Cornwall Probate Records: Difference between revisions

From FamilySearch Wiki
(Adding online probate record index information)
(removed PCC)
Line 30: Line 30:
| [[Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall]]  
| [[Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall]]  
| 2 - [[Court of the Bishop of Exeter]] (Episcopal Consistory)  
| 2 - [[Court of the Bishop of Exeter]] (Episcopal Consistory)  
3 - [[Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter]]
3 - [[Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter]]
 
4 - [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]


|-
|-
Line 38: Line 36:
| [[Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall]]  
| [[Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall]]  
| 2 - [[Court of the Bishop of Exeter]] (Episcopal Consistory)  
| 2 - [[Court of the Bishop of Exeter]] (Episcopal Consistory)  
3 - [[Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter]]
3 - [[Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter]]
 
4 - [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]


|-
|-
Line 46: Line 42:
| [[Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall]]  
| [[Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall]]  
| 2 - [[Court of the Bishop of Exeter]] (Episcopal Consistory)  
| 2 - [[Court of the Bishop of Exeter]] (Episcopal Consistory)  
3 - [[Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter]]  
3 - [[Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter]]
 
4 - [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]
 
<br>


|}
|}

Revision as of 13:22, 20 April 2009

For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.

Return to the main Cornwall page.

Cornwall Probate Courts[edit | edit source]

The following probate courts had some jurisdiction over the county of Cornwall prior to 1858:

Some Explanatory Notes on the Cornwall Probate Courts[edit | edit source]

Court Jurisdictions[edit | edit source]

Before 1858, every town and parish in Cornwall was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.  When looking for the will of an ancestor who lived or owned property in Cornwall, search the courts in the order given.  Search indexes first.  To find indexes, click on the name of a court.

Here is a list of the Cornwall parishes beginning with letters A and the pre-1858 courts that had jurisdiction over them.  For other parishes, click on the link for the first letter of the parish name:  B, CD-K, L, M-O, P-R, S, T-Z

PARISH PRIMARY COURT SECONDARY COURTS - IN SEARCH ORDER
Advent Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall 2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory)

3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter

Altarnon Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall 2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory)

3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter

Antony Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall 2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory)

3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter

Probate Indexes Online
[edit | edit source]

Before looking for a will, you should search an index.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sterth/wills_by_name_ac.htm

Cornish Will Abstracts 1690 - 1859

http://webs.lanset.com/azazella/cornish_database.html

CORNISH GENEALOGY DATABASE
http://members.iimetro.com.au/%7erosewarne/probate1.PDF

Cornish Probate Records (A – M)
http://members.iimetro.com.au/%7erosewarne/probate2.PDF

Cornish Probate Records (N – Z)


Post-1857 Probate Records
[edit | edit source]

Beginning in 1858, the government took over the settlement of estates and all wills are now probated through the Principal Probate Registry system.  The system consists of 11 district registry offices and 18 sub-district registries, located throughout England and Wales, and the principal registry office located in London.  The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service.  To learn more, go to the HMCS website.

A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills.  The indexes for 1858-1957 and the records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.