The entry for Chapman J. Tinsley in “Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900” indicates that the will was dated on the same date it was admitted to probate.
That’s not how it works. The will date is the date the will was signed by the testator. The probate date is the date it is admitted to probate by the judge of the court that handles probate matters in the relevant jurisdiction.
Other reminders here are to look at the original and to find the actual book in which the item is recorded–as Ancestry references several books for this item (without a page number either).
Try a GenealogyBank Genealogy Search to see what you find.
2 Responses
I have found many ancestry.com trees that give the date the will was written as the death date or the probate date. Although the death date could be correct, the probate done years later, and the will date a 3rd date. Read the will! Note the date it was written.
Always read the original documents on Ancestry.
All the info often is not transcribed. Or it is transcribed incorrectly.
Not just wills either.
Many other documents…