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To obtain a copy of a will indexed in the above FIBIS resources you have the following options:
* Copies of British India Office Wills & Probate 1774-1948 are available from [http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypastFindmypast](pay website)* Contact the [[British Library]]. A charge applies for a copy of a record, unless you visit personally.* View a digitised FamilySearch microfilm (refer below). See Free source if viewed at [[Family History Centres]]. Currently (2020/11) also available at Family Search Affiliate Libraries, '''some''' of which may charge visitor fees for non members. However, for most many people findmypast would Findmypast may be geographically more convenient.
* [http://www.fibis.org/membership.htm FIBIS members] can also take advantage of the FIBIS research service to obtain a photocopy of a microfilmed will from the [[British Library]] (and, indeed, details from other records ) where a reference has been found on the website. A search can also be made for wills, probates and inventories which may not yet be listed online. Members should contact the research co-ordinator - [mailto:research@fibis.org research@fibis.org] - for details of this service.
Note that if you are searching for a person who lived outside of Calcutta and the other capitals, up-country, in the Mofussil, they will probably be found in the records of the District Courts, not the Supreme Courts. The record series is '''IOR/L/AG/34/31'''. The District Court records start from 1865. The only information available in relation to wills proved in District Courts are the summaries of grants made which are contained in the District Court Calendars of Probate. Unlike wills proved in the Supreme Courts at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay, copies of the actual wills were not sent to the India Office in London. These records do NOT appear to have been digitised by FindMy Past, but are available on [[FamilySearch]] digitised microfilm, refer below. At this point (December 2009) it appears most likely that the Indian Courts, rather than Regional State Archives in India would be most likely to hold the probated wills, if copies still exist. Details of both these sources may be found in [[Indian Libraries and Archives]].
Some wills proved in England relate to persons with links to India or, indeed, those who have actually died in India. Maybe property was held at home and abroad and, therefore, the will was proved in both places. Where this happened before 1858, read the National Archives guide [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/wills-or-administrations-before-1858/ Wills or administrations before 1858]. Both Ancestry and [[findmypast]] contain databases relating to wills prior to 1858. In Ancestry the databases are located in the collection Wills, Probates, Land, Tax & Criminal, while in findmypast the databases are located in Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records/Wills & probate. Note that the Ancestry images, which are done in grey-scales are considered much clearer to read than the National Archives images, which are available only in black and white.<ref>Link no longer accessible. AdrianB38. [http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/forum/topic14597.html#p51110 "Need help in deciphering handwriting on will] " ''Who Do You Think You Are? Forum'' February 07, 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017<nowiki>http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/forum/topic14597.html#p51110</nowiki></ref>
For the period from 1858, [http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1904 England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995] is available through Ancestry.co.uk. Note there are a few gaps in records.
==External Links==
*[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast]Pay website.
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&query=%2Bkeywords%3AProbate%20%2Bkeywords%3AIndia&page=1&availability=Online Digitised FamilySearch microfilms - a list obtained by a keyword search (probate India)] of filmed India Office records in the [[LDS]] (Mormon) FamilySearch catalogue. Also see [[FamilySearch Centres]].
**Note in particular [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/159352 Calendars of probate, 1865-1936] India. District Courts
*[http://www.sog.org.uk/learn/help-getting-started-with-genealogy/guide-five Society of Genealogists: Guide Four: Probate Records] Edited and updated by Else Churchill and Geoff Swinfield 2015, latest update 2020.:[http://www.sog.org.uk/uploads/Gillian_Stevens_and_Chad_Hanna_-Wills_and_Where_to_Find_Them.pdf Wills and Where to find them in England and Wales] by Gillian Stevens and Chad Hanna sog.org.uk [http://www.sog.org.uk/learn/who-do-you-think-you-are-2013-speakers-handouts/ from upload] 2013. '''Note''': some information may have changed, see 2015 2020 link, but some information is still valid.
*[http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?r=554&407 Wills & Testaments] ScotlandsPeople scotlandspeople.gov.uk. Free to search, pay to view. Scottish wills.
*[http://www.willcalendars.nationalarchives.ie/search/cwa/home.jsp Calendars of Wills and Administrations 1858 – 1920] National Archives of Ireland. Irish wills. Free records.
