Irish Wills and Administrations

Prior to 1858, Irish wills and administrations were under the jurisdiction of the Church of Ireland’s diocesan (consistorial) courts and its Prerogative Court of Armagh. The original wills and administrations were destroyed in 1922, but many indexes survived. The diocesan indexes are available at the National Archives of Ireland and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. All of the surviving diocesan indexes to wills and administrations, up to 1858, have been combined in one “super index”, which is available in print form (also on microfilm) at the Family History Library and is also available on CD-ROM:

Gloria Bangerter. Super Index: A Compilation of Available Irish Will Indexes 1270-1860. Edited and Alphabetized by Surname by Joyce Parsons and Jeanne Jensen. Published 2000.

The National Archives of Ireland and the PRONI in Belfast both have extensive collections of pre-1858 will and administration copies; indexes to their collections are available at those repositories and on microfilm at the FHL. Eneclann has produced a CD-Rom index to the will and administration material (copies, abstracts, but not the indexes) available at the National Library of Ireland. This CD-Rom, with its versatile search capabilities, is a highly recommended resource for Irish researchershttp://www.eneclann.ie. 

In 1858, Ireland was divided into probate districts which were responsible for wills and administrations. There are yearly alphabetical “calendars” of the wills and administrations for the whole Ireland beginning in 1858, available at the National Archives of Ireland and on microfilm at the Family History Library. An overall index dating 1858-1877 is at the National Archives of Ireland with a microfilm copy at the FHL. The records of the Principal Registry of Dublin were destroyed in 1922, but the other district probate records survived. Records are at the National Archives of Ireland with microfilm copies at the FHL.

Photo credits:  Kyle J. Betit, Irish Calendars of Wills and Administrations, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast.