialise in tracing missing heirs, verifying family relationships, and producing court-ready reports — so your cases move forward with confidence.

Working on a complex estate? Let's talk. 35 years experience and over 200 cases completed in the last 5 years

07725 993 400 - www.ukprobgen.co.uk

23/04/2026

You’ve picked your relatives’ brains, visited archives and libraries, used free trials — and still want more! Here’s a list of free UK genealogy resources, including the long‑awaited Irish 1926 census: nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-1926-census
FREE
- freebmd.org.uk — Birth, death and marriage indices (1837–1989, England & Wales). Gives registration district, volume and page for ordering certificates from the GRO.
- familysearch.org — LDS site with access to the 1881 census.
- thegazette.co.uk — London, Edinburgh & Belfast Gazettes: bankruptcies, probate, military, government and company notices since 1665.
- lan‑opc.org.uk — Lancashire parish records.
- cprdb.csc.liv.ac.uk — Cheshire parish records.
- cheshirearchives.org.uk — Cheshire Archives.
All counties have their own archives, often volunteer‑run and digitised to varying degrees.
7. dustydocs.com — County‑by‑county resource list.
8. census.nationalarchives.ie — 1901 & 1911 Irish censuses.
9. freeukgenealogy.org.uk — Free UK Genealogy.
10. irishgenealogy.ie — Free Irish records.
11. findagrave.com — Locate ancestors’ gravestones.
12. registers.nli.ie — Catholic parish records in Ireland.
13. library.wales — Excellent Welsh resource.
14. archives.gov/research — US censuses and records.
15. library‑archives.canada.ca/eng — Canadian censuses and records.
FREE to search (downloads paid):
- scotlandspeople.gov.uk — Main Scottish database for censuses, BDM and more.
- rootsireland.ie — Irish equivalent.
- maps.nls.uk — Old maps of ancestral areas.
- gov.uk/search‑will‑probate — Check for wills and download probate records.
- discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk — The National Archives at Kew: vast record repository, not all online. Book ahead for visits.
This list isn’t exhaustive — new records appear almost daily as digitisation continues.

22/04/2026

This is a rant…

There a few things more irritating than the ubiquitous “Road ahead closed” sign

1. Where is it closed?
2. How far down the road?
3. It is just a side road that is closed?
4. Is it really closed?
5. It’s not really closed is it?
6. OK, I took the gamble and it is closed after all…

All I ask is “Give us a clue”!

That and doors in public conveniences that don’t have a hook for your bag and coat...

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9 Thorneyholme Drive
Knutsford

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http://www.ukprobgen.co.uk/

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