Shropshire Probate Records: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:11, 11 September 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.

Shropshire Probate Courts[edit | edit source]

Appeals Courts ===

Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:

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

Court Jurisdictions[edit | edit source]

Before 1858, every town and parish in Shropshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary ecclesiastical court and several secondary ecclesiastical courts.

For a list of Shropshire parishes and the pre-1858 ecclesiastical courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click on a letter link for the name of a parish:

A B-E F-L M-P Q-Z

Search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. To find indexes, click on a court name above or go to the Probate Indexes section below.

Indexes to Probate Records[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

Original wills, administrations and inventories for the Diocese of Hereford, 1517-1858 [2]

This covers the some of the western and almost all the southern part of the county of Shropshire.

Mynegai i ewyllysiau Llanelwy St. Asaph probate index, 1660-1858 [3]

Abstracts and indexes of original wills, Consistory Court, St. Asaph's Diocese, Wales, 1557-1833 [4]

St Asaph's Diocese covers the parishes of Halston, Kinnerley, Knockin, Llanyblodwel, Llanmynech, Melverley, Morton, Oswestry, St. Martin, Selattyn, Trefonan, Whittington which are in Shropshire, England.

Shropshire probates in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, calendar/index 1700-1749 [5]

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. [6]

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.

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 through the FamilySearch Family History Library system.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Shropshire-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
+[[England]]&nbsp;[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Shropshire|Shropshire]]
-| link1=[[England Genealogy|England]]
-| link2=[[Shropshire, England Genealogy|Shropshire]]
+For an explanation of probate records in England, click [[England Probate Records|here]].
-| link3=
-| link4=
-| link5=[[Shropshire_Probate_Records|Probate Records]]
-}}
 == Getting Started  ==
-''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. Probate records include [[W genealogical glossary terms|wills]] and [[A genealogical glossary terms|administrations]]. This article is about probate records in Shropshire. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.
+Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his/her&nbsp;heirs.&nbsp;
-=== 1858 to the Present  ===
+In order to find a probate record for your ancestor, you must answer two questions:
-Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.
+#When did your ancestor die?
+#Where did your ancestor live or own property?
-==== Online Records ====
+A key date is 1858, when probate authority was taken from the ecclesiatical courts of the Church of England and given to&nbsp;the civil government.&nbsp;
-*'''1858-1957''' {{RecordSearch|2451051|England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957}} at FamilySearch - [[England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index
+*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.&nbsp;
-*'''1858-1995''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1904/ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995] at Ancestry($); index
+*If you know where your ancestor lived before 1858, you should go to the '''Court Jurisdictions'''&nbsp;section below&nbsp;to determine what courts had jurisdiction over your ancestor's place of residence.&nbsp;
-*'''1858-2019''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/england-and-wales-government-probate-death-index-1858-2019 England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019] at Findmypast($); index
+*Beginning in 1858, probate authority was&nbsp;vested in&nbsp;the '''Principal Probate Registry''' system.&nbsp; For more information, scroll to the '''Post-1857 Probate Records''' section at the bottom of the page.
-=== Before 1858  ===
+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.<br><br>
-Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Shropshire, follow these steps:
+== Shropshire Probate Courts  ==
-==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
+Appeals Courts ===
-Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Shropshire. Search these indexes first:
+Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:
-Start with:
+*[[Court of Arches]]
+*[[High Court of Delegates]]
-*'''1521-1860''' {{RecordSearch|3491898|England, Staffordshire, Dioceses Of Lichfield and Coventry Wills and Probate, 1521-1860}} — [[England, Staffordshire, Dioceses Of Lichfield and Coventry Wills and Probate - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; indexes & images; ''Also at [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/staffordshire-dioceses-of-lichfield-and-coventry-wills-and-probate-1521-1860 Findmypast], ($)''.
+<br>
-*'''1570-1790''' [https://www.staffsnameindexes.org.uk/default.aspx?Index=C Lichfield and Coventry Wills Index]. This court covers the northern half of Shropshire.
+== Some Explanatory Notes on the Shropshire Probate Courts  ==
-<br>The following are links to records in the FamilySearch Library catalog.
+== Court&nbsp;Jurisdictions  ==
-* {{FSC|309060|item|disp=Registered wills and original wills, administrations and inventories, 1494-1860, and, act books, 1532-1638 for Diocese of Lichfield Episcopal Consistory Court}}. {{FSC|309060|title-id|disp=}}These include calendars--chronological records of the court's proceedings--not technically name indexes.
+Before 1858, every town and parish in Shropshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary ecclesiastical court and several secondary ecclesiastical courts.&nbsp;
-* {{FSC|293346|item|disp=Original wills, administrations and inventories for the Diocese of Hereford, 1517-1858}} {{FSC|293346|title-id|disp=}}. The Diocese of Hereford covers the some of the western and almost all the southern part of the county of Shropshire.
-* {{FSC|693522|item|disp=Mynegai i ewyllysiau Llanelwy St. Asaph probate index, 1660-1858}}. {{FSC|385951|title-id|disp=}} St Asaph's Diocese&nbsp;covers the Shropshire parishes of Halton,&nbsp;Kinnerley, Knockin, Llanyblodwel, Llanmynech, Melverley, Morton,&nbsp;Oswestry, St. Martins, Selattyn, Trefonen, Whittington.
-* {{FSC|385951|item|disp=Abstracts and indexes of original wills, Consistory Court, St. Asaph's Diocese, Wales, 1557-1833}}. {{FSC|385951|title-id|disp=}} St Asaph's Diocese&nbsp;covers the Shropshire parishes of Halton,&nbsp;Kinnerley, Knockin, Llanyblodwel, Llanmynech, Melverley, Morton,&nbsp;Oswestry, St. Martins, Selattyn, Trefonen, Whittington.
-* {{FSC|434319|item|disp=Shropshire probates in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, calendar/index 1700-1749}}. {{FSC|434319|title-id|disp=}}
-A general will index for the Diocese of Lichfield exists online, a scanned edition of P.W. Phillimore's publication by the British Record Society in 1892, [https://www.google.com/books/edition/Calendars_of_Wills_Administrations_in_th/4zYEAAAAIAAJ?hl=en 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. [http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=4zYEAAAAIAAJ]
-Did you find a reference to a probate record?
+For a list of Shropshire parishes and the pre-1858 ecclesiastical courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click on a letter link for the name of a parish:
-*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
+[[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes A|A]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes B through E|B-E]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes F through P|F-L]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes M through P|M-P]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes Q through Z|Q-Z]]
-*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.
-==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died  ====
+Search the courts in the order given.&nbsp; Search indexes first.&nbsp; To find indexes, click on a court name above or go to the '''Probate Indexes''' section below. <br>
-Determine ''when'' your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.
+== Indexes to Probate Records  ==
-Determine ''where'' your ancestor died. It is easier to find a probate record if you know whether the place where your ancestor lived or died is a [[P genealogical glossary terms|parish]]. To learn whether it is a parish, look it up in a gazetteer. Here is a link to the 1872 ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' online:
+Registered wills and original wills, administrations and inventories, 1494-1860, and, act books, 1532-1638 for Diocese of Lichfield Episcopal Consistory Court [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=309060&disp=Registered+wills+and+original+wills%2C+a%20%20&columns=*,0,0] These are calendars
-*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/ Vision of Britain]
+Original wills, administrations and inventories for the Diocese of Hereford, 1517-1858 [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=293346&disp=Original+wills%2C+administrations+and+in%20%20&columns=*,0,0]
-The gazetteer will either tell you:
+This covers the some of the western and almost all the southern part of the county of Shropshire.
-*A place is a parish, or
+Mynegai i ewyllysiau Llanelwy St. Asaph probate index, 1660-1858 [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=385951&disp=Abstracts+and+indexes+of+original+wills%%20%20&columns=*,0,0]
-*What parish it is a part of, or
-*What place it is near.
-If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.
+Abstracts and indexes of original wills, Consistory Court, St. Asaph's Diocese, Wales, 1557-1833 [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=385951&disp=Abstracts+and+indexes+of+original+wills%%20%20&columns=*,0,0]
-Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.
+St Asaph's Diocese&nbsp;covers the parishes of Halston,&nbsp;Kinnerley, Knockin, Llanyblodwel, Llanmynech, Melverley, Morton,&nbsp;Oswestry, St. Martin, Selattyn, Trefonan, Whittington which are in Shropshire, England.
-==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====
+Shropshire probates in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, calendar/index 1700-1749 [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=434319&disp=Shropshire+probates+in+the+Prerogative+C%20%20&columns=*,0,0]
-Once you have identified the parish where your ancestor lived or died, learn which courts had jurisdiction over it then search indexes for those courts. Every town and parish in Shropshire fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. For a list of Shropshire parishes and the pre-1858 ecclesiastical courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click on a letter link for the name of a parish:
+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. [http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;id=4zYEAAAAIAAJ]
-{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="272" border="1"
+== Estate Duty Records<br> ==
-|-
-| &nbsp;[[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes A|A]]
-| &nbsp;[[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes B through E|B-E]]
-| &nbsp;[[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes F through P|F-L]]
-| &nbsp;[[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes M through P|M-P]]
-| &nbsp;[[Shropshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes Q through Z|Q-Z]]
-|}
-<br>
-==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record  ====
+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]].<br>
-Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:
+<br>
-*{{FSC|England, Shropshire - Probate records|subject|subject-id=1563615120|disp=Shropshire 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>
+== Post-1857 Probate Records  ==
-*Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection.
-== Shropshire Probate Courts  ==
-Most of Shropshire (also known as Salop) was under the pre-1858 probate jurisdiction&nbsp;of either the [[Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)|Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)]] or the [[Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)|Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry&nbsp;(Episcopal Consistory)]]. The majority of probate searches will be in the records of these two courts and their superior courts.  However, the following smaller courts also had some pre-1858 jurisdiction within the county.&nbsp; Click on a court name to learn about&nbsp;records and indexes.
+Beginning in 1858, the government took over the&nbsp;settlement of estates and all&nbsp;wills are now probated through the Principal Probate Registry system.&nbsp; The system consists of 11 district registry offices and&nbsp;18 sub-district registries, located throughout England and Wales, and&nbsp;the principal registry&nbsp;office located in London.&nbsp; The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service.&nbsp; To learn more, go to the [http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/1176.htm HMCS website].
-*[[Court of the Bishop of St Asaph (Episcopal Consistory)]]
+A&nbsp;country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills.&nbsp; The [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 indexes] for 1858-1957 and the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=authordetails&authorno=301365&name=Great+Britain.+Principal+Probate+Registry&columns=*,0,0 records] for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm&nbsp;through the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp FamilySearch Family History Library] system.<br>
-*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Chancellor of the Choir of the Cathedral in Little Hereford and Ashford Carbonell]]
-*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Ruyton-of-the-Eleven-Towns]]
-*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Pattingham]]
-*[[Court of the Peculiar of Wombridge Abbey]]
-*[[Court of the Prebend of Prees or Pipe Minor]]
-*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Ellesmere]]
-*[[Court of the Royal Peculiar of Bridgnorth]]
-*[[Court of the Royal Peculiar of St Mary Shrewsbury]]
-*[[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]
+{{Place|Shropshire}}
-[[Category:Shropshire Probate Records]]
+[[Category:Shropshire|Probate Records]]
+[[Category:Probate_records_in_England]]