Description

Eric Saxton, ed, (CD, Sigma Books), 2009

This CD is the result of five or six very hard work transcribing documents written in a variety of difficult handwriting from the probate records of the Archdeaconry of Berkshire, which are on microfiche in the Berkshire Record Office and downloaded register copy wills from the National Archives website. Unfortunately, details of the source and reference of each will has not been included.* The information is in pdf format, which can be read in Adobe Reader. Each transcript begins with a list of all the names mentioned under various categories: testator, beneficiaries, witnesses etc. This is followed with the transcript using all the original spellings, where legible, and uses square brackets for additional information, such as to extend an abbreviated word. At the end of the text there is a chronological contents list with the testators’ names and page numbers of their wills. This is followed by an alphabetical name index, of all names mentioned, again with their page numbers of mention.

Jean Debney

* Footnote: The Berkshire Probate Index CD (published May 2012) may be helpful in providing this information.