Principal Probate Registry: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:39, 22 May 2009

Beginning in 1858, the civil 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.

Finding the Records[edit | edit source]

The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS).

To learn more, go to:

The HMCS Web site -- includes a list of frequently asked questions about obtaining copies of probate records.
The National Archives catalogue and article on Probate Records.

The National Archives has produced a guide to these records. Two record offices in England have copies of these records. Find addresses by click here. Some record offices and local studies centers have indexes. To see a partial list, click here.

The Family History Library has filmed copies of the wills for 1858-1925. The films can be viewed at the library or through family history centers. The records are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under one of the following titles:

Indexes[edit | edit source]

A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The index gives:

Name of the deceased
Date of death and date of probate
Address of last residence
Name of the executor/executrix
Amount of the estate
Name of the office where the will was proved

Here is a link to the calendars or indexes in the Family History Library Catalog:

Calendar of the grants of probate and letters of administration made in the Principal Registry : and in the several district registries of Her Majesty's Court of Probate

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-''[[England Genealogy|England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[England Probate Records]]''<br>''[[Wales Genealogy|Wales]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Wales Probate Records]]''
+''[[England]]&nbsp;[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[England Probate Records]]''
-Beginning in 1858, the civil government took over the settlement of estates and all wills are now proved 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 First Avenue House, London.
+Beginning in 1858, the civil 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.
-[[Image:First Avenue House, High Holborn, London.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
+=== Finding the Records  ===
-===Finding the Records===
+The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS).
-The records are available through the Probate Service, part of Her Majesty's Courts &amp; Tribunals Service (Justice). To learn more, go to:
+To learn more, go to:
-*
+*The [http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/ HMCS] Web site -- includes a list of frequently asked questions about obtaining copies of probate records.
-*The [https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate Search probate records] section of the [http://www.justice.gov.uk/ Justice] website - includes information on probate records for family history and how to obtain copies.
+*The National Archives catalogue and article on [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=168 Probate Records].
-*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/category.aspx?cat=36 Ancestry.com] can help you obtain probate records through the Principal Probate registry of the Family Division which is the Principal Registry as well as through some of the local courts
-*[http://haine.org.uk/toms_wills/wills_data.php Tom's Wills] indexes addresses and names of personal representatives from wills from the 1930s
-*[[The National Archives]] has a [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/willafter1858.htm guide] to these records.
-The Principal Registry in London deals with personal applications, and the Leeds District Registry will supply copies of wills and administrations by post. See HM Courts and Tribunals Service [http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate/copies-of-grants-wills Guide to obtaining copies of probate records] for full details. The FamilySearch Library has filmed copies of the wills for 1858-1925. Obtain a reference from the index (see below) before using these films. To determine the correct film, you will need the surname of the deceased, the month and year of probate, and the name of district where the will was proved. The arrangement of the films can be confusing. One series of films is for the London district or Principal Registry, and another series of films are for all the district registries. These are arranged in the following sequence:
+The National Archives has produced a [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalarchives.gov.uk%2Fcatalogue%2Fleaflets%2Fri2301.htm&lBack=-1 guide] to these records.&nbsp; Two record offices in England have copies of these records.&nbsp; Find addresses by click [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/wills/step2.htm here]. Some record offices and local studies centers have indexes. To see a partial list, click [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Probate.html here].<br>
-#Year
+The Family History Library has filmed copies of the wills for 1858-1925. The films can be viewed at the library or through [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp family history centers].&nbsp; The records are listed in the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library Catalog] under one of the following titles:
-#1st Letter of the deceased's surname
-#Month
-#District where the will was proved
-#Day of the month the will was proved
-The films can be viewed at the library or through [https://www.familysearch.org/centers/locations/ FamilySearch centers]. The records are listed in the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] under one of the following titles:
+*[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=517092&disp=Record+copy+wills+for+the+Principal+Regi%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Record copy wills for the Principal Registry, 1858-1925]
+*[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=580487&disp=Record+copy+wills+from+the+District+Prob%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Record copy wills from the District Probate Registries, 1858-1899]
+*[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=443192&disp=Record+copy+wills+from+the+District+Prob%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Record copy wills from the District Probate Registries, 1900-1925 ]<br>
-*{{FSC|517092|title-id|disp=Record copy wills for the Principal Registry, 1858-1925}}
+=== Indexes  ===
-*{{FSC|580487|title-id|disp=Record copy wills from the District Probate Registries, 1858-1899}} - a tool to help you easily find which films you need [http://www.haine.org.uk/wills/willsearch.php www.haine.org.uk/wills/willsearch.php]
-*{{FSC|443192|title-id|disp=Record copy wills from the District Probate Registries, 1900-1925 }}- a tool to help you easily find which films you need [http://www.haine.org.uk/wills/willsearch.php www.haine.org.uk/wills/willsearch.php]
-===Indexes===
+A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills.&nbsp; The index gives:
-A [https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills country-wide surname index to the records] is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The index gives:
+*Name of the deceased
+*Date of death and date of probate<br>
+*Address of last residence
+*Name of the executor/executrix
+*Amount of the estate
+*Name of the office where the will was proved
-*Name of the deceased
+Here is a link to the calendars or indexes in the Family History Library Catalog:<br>
-*Date of death and date of probate
-*Address of last residence
-*Name of the executor/executrix
-*Amount of the estate. See [[Probate Fees and Valuations in England and Wales|Probate Fees and Valuations in England and Wales]].
-*Name of the district where the will was proved
-The indexes are arranged by year then by surname and given name in alphabetical order. The indexes are to wills and administrations both, but only the wills have been microfilmed. The informative index gives about as much information as would an administration.
+*[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=208102&disp=Calendar+of+the+grants+of+probate+and+le%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Calendar of the grants of probate and letters of administration made in the Principal Registry&nbsp;: and in the several district registries of Her Majesty's Court of Probate]<br>
-To locate a will once an index entry is found, you will need to note the name of the deceased, month and year of probate, and name of the district where the will was proved.
+[[Category:England]]
-===Online Indexes===
-Principal Probate Registry of Wills and Administrations from 1858-1966 (with a few gaps) is at ancestry.com under 'Search Tax, Criminal, Land &amp; Wills Records,' as [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1904 England &amp; Wales National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966].
-Findmypast also has the index from 1858-2019 under the title [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/england-and-wales-government-probate-death-index-1858-2019 England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019].
-Some record offices and local studies centers in England have copies of the indexes. To see a partial list, see [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Probate.html GENUKI's England:- Probate Records].
-===Filmed Indexes===
-Here is a link to the calendars or indexes in the FamilySearch Catalog:
-*{{FSC|208102|title-id|disp=Calendar of the grants of probate and letters of administration made in the Principal Registry : and in the several district registries of Her Majesty's Court of Probate}}
-[[Category:England Probate Records]]