Search Somerset will abstracts

This collection comprises series 1 through 6 of Abstracts of Somersetshire Wills by Rev Frederick Brown. The six volumes were published between 1887 and 1890. However, the abstracts themselves span the years from the sixteenth to eighteen centuries. You can search the digitised images created from these publications. You can search by name, publication title, and keywords.

The forward located at the beginning of the first series includes the following note:

‘As a memorial of the late Rev. Frederick Brown, M.A., F.S.A., of Beckenham, Kent, I have printed from his manuscript collections some abstracts of Wills, &c., relating to Somersetshire families. Permission to print these important genealogical records has been granted by Mr. Frederick Latham Brown to J. J. Howard, Esq., LL.D.’

From these abstracts, you may discover your ancestor’s full name, residence, marital status, relatives’ names, and will date.

Amongst these abstracts can be found that of Sir Ralph Hopton. Hopton was a Member of Parliament for Somerset (1553, 1555) and Heytesbury (1559). From the abstract of his will, we learn that he left instructions for the giving of funds to various family members.