Staffordshire Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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''[[England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Staffordshire]] [[Staffordshire Probate Records]]''
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== Getting Started  ==
The following article is about probate records in the county of Staffordshire. For general information about English probate records, click [[England Probate Records|here]]. 


''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 Staffordshire. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.
<br>


=== 1858 to the Present ===
== Description ==


Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.
''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.  


==== Online Records ====
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'''&nbsp;section below has a link to an article about probates after 1857.


* '''1858-1957''' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/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 & images
<br>
* '''1858-1995''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1904 England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995] at Ancestry($); index
* '''1858-2019''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/england-and-wales-government-probate-death-index-1858-2019 England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019] at Findmypast($); index


=== Before 1858 ===
== Getting Started ==


Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Staffordshire, follow these steps:
''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858. Beginning in 1858, authority over probate matters was taken from ecclesiastical courts and put under the civil Authority of the Principle&nbsp;Probate Registry.&nbsp; The Probates After 1857 section below contains links to additional information about the records of this court.


==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
To look for a probate record before 1858:<br>


Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Staffordshire.  
#Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived. <br>
#Go to [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Cumberland_Probate_Records#Court_Jurisdictions Court Jurisdictions] section below.<br>
#Click a letter or span of letters for your place. This opens a jurisdictions table.<br>
#Follow the instructions on the jurisdictions table page.<br>


Start with:
== Staffordshire Probate Courts  ==


*'''1518-1858''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62295/ Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, England, Indexes of Wills and Probate, 1518-1858] at Ancestry — index ($)
The following probate courts&nbsp;had some jurisdiction over the county of Staffordshire prior to 1858; note that most of Staffordshire was covered by&nbsp;its largest court jurisdiction, called--the [[Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)|Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry&nbsp;(Episcopal Consistory)]], but&nbsp;the county also had numerous concurrent smaller&nbsp;jurisdictions called "peculiars" courts as well (see the "Staffordshire Court Jurisdictions By Parish" section below to determine the correct court jurisdiction for the parish in which you may be searching for a will):
*'''1521-1860''' {{RecordSearch|3491898|England, Staffordshire, Dioceses Of Lichfield and Coventry Wills and Probate, 1521-1860}} at FamilySearch — [[England, Staffordshire, Dioceses Of Lichfield and Coventry Wills and Probate - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; indexes & images; ''Also at [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/staffordshire-dioceses-of-lichfield-and-coventry-wills-and-probate-1521-1860 Findmypast], ($)'' <br>


Also check:
*[[Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)|Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (Episcopal Consistory)]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
*[[Court of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield]]
*An index for 1630-1780 for Staffordshire covering 23000 plus probate documents can be found at [https://www.staffsnameindexes.org.uk/default.aspx?Index=C Will and administrations]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean of Lichfield]]
*A general will index for the Diocese of Lichfield, a scanned edition of P.W. Phillimore's publication by the British Record Society in 1892,[http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=4zYEAAAAIAAJ ''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.
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Alrewas and Weeford]]
*The Manor of Sedgley has online indexes listed under the Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Sedgley below.
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Burton on Trent]]  
*[http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/resources/indexes Index of Wills at Wolverhampton Archives and Local Studies (downloadable PDF file)]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Colwich]]
 
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Eccleshall]]
==== Printed Indexes  ====
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Gnosall]]
 
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Hansacre and Armitage]]  
Lichfield wills and administrations, 1516-1652&nbsp;: also "peculiars" at Lichfield, Birmingham and Derby, 1529-1652; 1675-1790; 1753-1790, found in Index Library(see above for online copy of book) volume 7.&nbsp; FS Library British book 942 B4b vol. 7.
*[[Court of the Peculiar of High Offley and Flixton]]
 
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Longdon]]
Wills in the Consistory Court of Lichfield&nbsp;: 1650-1700 editor Cliff Webb found in&nbsp;Index Library vol. 125. FS Library British book 942 B4b vol. 125.
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Pattingham]]
 
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Penkridge]]
The Smethwick Local history Society has published the&nbsp;''Probate inventories of Smethwick residents, 1647-1747&nbsp;: in the Lichfield Joint Record Office.''<br>
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Prebend of Prees or Pipe Minor]]
 
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Sedgely]]
==== Probate Calendars  ====
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Tettenhall]]
 
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Tyrley]]
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 are calendars.&nbsp; They cover most of the county of Stafford. <br>
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Whittington and Baswich]]
 
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Wolverhampton]]
<br>Did you find a reference to a probate record?


*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
In addition, the [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] had jurisdiction over the whole of England and specifically in the following cases.<br>
*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.


==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died  ====
*Wealthy individuals<br>
*People who owned property in more than one county or diocese of the Church of England<br>
*Military and naval personnel<br>
*People who lived or owned property outside England<br>


Determine ''when'' your ancestor died.&nbsp;If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.&nbsp;
=== Appeals Courts  ===


Determine ''where'' your ancestor died. It is easier to find a probate record if you know&nbsp;the parish where your ancestor lived or died. To learn the parish for the place where your ancestor died, look&nbsp;the place&nbsp;up in a gazetteer (topographical dictionary). Here is a link to the 1872 ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' online:&nbsp;&nbsp; [https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/ Vision of Britain]
There were two appeals courts within the Prerogative Court of Canterbury which heard disputes over the administration or probate of an estate. They were the:  


The gazetteer will either tell you:
*[[Court of Arches]] which held jurisdiction&nbsp;over 13 parishes in the City of London and concurrent jurisdiction over the whole of the&nbsp;provinces of York and Canterbury&nbsp;(records are at Lambeth Palace Library, London).&nbsp;
*[[High Court of Delegates|High Court of Delegates]] or sometimes known as the Court of Delegates, also heard appeals cases regarding probates and administrations.


*A place is a parish, or if not--
The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] also served as an appeals court.
*What parish it is in


&nbsp;
== Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts in Staffordshire<br> ==


Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.  
Records and indexes for each court are also available in the collection of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.&nbsp; Search the [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library Catalog] for the title of the court or the court as&nbsp;an author.&nbsp;


==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====
== Staffordshire&nbsp;Court Jurisdictions By Parish<br> ==


Once you have identified the parish where your ancestor lived or died, learn which courts had jurisdiction over it by clicking on a link below for the letter the parish begins with.&nbsp; Once&nbsp;you find the parish you want in the list, you can click on the court listed to go to a page that will help you find the records for that court.  
Before 1858, every town and parish in Cumberland was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp; When searching for the will of an ancestor, find the name of the town or parish where he/she lived in the jurisdictions lists. Go to the list of places by clicking on a letter or series of letters below.<br>


&nbsp;  
To view each parish and to learn which&nbsp;court[s] to search first for probates of persons living in or owning property in that&nbsp; parish, click on the letter the parish name begins with


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<br>  
<br>
 
== Probate Indexes  ==
 
Before&nbsp;looking for a will, you should search an index. It will save time and give a reference to finding a copy of a will.<br>
 
<br>
 
==== Online Indexes  ====


==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record  ====
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,[http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=4zYEAAAAIAAJ ''Calendars of wills administrations in the Consistory court of the bishop of Lichfield'']''.&nbsp; ''This single index consolidates most&nbsp;Staffordshire&nbsp;wills of the various probate court jurisdictions&nbsp;from 1514-1652 for the Diocese of Lichfield and to 1790 for Staffordshire smaller peculiar courts.''&nbsp;''


Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:
==== Printed Indexes  ====


*{{FSC|England, Staffordshire - Probate records|subject|subject-id=1971113801|disp=Staffordshire 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>
See the above online indexes available at Google.books which is copy of a printed will index for Staffordshire.  
*Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection.


== Staffordshire Probate Courts  ==
The Smethwick Local history Society has published the&nbsp;''Probate inventories of Smethwick residents, 1647-1747&nbsp;: in the Lichfield Joint Record Office.''<br>


The following probate courts&nbsp;had some jurisdiction over the county of Staffordshire prior to 1858; note that most of Staffordshire was covered by&nbsp;its largest court jurisdiction, called--the [[Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)|Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry&nbsp;(Episcopal Consistory)]], but&nbsp;the county also had numerous concurrent smaller&nbsp;jurisdictions called "peculiars"&nbsp;(see the "Staffordshire Court Jurisdictions By Parish" section&nbsp;above to determine the correct court jurisdiction for the parish in which you may be searching for a will):
==== Probate Calendars  ====


*[[Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)|Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (Episcopal Consistory)]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
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.&nbsp; They cover most of the county of Stafford. <br>
*[[Court of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean of Lichfield]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Alrewas and Weeford]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Burton on Trent]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Colwich]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Eccleshall]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Gnosall]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Hansacre and Armitage]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of High Offley and Flixton]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Longdon]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Pattingham]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Penkridge]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Prebend of Prees or Pipe Minor]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Sedgely]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Tettenhall]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Manor of Tyrley]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Whittington and Baswich]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Wolverhampton]]
*[[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]


<br>  
== Estate Duty Records<br> ==


== Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts in Staffordshire<br> ==
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.Estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to [[Estate Duty Records]].<br>


Records and indexes for each court are also available in the collection of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City.&nbsp; Search the [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FamilySearch Catalog/frameset_fhlc.asp FamilySearch Catalog] for the title of the court or the court as&nbsp;an author.&nbsp;
== Probates After 1857  ==


<br>  
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. For more information, go to [[Principal Probate Registry]].<br>


[[Category:Staffordshire Probate Records]]
[[Category:Staffordshire]]

Revision as of 16:45, 22 December 2009

England Gotoarrow.png Staffordshire Staffordshire Probate Records

The following article is about probate records in the county of Staffordshire. For general information about English probate records, click here. 


Description[edit | edit source]

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 wills, administrations (also called admons), inventories, and 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.


Getting Started[edit | edit source]

Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858. Beginning in 1858, authority over probate matters was taken from ecclesiastical courts and put under the civil Authority of the Principle Probate Registry.  The Probates After 1857 section below contains links to additional information about the records of this court.

To look for a probate record before 1858:

  1. Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived.
  2. Go to Court Jurisdictions section below.
  3. Click a letter or span of letters for your place. This opens a jurisdictions table.
  4. Follow the instructions on the jurisdictions table page.

Staffordshire Probate Courts[edit | edit source]

The following probate courts had some jurisdiction over the county of Staffordshire prior to 1858; note that most of Staffordshire was covered by its largest court jurisdiction, called--the Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (Episcopal Consistory), but the county also had numerous concurrent smaller jurisdictions called "peculiars" courts as well (see the "Staffordshire Court Jurisdictions By Parish" section below to determine the correct court jurisdiction for the parish in which you may be searching for a will):

In addition, the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury had jurisdiction over the whole of England and specifically in the following cases.

  • Wealthy individuals
  • People who owned property in more than one county or diocese of the Church of England
  • Military and naval personnel
  • People who lived or owned property outside England

Appeals Courts[edit | edit source]

There were two appeals courts within the Prerogative Court of Canterbury which heard disputes over the administration or probate of an estate. They were the:

  • Court of Arches which held jurisdiction over 13 parishes in the City of London and concurrent jurisdiction over the whole of the provinces of York and Canterbury (records are at Lambeth Palace Library, London). 
  • High Court of Delegates or sometimes known as the Court of Delegates, also heard appeals cases regarding probates and administrations.

The Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury also served as an appeals court.

Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts in Staffordshire
[edit | edit source]

Records and indexes for each court are also available in the collection of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  Search the Family History Library Catalog for the title of the court or the court as an author. 

Staffordshire Court Jurisdictions By Parish
[edit | edit source]

Before 1858, every town and parish in Cumberland 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 lists. Go to the list of places by clicking on a letter or series of letters below.

To view each parish and to learn which court[s] to search first for probates of persons living in or owning property in that  parish, click on the letter the parish name begins with

A   B   C-G H-L M-S T-Z


Probate Indexes[edit | edit source]

Before looking for a will, you should search an index. It will save time and give a reference to finding a copy of a will.


Online Indexes[edit | edit source]

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. 

Printed Indexes[edit | edit source]

See the above online indexes available at Google.books which is copy of a printed will index for Staffordshire.

The Smethwick Local history Society has published the Probate inventories of Smethwick residents, 1647-1747 : in the Lichfield Joint Record Office.

Probate Calendars[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.  They cover most of the county of Stafford.

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.Estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to Estate Duty Records.

Probates After 1857[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. For more information, go to Principal Probate Registry.

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