Comment on Wills of millions of Americans now available online

Wills of millions of Americans now available online

[...] mundane details that shed insights into the family relationships of some of America's most famous citizens are now just a mouse click away. Ancestry.com has digitized wills and probate records that cover more than 100 million people, including the deceased as well as their family and friends, dating from the Colonial era to the beginning of the 21st century. Most Americans know the grand narrative of the nation's most famous historical figures, but the records contain information not found in most textbooks. "What you find in probate records and wills are the rich stories about what mattered enough to pass down and a wealth of information about family history," said Jennifer Utley, senior manager of research at Ancestry.com's Utah headquarters. Every American elementary school student learns about Revere's 1775 ride to warn about British troop movements, and his career as a master metal worker, but his will reveals some interesting facts — not just about his relationship with his daughter — but about his relationships with his grandchildren, Utley said. People researching family history often look to marriage certificates, birth certificates and census information, said Ruy Cardoso, a Massachusetts-based certified genealogist.

 

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