NSW Wills

FindMyPast is working with NSW State Records to digitise New South Wales Will Books from 1800 to 1952. The collection of will books will be available later this year and will include handwritten copies of the original wills, from about 1800 to 1924, and typed copies of wills from 1924 to 1952. FindMyPast.com.au has secured the rights to publish all of the registered wills from New South Wales from 1800 to 1952, which make information about ancestors’ wealth, estates and belongings much easier to access. Don’t forget that you can access FindMyPast free of charge at Manly Library and many other public Libraries.

Divorce in NSW

Tim Barliss, in yesterday’s Sun-Herald, puts a romantic twist on the news that more divorce papers have been released and are available through NSW State Records . Barliss quotes love letters and reveals that the Blue Mountains was a popular venue for secret trysts.

NSW State Records is a little more circumspect in their announcement, stating that ‘the Supreme Court of NSW is transferring NRS 13495 Divorce and matrimonial cause papers.’ This covers the period from 1931 to 1949, and includes the divorce papers of razor gang leader Tilly Devine from husband, James, which was undefended The Supreme Court is transferring files on a regular basis.

The divorce papers can be viewed at the NSW State Records Western Sydney Reading Room at Kingswood. Instructions for searching and accessing the divorce packets are available on-line at http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/news/more-divorce-files-transferred-to-state-records