Devon 
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The aim of the Devon Wills Project is to provide a finding-aid in the form of a consolidated index of Devon wills, administrations and inventories, covering (and distinguishing between) original documents, probate copies, transcripts and abstracts.
The project involves systematically transcribing information obtained from various "sources", i.e. indexes, calendars, catalogues, etc. The period covered is up to 1857, and wills, etc., are taken as related to Devon if the testator is identified to be or can be assumed as being of Devon, even if the will was proved elsewhere. (The index covers only testators, not other named individuals.) The Project is not itself transcribing or collecting transcriptions of wills.
N.B. Users who find entries in our consolidated index of interest to them should note the code given in the Source column of the index. Then they should look up this code in the list of Sources below, and open the corresponding Source page. In the introductory notes for that particular Source they will find information about where they should go, or who they should contact, to see (or perhaps be able to obtain their own copy of) the particular will, transcript or abstract. The Devon Wills Project itself cannot help with such requests.
The ultimate aim of the Project is to include information taken from all existing published or publicly available sources of information about Devon wills, administrations and inventories, i.e. of all Devon testamentary material, including the information (mainly just name and date) that is provided in published calendars of wills that were being held at Exeter prior to the destruction of the Exeter Probate Office during World War II, wills for which very few copies, abstracts or transcripts exist. (This testamentary material relates to a number of different Probate Courts.)
For an early trial version of the consolidated index see below. This incorporates entries from various sources that had been collected by 28 December 2009. Note: this consolidated index will be updated only at intervals, but more up to date listings of entries from the individual sources can be found by using the links given in the List of Sources.
Volunteers are sought to help with the transcribing of information from those sources listed below that have yet to be dealt with, or which have had only samples transcribed as yet. A set of Guidelines are available describing the transcription rules. For more information please contact Richard Grylls.
Last updated: 8 Feb 2010 - Brian Randell
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