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The following text has information about probate records in the county of Yorkshire. To read general information about English probate records click [[England Probate Records|here]]. | The following text has information about probate records in the county of Yorkshire. To read general information about English probate records click [[England Probate Records|here]]. | ||
== Description == | |||
''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The term ''probate'' refers to a collection of documents, including [[W genealogical glossary terms|wills]], [[A genealogical glossary terms|administrations]] (also called admons), [[I genealogical glossary terms|inventories]], and [[A genealogical glossary terms|act books]]. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858. This article explains about probates and how to get started to search for a will. | |||
Beginning in 1858, authority over probate matters was taken from ecclesiastical courts and put under the civil authority of the Principal Probate Registry. The '''Probates After 1857''' section below has a link to an article about probates after 1857. | |||
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== Getting Started in Probate Records<br> == | == Getting Started in Probate Records<br> == | ||
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#Click a letter or span of letters for your place. This opens a jurisdictions table. | #Click a letter or span of letters for your place. This opens a jurisdictions table. | ||
#Follow the instructions on the jurisdictions table page.<br> | #Follow the instructions on the jurisdictions table page.<br> | ||
== Court Jurisdictions by Parish<br> == | |||
Before 1858, every town and parish in Yorkshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. When searching for the will of an ancestor, find the name of the town or parish where he/she lived in the jurisdictions list. Go to the list of places by clicking on a letter or series of letters below.<br> | |||
[[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with A|A]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with B|Ba-Bl]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Bo through By|Bo-By]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with C|C]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with D|D]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with E and F|E]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with F|F]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with G|G]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with H|Ha-Hi]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Ho-Hy|Ho-Hy]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with I|I]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with K|K]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with L|L]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Ma through Me|Ma-Me]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Mi through My|Mi-My]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with N|N]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with O through P|O-P]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Q and R|Q-R]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with S|Sa-Sk]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Sl through Sy|Sl-Sy]], | |||
[[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with T and U|T-U]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with W|Wa-We]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Wh through Wy|Wh-Wy]], [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Y|Y]]. <br><br> | |||
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== Yorkshire Probate Courts == | == Yorkshire Probate Courts == | ||
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Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts: | Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts: | ||
*Court of Arches<br> | *Court of Arches<br> | ||
*High Court of Delegates<br> | *High Court of Delegates<br> | ||
The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] also served as an appeals court. | The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] also served as an appeals court. | ||
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== Probate Indexes<br> == | == Probate Indexes<br> == | ||
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Many indexes are in the same catalog record as the original copies. They are not under the topic Probate-Indexes. If an index is not listed, go to the topic Probate Records. | Many indexes are in the same catalog record as the original copies. They are not under the topic Probate-Indexes. If an index is not listed, go to the topic Probate Records. | ||
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== Some Explanatory Notes on the Yorkshire Probate Courts == | |||
When an estate was solely within the Diocese (excluding Peculiars) it was usual for the local Rural Dean, acting by commission from the Exchequer Court of York, to make the grant of probate or administration. The records were then returned to the Exchequer Court and filed; separate Act Books being kept for each deanery. When an estate was solely within the Diocese of Richmond (excluding Peculiars) the same procedure took place; the deans acting by commission from the Commissary of the Archdeaconry returned the Eastern Deanery records to Richmond and the Western Deanery records to Lancaster. There are, however, some Western Deanery grants at Richmond, as all grants passed by decree of the Court anywhere within the Archdeaconry were returned there.<ref>Camp, Anthony J. Wills and Their Whereabouts. London: published by author, 1974; page 152. Punctuation revised.</ref><br> | |||
It should be remembered that abstracts of the relevant parts of wills affecting real estate in Yorkshire are recorded from 1704 onwards at the Registry of Deeds for the appropriate Riding: at Wakefield for the West Riding, at Beverley for the East Riding, and at Northallerton for the North Riding.<ref>Camp, Anthony J. Wills and Their Whereabouts. London: published by author, 1974; page 153. Punctuation revised.</ref> | |||
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== Estate Duty Records == | == Estate Duty Records == | ||