Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Indexes to Victoria probate files and BC probated wills
General material designation
- textual record
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Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1861-1988 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
Microfilm (neg.), 35 mm, 6 reels [B01990; B11790 - B11794]
Originals, 7.92 m textual records
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Scope and content
The series consists of indexes to Victoria probate files and to probated wills in the Central registry.
The index serves two purposes because the Victoria court registry was responsible for maintaining the Victoria probate files and - until the late 1980s - kept the Central Will Registry for the Department of the Attorney General. The Victoria probate numbers (for files which are in GR-1304, GR-2083 and GR-3016) appear in the left-hand column under "papers". The will numbers (for wills found in GR-1052, GR-1574 and GR-2009) appear in the right-hand column of the indexes under remarks.
Users should note that index cards for the period 1982 to 1988 cover estates probated across the province, and provide the probate number, the registry where the estate was probated, and the central will registry number.
Notes regarding the Central Will Registry :
Until July 1986, all wills in BC were kept in a separate, central location, maintained by the Victoria Court Registry. When a person died, leaving a will, the will was submitted to a court registry for probate. Staff in that registry forwarded the original will to Victoria, where it was assigned a number in a sequence that included wills from all registries in the province. Copies of the wills were often kept in the probate files for working purposes. In some cases, however, wills were sometimes returned to the custody of the respective court registries. Researchers should keep this in mind if searching for an original will.
In July 1986, Vancouver, New Westminster, Nanaimo, Chilliwack, Penticton, Vernon, Kamloops, Prince George and Kelowna began to track their own original probated wills. All other registries continued to send their original probated wills to the Central Wills Registry in Victoria.
As of August 1998 each registry is responsible for their own wills.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Probate index cards transferred from the Victoria Court registry in January 2017.
Arrangement
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Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no access restrictions.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
- Finding aid: reel/volume list.
- http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Document/Finding_Aids_Atom/GR-1001_to_GR-1500/GR-1417.pdf
Associated materials
GR-1304, GR-2083, GR-3016, GR-1052, GR-1574 and GR-2009
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): 83-0426; 91-0541; G82-001