“…all my real and personal property whatsoever and wheresoever…”
State Library Victoria recently received a donation of 191 wills from the law firm of Cohen, Kirby and Co. Solicitors, Bendigo, spanning the period 1875-1952.
Nearly half of the wills are by women testators. The use of their full names makes this collection unusual, as traditionally, women’s names were absorbed into their husbands using formal address.
Thankfully there are no Mrs. John Smiths to be found in this collection, the women retain their own identity making it a gem for family historians particularly.
Common names of the period are evident, Jane, Elizabeth, Sarah and (fifteen!) Marys. There are also more unusual names including Genath, Magdalena, and I was happy to find… four Bridgets.
Cohen, Kirby & Co. operated from Bendigo and many of the wills are from local testators. The records are not exclusively for Bendigonians however, as regional towns nearby are represented – Cohuna, Wyuna, Boort and Toolleen to name a few.
One of the Bridgets, Bridget Hynes, lived in Leongatha, Gippsland, and her instructions show she also had connections in Nagambie and Echuca.
Typed or handwritten, signed by name or marked with an X. There are brief wills where one inherits all, and explicit and conditional wills with multiple benefactors and specific amounts and items bequeathed.
Mary Hagan bequeathed her piano furniture to her daughter, and Susan Cullen instructed the Rock of Cashel Hotel to go to her mother.
Just months after Cullen’s will was made, the Bendigo Advertiser reported her death and the inheritance was granted.
The research value of these wills is broad as genealogical, social, religious, geographical, and financial information can be gleaned. Documenting an individual’s estate, what they deemed valuable and who they held dear.
This donation joins similar collections of legal and official documents, estate certificates, and letters of last instruction.
Search our manuscripts collection for the genre ‘wills’ to find more.
Collection of wills from Cohen, Kirby & Co. Solicitors, Bendigo, 1875-1952. MS 17028. State Library Victoria.
Finding aid
