pre 1858 wills on Ancestry

[jpkc]

I have found this database extremely useful for researching 16th and 17th century persons. As usual with Ancestry the image quality is excellent but indexing haphazard; I find that it is best to look for wills using TNA's Discovery and then use the date of probate to search on Ancestry.
But I have found that one batch of wills, PROB11/42A formerly quire Welles, is completely missing from the index (there seems to be no way of checking whether the images are there without using the index). i contacted Ancestry "Customer Solutions" in April and they have "escalated this to our developers for further investigation" but I have heard no more.

I am wondering whether anyone else has found batches missing from this database or can suggest ways to accelerate action by Ancestry.

 

[Pauline]

"escalated this to our developers for further investigation"

Hmm - in my experience that might be more accurately phrased "escalated this to our developers who may do something about it some time, if they've nothing better to do". There are similar issues I've raised over the past few years (with other data sets) which are still pending - or maybe lost, forgotten or been ignored.

You could try frequent reminders in the hope that this will prompt action.

Or maybe something will happen in the next few weeks - it can take a while to investigate this sort of thing.

 

[Pauline]

there seems to be no way of checking whether the images are there without using the index

Adding to the above - you can browse the images using the drop downs on the right of the initial search page for PCC wills, but it does appear these images are missing, unless they are somewhere out of sequence - piece 42B seems to follow straight on from 41.

 

[jpkc]

I have now tried to order one of the missing wills to view at TNA, but got a message saying that the reference "does not exist in the database", They have told me that I have to to fill in an original document request form at TNA and get it signed off by the Advice and Records Knowledge Department - I will try this in 2 days time.

 

[Pauline]

I'm a bit mystified by the message about the reference not existing. Searching on PROB11/42A (and nothing else) in the Discovery catalogue at TNA brings up 531 results, and the wills I've checked seem to be available for purchase and download, and the preview shows images.

Also, I've just checked at The Genealogist website and they have images for PROB11/42A.

Which will are you trying to obtain?

 

[jpkc]

I am looking for 444. But I did not say that I couldn't find it in Discovery, the message appeared only when I pasted the reference into TNA's online advance order form. They must use a different database for orders or perhaps have some sort of tag on items which are not normally available. I would have bought a download but am planning a visit to Kew for other reasons so added this to my pre-order. I presume that it would be cheaper to pay for the download than a subscription to The Genealogist - every time I have tried them I have found that what I am after needs a more expensive subscription than I have paid for.

 

[Pauline]

Yes, I appreciated the message had appeared when you were doing the advance order form, but it seemed mystifying to me that Discovery recognised the reference as valid when the advance order thing didn't.

I'm not sure if the Genealogist has any free trials at present, but otherwise for just the one will, the TNA download is likely to be cheaper than a subscription.

 

[jpkc]

I have just discovered that Ancestry added the missing register/quire of wills to their website last month. So it has taken them less than 5 years to react - pretty good eh?