I just thought to post this to the list as to a lot of people the probate records are a mystery. Also, as puzzling as it may seem: I have found persons in my own line that although they were JP's in their areas, and they were admins for other persons estates,therefore showing a healthy interest in the judicial system of the time period, they have no will recorded. What this tells me though, (as I obviously am a person with an imagination), is that since this person exhibited all the qualities of someone who would most likely have made a will or understood the significance of one.. possibly the absence of one is explained by: 1.It was lost in all those "loose papers" 2.Maybe he "meant" to make one and died suddenly 3.Record keeping then was not a efficient as now.Perhaps it was misplaced. 4. Maybe it was never recorded. As with marriage records, persons WERE married but if the official never recorded it or registered it from the remote areas, then the records state "no return" giving the impression there was no marriage. 5. Perhaps there were verbal agreements with the children. In essence, I am trying to say, that if there is an ancestor that shows signs that he should have/would have made a will, then chances are he did. It may not have been registered and therefore finding that will is the problem. I always look for land changing hands or newly acquired land of the children of someone, showing possibly a verbal agreement. Debbie Jennings debbiej@iquest.net "Following the footprints through time" Researching in IN,KY,TN,NC,PA,NJ,VT,NY,MA,MD, VA,CAN,GER,ENG