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Folio Number on Find A Will site

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AdrianBruce
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Joined: 14 Jun 2020, 18:57
Location: South Cheshire

Folio Number on Find A Will site

Post by AdrianBruce »

Just looking at an article on finding post 1858 wills for England and Wales on https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine ... ills-kept/

The author uses the example of Charles Dickens, d1870 to search the GOV. UK site probate calendars. My issue is that when completing the application form for a copy of the Will itself, he puts 140 in the Folio Number. That's the page number for the calendar entry. Surely that's not what the Folio Number is? Working from the help on the site, I've always understood that the Folio Number is an extra annotation rarely seen. In fact Dickens' entry does have what I think the Folio is - 468 is written by hand next to the entry.

Am I right? Is 468 the Folio Number here? And most entries don't have one?

And your bonus question - anyone know what the Folio Number actually is?
Adrian Bruce
Norfolk Nan
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Joined: 16 Jun 2020, 11:54
Location: A Londoner lost in Norfolk

Re: Folio Number on Find A Will site

Post by Norfolk Nan »

just to bump this post to the top... :lol:
jonwarrn
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Joined: 03 Jul 2020, 19:49

Re: Folio Number on Find A Will site

Post by jonwarrn »

"Handwritten numbers (folio numbers) shown against some index entries refer to the Registered Bound Volumes where the copy of the will is stored. They are used for locating wills proved in London between 1858 and 1930"

Quote from here, it's not exactly bang up to date stuff, but what is collectionsgateway?
http://www.collectionsgateway.org.uk/co ... eindex.pdf
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AdrianBruce
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Location: South Cheshire

Re: Folio Number on Find A Will site

Post by AdrianBruce »

Thanks for that Jon - that link is definitely the first time that I've seen definition of a Folio number (in this context).

http://www.collectionsgateway.org.uk/ has a number of interesting items accessible via Google but that particular URL is no longer generally accessible - archive.org, however, has captures of it on https://web.archive.org/web/20140223204 ... org.uk:80/ which show that it was intended to be "A single ‘first point of call’ for anyone seeking to locate information on research collections held by Berkshire and Reading institutions", with the ability for other organisations to join later.
Adrian Bruce
jonwarrn
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Joined: 03 Jul 2020, 19:49

Re: Folio Number on Find A Will site

Post by jonwarrn »

Hi Adrian
Thanks for the info about Collections Gateway. I am interested in things to do with Reading and Berkshire, but I still don't remember it!
Hopefully they have come up with the goods about those folio numbers for the wills, they used to worry me a bit. At least we know now when we cannot be expected to provide one!
Jon
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Guy
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Re: Folio Number on Find A Will site

Post by Guy »

I would say always try to provide the folio number or you may get an email I got, saying I had not provided the folio number and I would have to re-order.
However I should also add that no refund was offered and a couple of days later my order was honoured.
It seems there is some confusion whether the order will be fulfilled, the money returned or will supply on the information their index provides.
Cheers
Guy
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