PEOPLE looking to uncover their family history can now do so for free after probate records dating back 500 years have been made available to search online for the first time.

In collaboration with Ancestry – the global leader in family history – Hampshire County Council has made available 500 years of wills and probates online for free.

Members of the public can access the records on Ancestry free of charge from any Hampshire library or record office.

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The records include wills, inventories and administrations dating from the 14th Century.

Probate records are official court documents concerning the settlement of a person’s estate after they die, the most important of which is usually a will, which lists the deceased person’s property and outlines who it has been left to, offering a rare view into ancestors’ daily lives and valued possessions.

The collection includes some fascinating examples of everyday Hampshire residents such as Thomas Hancock of Hawley, in Yately, who died of the plague in 1604.

The records show that his will was handed to Alexander Read on a nine-foot pole because Mr Hancock was afraid of passing on the infection to his witness.

Another for Frances Dillington, of West Cowes, shows her will, read in 1704, illustrated with pictures of Father Time and the scene of Jesus Christ in Judgement.

Ancestry and the county council worked together to make these historic documents accessible on Ancestry.co.uk and this is the first time that the entire Hampshire England wills and probates records have been digitised and put online.

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Cllr Russell Oppenheimer, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for countryside, culture and communities, said: “It’s really exciting to be able to have Hampshire’s wills and probate records professionally digitised and made available online for the first time on Ancestry.

“The agreement between Ancestry and the county council is helping to preserve the rich history of our county and making it more widely accessible. I am very pleased that people can access Ancestry without charge at our public libraries, and at Hampshire Record Office in Winchester.”

Kristian Lafferty, content acquisition manager at Ancestry, added: “We are really proud to have worked with such an innovative team to digitise another important collection on Ancestry.

“Our team of experts have worked with Hampshire Record Office to make the records digitally available for the first time ever, giving people the opportunity to learn more about their roots in Hampshire and even spot some prominent faces from the region too.’’

To learn more about your family history and discover the stories of your ancestors, visit ancestry.co.uk.