Wills Index 1857-1935
This index was compiled from the original Supreme Court files:
- Series ID 4486 Ecclesiastical Files (Southern District, Brisbane)
- Series ID 6220 Ecclesiastical Files (Northern District, Townsville)
- Series ID 7271 Ecclesiastical Files (Central District, Rockhampton)
Background
This Index has a number of advantages over the indexes previously in use.
Indexing errors, and errors in interpreting old handwriting, have been corrected in this new index. This index includes files from all districts, 1857-1900. From 1901 onwards each District will have a separate Index.
This index does NOT include the Public Curator files (commonly referred to as "intestacies") in which many other wills can be found. Wills are not only for those who died in Queensland.
Each ecclesiastical file relates to the Estate of a Deceased Person administered by the Executors appointed in the will or, where no will exists, by an appointed Administrator (other than the Public Curator) where this was approved by the Supreme Court.
The files contain documents which include information such as name, address and occupation of the deceased, date and place of death, next of kin, an inventory of property and its value and disposition.
Documents in each file may include: Petition or Request for Probate, Affidavit of the administrator or executor appointed, Certificate of Death, Stamp Commissioner's Certificate, copy of the Probate Notice, Inventory, Affidavit as to the publication and search of the death notice, Bill of Costs, Certificate of Taxation, Last Will & Testament of the deceased.
The left image below (click for larger image) depicts the title page of an affidavit of value in the name of Margaret Low. On the right is the first page of the will of William Reeves.
See also - Brief Guide to Will and Intestacy Records.
Explanatory Notes
- Check all possible spelling variants
- Check all SEE ALSO references
- All given names are abbreviated as initials as they appear in the original record
- Mc and Mac names are interfiled
- O names are not indexed with an apostrophe e.g. O DWYER
- Asiatic names have not been anglicised and appear as recorded in the original record.
Search the Index
Supreme Court, All Districts Wills 1857-1900
A to Dunne (PDF 307KB)
Dunning to Lang (PDF 308KB)
Langan to Rankan (PDF 306KB)
Rankan to Zwiszler (PDF 304KB)
Supreme Court, Southern District Wills 1900-1925
A - COOHEY (PDF 286KB)
COOK - GUTH (PDF 289KB)
GUTHRIE - LYNCH (PDF 230KB)
LYND - PITT (PDF 288KB)
PITTS - ZWOERNER (PDF 428KB)
Supreme Court, Southern District Wills 1926-1935
ABBOTT - DUNMALL (PDF 245KB)
DUNN - KRANZ (PDF 247KB)
KRATZKE - REA (PDF 248KB)
READ - ZWISLER (PDF 240KB)
PLEASE NOTE: Adobe Reader is required to open and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files and is free to download from the Adobe website.
If you have difficulty accessing PDF files from this website please contact us.
Costs and Ordering
Send $12.50 for each item requested. For this fee you will receive the first eight (8) pages. If the file is larger than eight (8) pages you will receive a quote for those pages not copied.
Please note that sometimes there is no Will or inventory included in the file and that death certificates were only included from about the mid 1890s onwards.
Please quote the Name of the person, Will Number, QSA location and microfilm number.
To order copies of an item, click here for an order form.
How to Order Individual Entries
