Deceased Estate & Probate Notices for Dealers & Estate Agents

West Country Estate Register is a weekly research digest compiled from official public records: the deceased-estate notices published in The Gazette, the United Kingdom’s official public record.

Each week the new notices for your part of the West Country are set out in a clear, orderly summary, so you can see at a glance which estates are being administered in your area and which solicitor is handling each one. The Register is published in two editions, one for the antiques and clearance trade and one for independent estate agents.

Two editions

For the trade

Trade Edition

For antique dealers, antiques centres, auction houses and house-clearance firms.

£25 per month, per region

What it includes

For estate agents

Property Edition

For independent estate agents. Estates are listed by town and postcode district.

£50 per month, per area

What it includes

The Trade Edition: for dealers, centres, auction houses and clearance firms

It gives early sight of estates whose contents may in time be sold or need clearing, often before they reach the saleroom. Every entry is drawn from a notice in The Gazette and includes:

Last address, by town or area, with the postcode district.
Care and nursing home flags, where the last address appears to be a care home or retirement setting and contents are likely to be limited.
The solicitor to write to about contents: the firm acting, its reference and its office address as published.
Notice date and Gazette reference, linked to the original notice.
Claims deadline, together with a short note on each estate.

The Property Edition: for independent estate agents

It gives early, orderly notice of estates in which a property may later need valuing, selling or letting, with the right professional to write to. Each entry includes:

Property location, by town and postcode district, and any second address published in the notice.
An indication of timing, estimated from the date of death: early, middle or advanced in the administration.
The solicitor to write to about the property: the firm acting, its reference and its office address as published.
Notice date and Gazette reference, linked to the original notice.
Claims deadline and date of death, with care or retirement addresses marked.

Gazette notices do not state property type, tenure or ownership. Timing is an estimate and should be treated as a guide only.

Regions covered

Both editions are published in five regional editions. You can take as many as you wish, or the whole West Country as a bundle:

Bristol & Bath: Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
Cotswolds & Gloucestershire: Cheltenham, Cirencester, Tetbury, Stow, Stroud and north Wiltshire.
Wessex: Somerset, Dorset and south Wiltshire.
Devon: Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay, Honiton, Totnes, Barnstaple and the rest of the county.
Cornwall: Truro, Penzance, Falmouth, Lostwithiel, Launceston and the rest of the county.
All-region bundle: all five editions, for firms that work across the West Country.

How the weekly digest works

Choose your edition and region. Choose the Trade Edition or the Property Edition, then the regions you actually work in.
Receive it by email each week. Your issue arrives on the same day every week, set out plainly and easy to read or print.
Cancel at any time. There is no minimum term. If the Register no longer suits you, simply let us know and your subscription will end at the close of the current month.

Our approach: discretion and courtesy

Only estates handled by a solicitor or professional executor are included. Every estate represents a family bereavement, and we ask all subscribers to act with discretion.

Approaches should be made respectfully and in writing, to the named solicitor or executor only. Please never call at the property, telephone or write to the family, or canvass neighbours.

A courteous letter to the professional handling the estate is the proper course, and the one most likely to be welcomed.

Frequently asked questions

Where do the deceased-estate notices come from?

Entirely from The Gazette, the official public record of the United Kingdom, where executors and solicitors publish deceased-estate notices (sometimes called probate or Trustee Act notices). We compile and summarise these published notices. We do not use private or confidential sources.

What is the difference between the two editions?

The Trade Edition, at £25 a month per region, is written for antique dealers, antiques centres, auction houses and house-clearance firms. It gives the area of each last address, care-home flags and the solicitor to write to about contents. The Property Edition, at £50 a month per area, is written for independent estate agents. It lists estates by postcode district, gives an indication of timing, and names the solicitor to write to about the property.

How much does it cost?

The Trade Edition is £25 a month per region and the Property Edition is £50 a month per area. There is an all-region bundle for firms that cover the whole West Country. Please write to us for bundle terms.

How often is the Register published?

Weekly. Each issue covers the notices published since the previous one.

Which areas of the West Country do you cover?

There are five regional editions: Bristol & Bath; Cotswolds & Gloucestershire; Wessex (Somerset, Dorset and south Wiltshire); Devon; and Cornwall. There is also an all-region bundle. If you are unsure which suits you, please write to us.

Can I see an issue first?

Yes. Write to enquiries@westcountryestateregister.co.uk with the edition and region you are interested in, and we will send a free trial issue, without obligation.

How do I cancel?

Simply email us at any time. There is no minimum term and no cancellation fee.

How should I make contact about an estate?

In writing, and only to the solicitor or executor named in the notice. Please do not visit the property or approach the family. Subscribers who do not follow this may have their subscription withdrawn.