Warwickshire Probate Records: Difference between revisions
(Probate Indexes Online) |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
*From 1837, the whole of the Warwickshire's parishes came under the court jurisdiction of the Bishop of Worcester | *From 1837, the whole of the Warwickshire's parishes came under the court jurisdiction of the Bishop of Worcester | ||
*In pre-1837 Warwickshire, the following | *In pre-1837 Warwickshire, the following parishes came under the authority and jurisdiction of the Bishop of Worcester: | ||
- Alcester | - Alcester | ||
Revision as of 16:38, 20 July 2009
For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.
Getting Started[edit | edit source]
Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his/her heirs.
In order to find a probate record for your ancestor, you must answer two questions:
- When did your ancestor die?
- Where did your ancestor live or own property?
A key date is 1858, when probate authority was taken from the ecclesiatical courts of the Church of England and given to the civil government.
- If your ancestor died before 1858, his/her probate would have been proven by an ecclesiatical court and it is important to know where he/she lived, as that will determine which courts had jurisdiction.
- If you know where your ancestor lived before 1858, you should go to the Court Jurisdictions section below to determine what courts had jurisdiction over your ancestor's place of residence.
- Beginning in 1858, probate authority was vested in the Principal Probate Registry system. For more information, scroll to the Post-1857 Probate Records section at the bottom of the page.
Once you have answered the two questions and determined the courts, look for indexes. Indexes will be found on the individual court pages (when you click on a court name) or in the Probate Indexes section below.
Warwickshire Probate Courts[edit | edit source]
Some Explanatory Notes on Warwickshire Probate Courts[edit | edit source]
- From 1837, the whole of the Warwickshire's parishes came under the court jurisdiction of the Bishop of Worcester
- In pre-1837 Warwickshire, the following parishes came under the authority and jurisdiction of the Bishop of Worcester:
- Alcester
- Great Alne
- Alveston
- Arrow
- Aston
- Cantlow
- Atherstone-on-Stour
- Barford
- Barcheston
- Barton-on-the-Heath
- Bearley
- Beaudesert
- Bidford
- Biliesley
- Binton
- Brailes
- Budbrooke
- Burmington
- Butlers Marston
- Charlecote
- Cherington
- Claverdon
- Long Compton
- Compton Verney
- Compton Wynyates
- Coughton
- Eatington
- Exhall
- Halford
- Haseley
- Haselor
- Hatton
Probate Indexes[edit | edit source]
Here is an online publication containing the Diocese of Lichfield will index from 1526 to 1790, at Google. Books.
Court Jurisdictions[edit | edit source]
Before 1858, every town and parish in Warwickshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and one or more secondary court. When looking for the will of an ancestor in Warwickshire, search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. For indexes, click on the link for a court name above.
Here is a list of Warwickshire towns and parishes beginning with the letter A and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them. For other places, click on a letter link: B-C, D-L, M-S, T-Z.
1. In the first column, find the place where your ancestor lived.
2. In the second column, click on the court name to learn where to find the records and indexes.
3. If the record isn't found in the primary court, search the records for the secondary courts in the order listed.
4. The last court to search is the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
If no will is found, your ancestor may not have left one.
Estate Duty Records
[edit | edit source]
Starting in 1796, a tax or death duty was payable on estates over a certain value. Estate duty abstracts may add considerable information not found elsewhere. Between 1813-1858 estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to Estate Duty Records.
Probate Indexes[edit | edit source]
Registered wills and original wills, administrations and inventories, 1494-1860, and, act books, 1532-1638 for Diocese of Lichfield Episcopal Consistory Court [1] These are calendars This Diocese covers the northern and eastern parts of county Warwick.
A general will index for the Diocese of Lichfield exists online, a scanned edition of P.W. Phillimore's publicationby the British Record Society in 1892,Calendars of wills administrations in the Consistory court of the bishop of Lichfield. This single index consolidates most Staffordshire wills of the various probate court jurisdictions from 1514-1652 for the Diocese of Lichfield and to 1790 for Staffordshire smaller peculiar courts. [2]
The Episcopal Consistory Court of The Bishop of Worcester Covers the southwestern third of this county.
Episcopal Consistory Court of the Bishop of Worcester Calendar of wills administrations, 1661-1858 Family History Library Books 942.47 P2e Contents : v. 1. 1661-1699 -- v. 2. 1700-1749 -- v. 3. 1750-1799 -- v. 4. 1800-1858. [3]
Worcestershire wills index, 1858-1928
"The index is arranged in alphabetical order of surname followed by the forename. Then the date of probate is cited, thus leading one to the register concerned, together with the relevant page number. It will be noted that there is some slight variation in style of the date of probate quoted. This is because this index was compiled from the existing indexes in each register and the amount of detail in each varied slightly, particularly in the first few volumes." -- from foreword.
CD-ROM no. 1671 at The Family History Library<br [4]
Calendar of wills and administrations in the Consistory court of the Bishop of Worcester, 1451-1652 : also marriage licenses and sequestrations now deposited in the Probate registry at Worcester
The Index library (British Record Society) : v. 31, 39
Family History Library Call Numbers
942 B4b v. 31 1968 942 B4b v. 39 1968
Contents: v. 31. 1451-1600 -- v. 39. 1601-1652. [5]
Also available 942.47 S2c [6]
Family History Library
A calendar of wills and administrations preserved in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Worcester, l45l-(l652) [7]
Index of Probate from January-March 1660-1 for the Bishop of Worcester Original Wills
Name Place Date
John Allen Wixelsford 6 Mar
William Averill Broadway 20 Mar
Thomas Baker Juichfieh? 28 Feb
Roger Barnard Stratford Upon Avon 16 Mar
William Beaver Combrook, Warwickshire 8 Mar
Ferdinand Bentley Wick by Pershore 27 Feb
Thomas Bonnar Alderminster 13 Feb
Francis Buck Oddingley 28 Feb
John Butler Swale 6 Feb
William Butler Cateshill, Bromsgrove 28 Feb
Robert Caldecote Hunington 28 Feb
Thomas Clarke City of Worcester 21 Feb
William Climer Shenston in Stone 23 Feb
Robert Coldecott or Colicoal Hunington 28 Feb
Mathew Collet Alderminster or Aldermarston 7 Mar
John Cooke St Peter, Worcester 28 Feb
John Cookes Stoke Prior 25 Feb
Symon Corbett Defford 6 Feb
Thomas Crowe Chadwich, Bromsgrove 16 Feb
Richard Dannce Wick by Pershore 20 Feb
Mary Dawks or Dawlks Himbleton 23 Feb
Henry Day Pinvin 27 Feb
Margaret Desmastres Pershore 20 Feb
Thomas Edgcock Kinerton, Warwickshire 16 Mar
Frances Elcoxe St Martins, Worcester 22 Mar
Elizabeth George Eckington 8 Mar
Thomas George the Elder Naunton in Severn Stoke 2 Mar
Gyles Gilbert Longdon 18 Mar
William Griffin Clifton in Severn Stoke 16 Mar
Thomas Gyles Powick 7 Feb
George Hall Broadway 7 Mar
John Hall Tarbecke 10 Mar
Ellinor Hay Eckington 13 Mar
John Hay Alchurch 28 Feb
William Hopkins Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire 16 Mar
Anne Horsham Wicke in Pershore 27 Feb
Richard Hurlston Ilmington, Warwickshire 28 Feb
Katherine Inones or Jnones? Mathon 28 Feb
Anne Jennings Moseley 21 Mar
Robert Knight Charlecott, Warwickshire 20 Mar
Cicilia Lee Alveston 6 Feb
Edmond Ligon 12 Mar
Richard Marshall Inkberrow 27 Feb
Anthony Morrice Icomb 14 Mar
John Moseley Northwich, Blockley 14 Mar
William Moseley Puddington or Huddington? 27 Feb
Thomas Munsloe Tibberton 9 Feb
Edward Nicholls Hunnington 8 Mar
John Oldmole or Oldnall Chaddestly Corbett 7 Feb
Thomas Ordway Bengworth 12 Mar
John Pearsall Whitley Barne, Halesowen, Salop 1 Mar
William Phillips Church Lench 28 Feb
Maria or Mary Phipps Aldermarston or Alderminster 10 Feb
Alice Pratt Wick near Pershore 6 Feb
William Quinton Hunnington, Warwickshire 27 Feb
John Rainolds or Reynolds Kidderminster 27 Feb
John Richardson Shottery in Stratford on Avon Warwickshire 20 Mar
Julie Shawe Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire 16 Feb
Stephen Sitch Shefferie, Warwickshire 13 Mar
Mary Smith Eckington (Eskington) 11 Mar
Thomas Smith Vifford 9 Mar
Margery Symonds Elmley Castle 14 Mar
William Taverner Pinvin or Pembry 27 Feb
Mary Tonerton or Towerton Holt 6 Mar
Richard Walker Ridmington 8 Mar
Michael Warne Alvechurch or Alchurch 28 Feb
William Washborne Tibberton 23 Feb
Henry Whatley Tanworth, Warwickshire 9 Mar
Thomas Whopper Tibberton 23 Feb
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.