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Series VPRS 7592
Wills and Probate and Administration Files
About this Series Related Series Accessing the records in this Series
Date Range: Series 1841 - 1853
  Series in Custody 1841 - 1853
  Contents 1841 - 1853
Public Access: Open
Location: North Melbourne
Format of Records: Physical
 
Agency which created this SeriesAgency which created this Series
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Date Range Agency Title Agency Number
1841 - 1852 Supreme Court of N.S.W. for the District of Port Phillip VA 914
1852 - 1853 Master in Equity, Supreme Court (also known as Master in Equity and Lunacy 1867-1923) VA 2624
Agency currently responsible for this SeriesAgency currently responsible for this Series
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Date Range Agency Title Agency Number
1960 - cont Registrar of Probates, Supreme Court VA 2620
Description of this SeriesDescription of this Series
  • How to use the Records
    Consult the microfiche Probate Index Victoria (1841-1992) which is located in the search room.

    The Index is arranged alphabetically by name of the deceased within the following time periods:

    1841-1853; 1853-1888; 1889-1899; 1900-1909; 1910-1919; 1920-1939; 1940-1949; 1950-1959; 1960-1969; 1970-1992

    Note the (probate) series number and the record number in the two left hand columns of the Index and the nature of the Grant (usually Probate or Administration).

  • Function / Content
    This series is a consolidation of the Wills and Probate and Administration papers held by the Registrar of Probates. The series is a concurrent series with VPRS 28 Probate and Administration Files and contains papers which were retained by the Probate Office after the initial transfer of VPRS 28 in 1969. When VPRS 7592/P1 was transferred in 1989, papers in VPRS 28 which were already held at the Public Record Office Victoria were not interfiled with this series. Therefore researchers may find papers relating to a particular estate in both VPRS 7592/P1 and in VPRS 28.

    The series also includes copies of the wills which had originally been kept separately but which have been interfiled by a previous Registrar of Probates in the 1970's or 1980's. They relate to Probate Series A and B in VPRS 28. The date of this consolidation is unknown as at January 1990 and therefore the series date range has been deemed to be the same as that of the contents ie. 1841 to 1853.

    The series includes the following records which must be lodged with the Registrar of Probate prior to the making of a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration to be granted:

    - Copy of advertisement from a daily newspaper indicating the intention to apply for Probate after 14 days;

    - Affidavit in support of the application sworn by the executors - the original will may be attached as an exhibit

    - Affidavit of publication and searches - this is usually sworn by the solicitors clerk; a copy of the advertisement is usually set out in the affidavit

    - Inventory detailing the assets in Victoria

    - Praecipe - this summarises the particulars of the application

    - Order for Probate

    - Probate Parchment

    The affidavits are sworn before a Commissioner of the Supreme Court. When the Probate is granted the date is stamped on the document.

    State Probate Duty was abolished in January 1984 for deaths after that date. Prior to this time, an executor was obliged to provide details of an estate's assets within 3 months of the death of the deceased.

  • Recordkeeping System
    The files are maintained in sequential file number order within two "series" A and B.

    The Probate Index Victoria provides access to these files.

    The index is arranged alphabetically within time periods and it should be noted that as the files are numbered sequentially by date of grant of the application for Probate or Letters of Administration, the date of filing may not be closely related to the date of death of the deceased.

    A DETAILED LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED BY THE PROBATE OFFICE IS AVAILABLE IN THE SEARCH ROOMS.
More research resourcesMore research resources
    PROVguide070 Wills and Probate Records
    PROVguide029 Wills and Probate Records 1841 - 1925
Indexes and RegistersIndexes and Registers
Display entries per page
Date Range Series Title Series Number
1841 - 1853 Index to Probates and Administrations Issued (Microform copy of the Probate Index and VPRS 262) VPRS 3340
Controlled SeriesControlled Series
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Date Range Series Title Series Number
Previous SeriesPrevious Series
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Transfer Date Series Title Series Number
Subsequent SeriesSubsequent Series
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Transfer Date Series Title Series Number
- 1853 Probate and Administration Files VPRS 28
1853 - 1853 Wills VPRS 7591
List/s of records in this seriesList/s of records in this series
Display entries per page
Consignment Number Contents Date Range Public Access No. of Units
P0001 1841 - 1853 Open 6
Indexes and RegistersIndexes and Registers
Display entries per page
Date Range Series Title Series Number
1841 - 1853 Index to Probates and Administrations Issued (Microform copy of the Probate Index and VPRS 262) VPRS 3340
More research resourcesMore research resources
    PROVguide070 Wills and Probate Records
    PROVguide029 Wills and Probate Records 1841 - 1925

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