Thank you for all the replies. Chris - yes you're right - a previous will is invalidated by a subsequent marriage. Was this the case in 1946? Merryl - the marriage on Oct 16 was a Reg. Office marriage. Keith - this is what I thought would be the case. The will was signed, dated and witnessed on Sept. 5 and was therefore invalidated on Oct 16 when she married unless the law was different then. One might have expected her solicitor to explain things, but since the beneficiaries are described as 'husband' and 'stepchildren' and named perhaps he simply assumed that they had already married. I don't remember being asked for my marriage cert. when I made a new will after marrying. In any event when she died in 1951 the will was proved without any apparent problems. All very interesting. Angela > I have a will written on Sept. 5 1946 which refers to the testatrix's husband and her stepchildren (who are all named). In fact she didn't marry the husband until about six weeks later on Oct 16. > > It's normal to make a new will at the time of marriage - would it be normal to make it before the marriage? It's a legal document and this one refers to 'husband' and 'stepchildren' who didn't have that relationship at the time the will was signed. > > The 'husband' was the brother of the testatrix's first husband. I can't find a record of his death and wonder if there was a divorce, or had they just separated and her marriage in October was perhaps not legal?