Bedfordshire Probate Records: Difference between revisions

| link1=[[England Genealogy|England]]

| link2=[[Bedfordshire, England Genealogy|Bedfordshire]]

| link5=[[Bedfordshire_Probate_ Records|Probate Records]]

Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.

 

 

Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Bedfordshire. Before searching the iindexes that cover a particular court, you might want to determine the court a will for your ancestor would be proved in. Step 3 can help you determine the court. Search these indexes first:  

*[https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/wills-or-administrations-before-1858/ Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384 - 1858)]  

*Index of Bedfordshire probate records, 1484-1858 This includes {{FSC|703748|title-id|disp=indexes}} for the Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford, the Peculiar Court of Biggleswade and the Peculiar Court of Leighton Buzzard. Digital version at [http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ National Wills Index] ($)  

*Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedfordshire. FS Library films {{FSC|221664|title-id|disp=88007-88009}}  

*{{FSC|116542|title-id|disp=English wills, 1498-1526}} which are transcribed and many from the Archdeacon of Bedford  

*Bedfordshire wills, {{FSC|79682|title-id|disp=1480-1519}}  

*The Peculiar Court of Leighton Buzzard : persons named in wills proved {{FSC|1474249|title-id|disp=1701-1846}}  

*Index of Bedfordshire probate records,{{FSC|703748|title-id|disp=1484-1858}} The Peculiar Court of Leighton Buzzard  

*Wills and administrations, 1624-1858 See FS Library fims {{FSC|291040|title-id|disp=95109 and 95100}}  

*Prebendal Court (Leighton-Buzzard) {{FSC|252871|title-id|disp=Probate records, 1537-1842 Index 1736-1846}}  

*{{FSC|4791|title-id|disp=Index}} to records of Lincoln Peculiar Courts with Peculiar of Biggleswade  

*Probate records for the Commissary Court of Lincoln for the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon, {{FSC|374857|title-id|disp=1559-1857, 1559-1857}} The Act books contain some Admon Grants from the Peculiar Court of Biggleswade  

*Some transcripts of Bedfordshire Wills at Lambeth and Lincoln {{FSC|124544|title-id|disp=1387-1570 v. 14}}  

*Bedfordshire wills {{FSC|132268|title-id|disp=1601-1652}} at probate registry Lincoln, England, all name index  

*Everton and Swineshead parishes have some references in the following court record Probate records for the Commissary Court of Lincoln for the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon, {{FSC|374857|title-id|disp=1559-1857, 1559-1857 }}<br>

Determine ''when'' your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.

*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/index.jsp Vision of Britain]

==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish ====

Before 1858, every town and parish in Bedfordshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. The court that had primary jurisdiction over most of Bedfordshire, with just six exceptions (see below), was the [[Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford|Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford]]. Here's a list of further possible probate court jurisdictions:<br>

 

There were six Bedfordshire parishes that were exceptions to this--Biggleswade, Billington, Eggington, Heath and Rich, Leighton Buzzard, and Stanbridge. To see the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over these parishes, click [[Bedfordshire Probate Court Jurisdictions|here]]. <br>  

*{{FSC|England, Bedfordshire - Probate records|subject|subject-id=2138059186|disp=Bedfordshire England Probate Records}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - some images may only be available at a [https://www.familysearch.org/centers/locations/ FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.]<br>

*Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection.

Most of Bedfordshire was under the pre-1858 probate jurisdiction of the [[Court of the Archdeacon of Bedford|Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford]]. The majority of probate searches will be in the records of this court and its superior courts, which were the [[Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)]] before 1837, and the [[Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory)]] starting in 1837. The courts should be searched in that order. The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] (and the appeals courts if necessary) should be searched last.  

However, the following courts also had some pre-1858 jurisdiction over certain parishes within the county. Click on a court name below to learn about the parishes they cover and their records and indexes.  

{{Place|Bedfordshire|Probate}} {{England Probate Records}}