UK Family Search - wills and property records - where are they?

Question

Where do we look to find wills and property records - to trace our family tree prior to the UK parish records

Answer 1

Go to http://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/rectype...  (this is the site to Search Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records and fill out the form, then click Search button)

Some titles in the database pertaining to the UK are:

Caithness, Scotland: Parish and Probate Records

Cambridgeshire, England: Parish and Probate Records

Cheshire, England: Parish and Probate Records

Clackmannanshire, Scotland: Parish and Probate Records

Cornwall, England: Parish and Probate Records

Dorset, England: Parish and Probate Records

Dumfries-shire, Scotland: Parish and Probate Records  

Dunbartonshire, Scotland: Parish and Probate Records  

Dundonald, Scotland Charter Chest, 1219-1672  

Essex, England: Parish and Probate Records

Flintshire, Wales: Parish and Probate Records

Genealogical Gleanings in England, Vol. II

Glamorgan, Wales: Parish and Probate Records

Indexes to Irish Wills, 1536-1857, Vol. I  

Indexes to Irish Wills, 1536-1857, Vol. II  

Indexes to Irish Wills, 1536-1857, Vol. III  

Indexes to Irish Wills, 1536-1857, Vol. IV  

Indexes to Irish Wills, 1536-1857, Vol. V  

Ireland, Index to Griffith’s Valuation, 1848-1864

Irish Wills Indexes

Scottish-American Wills, 1650-1900

Sudbury Archdeaconry Wills, 1439-1638

Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, 1439-1461  

Wills of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, 1620-1624  

Wills of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, 1625-1626

There are many others doing with the US. If you don't have an ancestry.com membership, send me some info as to what you are looking for or about whom, to my email given in my profile and I'll see what I can find for you.  =)

Answer 2

Some wills can be accessed via this site.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

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http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/famil...

You can search for details of land and property holders in Court and manorial records, it is a good idea to join a family history society based in the area of your research, they will be able to advise in greater detail of the specific records available for that area, surviving records vary considerably from area to area and they will be able to guide you in the right direction, it normaly costs only about £8 or £9 to join one. Incidently they would probably also have printed or microfiche records of wills available.