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UK Probate Genealogy Obtaining european passports for people with european ancestry. 56 Irish passports and many others achieved already.

Helping families prepare family trees and family histories. The history of your house and assisting with probate questions.

What do we do at UK Probate Genealogy to help probate lawyers and executors. In case I haven’t got the message across th...
08/10/2026

What do we do at UK Probate Genealogy to help probate lawyers and executors.
In case I haven’t got the message across this is what we do to ensure our clients’ due diligence and protect them from challenge.

a. Prepare the family tree (or check an existing one)
b. Trace all the beneficiaries (intestacy)
c. Trace missing executors and beneficiaries (testacy)
d. Trace dormant account holders
e. Bankruptcy checks
f. DNA checks
g. Identity checks
h. Other related services

For other related services or for a fixed price quote. please enquire on [email protected]

Ten reasons why your will might be invalid - how to write a will and still be intestate or have your will challengeda. H...
06/10/2026

Ten reasons why your will might be invalid - how to write a will and still be intestate or have your will challenged

a. Have the witnesses sign it without signing it yourself – yes it happens!
b. Get married and not make a new will – especially if your new spouse doesn’t get on with your children
c. You were already doolally and had no idea what you were doing when you signed it
d. Somebody coerced you – the family are naturally suspicious when you leave all your money to the cleaner/gardener – of course, if your family had kept in regular touch, then this might not have happened
e. All the beneficiaries have pre-deceased you – normally not a good idea to make your parents/aunts/uncles beneficiaries
f. One or both of the witnesses are beneficiaries – a witness cannot benefit from a deceased estate – don’t forget to check that you’re not a beneficiary before witnessing it – try to hide your disappointment when you are asked to be a witness…
g. You cut out dependents – there is plenty of legislation and precedent for people who depend on your largesse turning over wills
h. You hide your will so carefully that no one can find it
i. The witnesses are fake names – someone couldn’t be bothered to find two witnesses or the testator (you) was being coerced
j. Staple marks without explanation for what was attached – they could have been for a codicil or the will could have been tampered with

Of course there are exceptions for all these and many legal hours have been spent on these and related matters – speak with your lawyer if you have any doubts

61 European passportsHaving just obtained 61 Irish and other European passports for clients I thought I would celebrate ...
02/10/2026

61 European passports

Having just obtained 61 Irish and other European passports for clients I thought I would celebrate this milestone by covering the main benefits of having a European passport. One client, who buys and sells property in Spain, tells me that it has knocked up to ten weeks off his transaction times since Brexit happened.

a. Free movement round the 27 member states in Europe – no visas, work permits nor extra checks at customs - and your spouse and young children can travel and stay with you

b. Shorter and quicker (most of the time) queues at airports

c. You can open your own business on the continent and in Ireland much more easily

d. You can apply for European grants and funding for business ventures

e. Seamless access to trade and markets

f. Some EU countries offer lower corporate taxation and other tax incentives

g. You get simpler access to EU banking and financial services

h. You can employ staff across the EU without the need for work permits and visas

i. You get full access to any EU members consulate both in Europe and overseas.

So what do you need to obtain an EU passport? Although it varies somewhat from country to country, either a grandparent or parent who was either born in one of the 27 states or who was a citizen. Some countries, such as Spain, do not permit dual nationality and with some eastern European countries just be aware that Russia is on the border and you might be called up for national service!

At UK Probate Genealogy we can assist with the entire process by obtaining the required original or certified documentation and carrying out the complete application process from beginning to end.

Call us on 07725 993 400 or email at [email protected]

Creative job hunting - how to stand out from the crowdThis old letter recently resurfaced on my feed – still makes me la...
30/09/2026

Creative job hunting - how to stand out from the crowd

This old letter recently resurfaced on my feed – still makes me laugh – good advice for all job hunters – linkedin is, after all, the home of jobhunting…


“I refer to the recent death of the Technical Manager at your company and hereby apply for the replacement of the deceased manager.

Each time I apply for a job, I get a reply that there is no vacancy but in this case I have caught you red-handed and you have no excuse because I even attended the funeral to be sure that he was truly dead and buried before applying.

Attached to my letter is a copy of my CV and his death certificate.”

Anyone have any other suggestions for catching the recruiter's eye?

If you need a death certificate then we can always help or advise!

There really is nothing new under the sun - this witty yet heartfelt letter was written by my great grand-father, John D...
11/09/2026

There really is nothing new under the sun - this witty yet heartfelt letter was written by my great grand-father, John Done OBE, in the 1920's bemoaning the effect of the government and taxes (and in laws!) on his life and finances. He was a successful farmer and milk producer and JP in Cheshire.

“To my Creditors,

I regret to inform you that the present condition of my bank balance makes it impossible for me to send you a cheque in settlement of your account.

My present financial position is due to Government Laws, Corn Laws, Corporation Laws, bye-laws, brother-in-laws, mother-in-laws and outlaws that have been foisted upon an unsuspecting community.

Through the various laws, I have been held down, help-up, walked on, sat upon, flattened out and squeezed, until I do not know where I am, what I am, who I am or why I am.

These laws compel me to get down to brass tax and to pay Occupation Tax, Capital Tax, Excise Tax, Income Tax, Real Estate Tax, School Tax, Auto Tax, Gas Tax, To***co Tax, Land Tax, W**e Tax, and numerous other Taxes.

In addition I am requested to subscribe to every society and organisation that the inventive mind of man can organise — the Children’s Home, Policeman’s benefit, YMCA, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides etc., etc., also to every hospital and Charitable Institution — the Red Cross, Black Cross, Purple Cross and Double Cross.

The Government has so governed my business that I do not know who owns it — I am suspected, inspected, prospected, disrespected, examined, re-examined, informed, investigated, required, requisitioned, subpoenaed, commanded, and compelled until all I know is that I am supposed to provide an inexhaustible supply of money for every known need, desire and hope of human race.

Because I refuse to donate to all, I am cussed, lied and discussed, boycotted, talked to, talked about, lied about, held up, held down and robbed, until I am nearly ruined, so that the only reason I am clinging to life, is to see what is coming next.”

Feeling wronged by a will? Feeling unloved and resentful? Thinking that your dastardly relatives influenced the testator...
10/09/2026

Feeling wronged by a will? Feeling unloved and resentful? Thinking that your dastardly relatives influenced the testator to change his/her will?
Well firstly ask yourself one question – “Can I afford to lose?” – contested probate is rife with stories of people who spent £100,000 contesting a possible £20,000 inheritance. The executors will usually have far deeper pockets than you which moneys will only come out of the estate,.
Having found yourself unable to swallow your pride and resentment then contact a contentious probate lawyer (I am not a lawyer so this is the limit of my advice) and try your hardest to take their advice, especially if they don’t think you have a case! They will often recommend some sort of arbitration as a first step.
Of course, if you had kept in touch with the deceased a little more often then they might have remembered you. It’s a little mercenary but sometimes some enlightened self interest can reap dividends!

Who/where is Jane Smith? The power of love…So, you are executing a will and one of the beneficiaries is called Jane Smit...
09/09/2026

Who/where is Jane Smith? The power of love…
So, you are executing a will and one of the beneficiaries is called Jane Smith – no clue at all about who they are, what their connection to the deceased is, is Smith their married or maiden name? Were they work colleagues? Is she a blood relation or in-law? In the armed forces or government service?
Where on earth do you start? Sometimes family members and other beneficiaries can be helpful, sometimes they can be downright obstructive – you think they know who Jane Smith is but they are unwilling to help – possibly thinking that there might be a larger share of the estate if a beneficiary can’t be found.
When faced with obstruction I find that “you’re only delaying your payout and if you don’t help it could be months/years before you receive it” often concentrates their mind.
In the absence of any other clues I find that investigating local schools, previous addresses and work places can yield results. Alumni associations, electoral rolls, gazettes, military records, local newspapers, family trees and, if you can find them, the local curtain twitcher will reveal secrets that have gone missing.
We found such a beneficiary recently by using the list of attendees at the funeral – when we contacted her she revealed that she was an old flame who hadn’t seen the deceased for 40 years – he’d been holding a torch for her all those years!
The moral of this story is, however, when you are writing a will useful information will include date of birth, address, full (and maiden) name and connection with the deceased – make it easy please!

Did you know that surnames can go extinct just like species do? One historical reason for surnames becoming extinct was ...
27/08/2026

Did you know that surnames can go extinct just like species do?
One historical reason for surnames becoming extinct was World War I. When there were mass casualties, a village or town might lose a whole generation of their men. Because names at that time were often specific to an area, a surname could be lost.
There are less drastic reasons for a surname’s disappearance as well. Sometimes, a name is changed over time, or a male line may simply die out.
Since 1901, about 200,000 names have disappeared altogether from England and Wales, according to a study conducted by Ancestry.co.uk. These include
• Chips
• Hatman
• Temples
• Raynott
• Woodbead
• Nithercott
• Rummage
• Southwark
• Harred
• Jarsdel
Hundreds of other English surnames are “endangered” — so rare that fewer than 50 people in England and Wales have them. These include
1. Pober
2. Mirren
3. Febland
4. Nighy
5. Grader
6. Bonneville
7. Gruger
8. Carla
9. Fernard
10. Portendorfer
Actress Helen Mirren, whose name is on that list, was born with the last name Mironoff, which her Russian father Anglicized to Mirren. Actors Hugh Bonneville and Bill Nighy also have endangered surnames.
More people researching their roots today has led to an interest in preserving rare surnames, and as a result, more people are using hyphenated surnames in England. In 1901, “double-barreled names” were just 1 in 50,000 people. Today, 1 in 50 people has a hyphenated surname, and almost half of them say it’s to preserve a family surname.
Research by Ancestry.co.uk

Are you good at geography? I always thought I was until a recent probate research case became the most geographically di...
26/08/2026

Are you good at geography?

I always thought I was until a recent probate research case became the most geographically diverse project we have encountered.

At first it seemed quite straightforward – the deceased, an only child, unmarried and without issue, had 7 aunts and uncles (all deceased) who had 14 children between them. So it didn’t look too problematic to begin with.

However it soon became clear that the 14 cousins were as fecund as they were dysfunctional! Of the 14 cousins, 12 were deceased and had 72 children between them, many of whom had dispersed all over the world, reputedly (according to the two surviving 1st cousins) due to family disputes, inheritance disputes, bankruptcy and criminal records! The family was part of an unusual Christian sect (for whom, apparently, contraception was not an option!) and quite a few of them became missionaries.

It took a while but here is a partial list of the more surprising locations:
Luanda, Angola (A missionary like a number of the others)
Arua, Uganda
Kampala, Uganda
Wichita Falls, Texas
Rochester, Nevada
Elorza, Venezuela
Augusta, Western Australia
Davao, Phillipines
Xinjiang, China

The rest are in the UK and Europe – a very satisfying result.

Ironically the cousins’ descendants had very few children between them, no doubt learned the lessons of their parents’ decisions!

Parents - be kind to your children! Over the years that we have been doing our probate genealogy at UKPG we have come a...
25/08/2026

Parents - be kind to your children!

Over the years that we have been doing our probate genealogy at UKPG we have come across a wide variety of most unusual names that unthinking parents have given their children. A few of the worst examples are below. (And we have double checked - they are all genuine!)

A Mr Pleasant Bottom (b1799 Kentucky) - well I'm sure he had one but there was no need to tell the world

The misses Ima and Ura Hogg (b 1908 Alabama) - verging on the edges of child cruelty here

If-Christ-had-not-died-for-thee-thou hadst-been-damned Barebone (b1621 Massachusetts)

Fly-fornication Jones (b1865 Arkansas)

Experience Bliss (b 1649 Massachusetts) – let’s hope she did!

Zebedee Twopenny (19th C Yorkshire)

And this one I promise you is true - a Mr Preserved Fish - I attach an extract from his will. His brothers all had normal names so what possessed his parents we shall never know.

Finally it never occurred to the parents of F***y Kirby that she might one day marry a Mr Rash... or another who married a Mr Smellie

Parents - be careful!

Any unusual or unfortunate names in your family?

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