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These are the probate courts that had some jurisdiction over the county of Kent prior to 1858:  
''[[England Genealogy|England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Kent, England Genealogy|Kent]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Kent Probate Records]]''.


*Court of the Bishop of Canterbury (BOC)
== Getting Started  ==
*Court of the Archdeaconry of Canterbury (AOC)
*Courts of the Bishop (Episcopal consistory) and Archdeaconry of Rochester (BAR)
*Court of the Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Deaneries of the Arches, Croydon and Shoreham (ACS)
*Court of the Peculiar of the Rector of Cliffe (PRC)
*Court of the Exempt Jurisdiction of Wingham (EJW)
*Court of the Prior and Chapter of Christ Church, Canterbury (CCC)
*Court of the Bishop of London (BOL)
*Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) (the highest court in the land which had final jurisdiction when necessary, such as in the case of a wealthier person who owned property in more than one area or county, or when a will was appealed.)


For more information about probate records, go to that Wiki [[England Probate Records|article]].
''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]].  This article is about probate records in Kent.  See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.  


=== Jurisdictions ===
=== 1858 to the Present ===


Here is the list of Kent parishes beginning with the letter A, with the probate courts that had jurisdiction over each, arranged from the lowest (1st) to the highest using the court's initials listed above.
Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.
=== Before 1858  ===
*Links to Kent places.  Here is the list of Kent places from A to Z  of the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over each.
[[Kent, England Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with A|A]]  [[Kent, England Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with B|B]]  [[Kent, England Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with C|C]]  [[Kent, England Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with D|D]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with E|E]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with F and G|F-G]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with H|H]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with I through K|I-K]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with L|L]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with M and N|M-N]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with O through R|O-R]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with S|S]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with T through V|T-V]]  [[Kent Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with W through Z|W-Z]]


To go to the list for another letter, scroll to the bottom of this page.  
The courts listed for each place are those that had jurisdiction over probating wills prior to 1858. To use this table, follow these steps. <br>1. Find the place where your ancestor lived in the first column. <br>2. Click on the court name in the second column to learn where to find the records and indexes.<br>3. Click on each name of the court in the third column if the record isn't found in the first court.<br>4. Search last the [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]].  


{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="613" border="1"
Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Kent follow these steps:
|-
| '''PARISH'''
| '''1st'''
| '''2nd'''
| '''3rd'''
| '''4th'''
|-
| Acrise
| AOC
|
|
|
|-
| Addington
| Pre-1845 - BAR; Post-1844 - PCC
|
|
|
|-
| Adisham
| BOC
|
|
|
|-
| Aldington
| BOC&nbsp;
|
|
|
|-
| Alkham
| AOC
|
|
|
|-
| Allhallows
| BAR
|
|
|
|-
| Allington
| Pre-1845 - BAR; Post-1844 - PCC
|
|
|
|-
| Appledore
| AOC
|
|
|
|-
| Ash (near Ridley)
| BAR
|
|
|
|-
| Ash (near Sandwich)
| Pre-1547 - EJW; Post-1546 -&nbsp;BOC
|
|
|
|-
| Ashford
| AOC
|
|
|
|-
| Ashurst
| Pre-1845 -&nbsp;BAR; Post-1844 - PCC
|
|
|
|-
| Aylesford
| BAR
|
|
|
|}


&nbsp;
==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====


Go to parishes beginning with:  
Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Kent.  Search these indexes first:  
*The [http://www.kfhs.org.uk/ Kent Record Society] has published four volumes of indexes to Kent wills.
*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/wills-and-probate.htm Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384-1858)].


[[Kent, England Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with B|B]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Kent,_England_Probate_Jurisdictions_for_Parishes_Beginning_with_C|C]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Kent,_England_Probate_Jurisdictions_for_Parishes_Beginning_with_D|D]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; E&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; F&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; G&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; H&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; J-K&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; L&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; M&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; N&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; O&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; P&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Q&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; S&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; T&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; U&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; V&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; X-Z
==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died  ====
 
Determine ''when'' your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date. 
 
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 [http://archive.org/details/imperialgazettee02wils 1872 ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales''] online:
 
*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/index.jsp Vision of Britain]
 
The gazetteer will either tell you:
 
*A place is a parish, or
*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.
 
Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.
 
==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====
 
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 Kent fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. Click on a link below for the letter the parish begins with.
If no will is found, your ancestor may not have left one.
 
 
[[Category:Kent Probate Records]]

Latest revision as of 17:47, 17 October 2023

England Gotoarrow.png Kent Gotoarrow.png Kent 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. The term probate refers to a collection of documents, including wills, administrations (also called admons), inventories, and act books. This article is about probate records in Kent. See England Probate Records for a general description of probate records in England.

1858 to the Present

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

Before 1858

  • Links to Kent places. Here is the list of Kent places from A to Z of the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over each.

A B C D E F-G H I-K L M-N O-R S T-V W-Z

The courts listed for each place are those that had jurisdiction over probating wills prior to 1858. To use this table, follow these steps.
1. Find the place where your ancestor lived in the first column.
2. Click on the court name in the second column to learn where to find the records and indexes.
3. Click on each name of the court in the third column if the record isn't found in the first court.
4. Search last the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Kent follow these steps:

Step 1. Search Indexes

Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Kent. Search these indexes first:

Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died

Determine when your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.

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 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:

The gazetteer will either tell you:

  • A place is a parish, or
  • 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.

Once you have identified the parish, go to Step 3.

Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish

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 Kent fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. Click on a link below for the letter the parish begins with. If no will is found, your ancestor may not have left one.

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