Sussex Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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Probate Records

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

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. Probate records include wills and administrations. This article is about probate records in Sussex. See England Probate Records for a general description of probate records in England.

1858 to the Present[edit | edit source]

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

Online Records[edit | edit source]

1858-1957 England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
1858-1995 England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 at Ancestry ($); index
1858-2018 England and Wales Government Probate Death Index, 1858-2018 at Findmypast ($) index

Before 1858[edit | edit source]

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

Step 1. Search Indexes[edit | edit source]

Wills from various parishes in Sussex have been indexed and made available online for free. See Sussex Online Parish Clerks to find these indexes.

1482-1858 West Sussex, England, Wills and Probate, 1482-1858 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
1518-1858 East Sussex, England, Wills and Probate, 1518-1858 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

https://sfhg.uk/resources/indexes/wills/names-from-wills-- compiled by the Sussex Family History Group which has transcribed the names of 12,300 individuals found in Sussex wills, including testators, executors, beneficiaries or witnesses. The information recorded includes name, date and place.
The Sussex Record Society has published four volumes of indexes to Sussex wills, and these can be viewed on their Website. They are arranged by parish then by surname.
Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384-1858).

Did you find a reference to a probate record?

If yes, go to Step 4 below.
If no, go to Step 2 below.

Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died[edit | edit source]

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:

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[edit | edit source]

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 Sussex 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.

A

B

C

D-F

G

H-K

L-M

N-P

Q-R

S

T-Z

Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record[edit | edit source]

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

Sussex England Probate Records(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - some images may only be available at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.
Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection. Sussex has two record offices, the East Sussex Record Office and the West Sussex Record Office. If you are unable to visit a record office, they both provide a research service for a fee.

Sussex Probate Courts[edit | edit source]

Here is a list of all of the pre-1858 ecclesiastical courts that had probate jurisdiction over Sussex. For more information, click on a court name.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[England]]&nbsp;[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Sussex]]
+{{Sussex-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[England Genealogy|England]]
+| link2=[[Sussex, England Genealogy|Sussex]]
+| link3=
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Sussex_Probate_Records|Probate Records]]
+}}
-For an explanation of probate records in England, click [[England Probate Records|here.]]
+==Online Resources==
+*
 == Getting Started  ==
-Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is&nbsp;distributed to his/her&nbsp;heirs.&nbsp;
+''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 Sussex. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.
-In order to find a probate record for your ancestor, you must answer&nbsp;two questions:
+=== 1858 to the Present  ===
-#When did your ancestor die?
+Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.
-#Where did your ancestor live or own property?
-A key date is 1858, when probate&nbsp;authority&nbsp;was&nbsp;taken&nbsp;from the ecclesiatical courts of the Church of England and given to&nbsp;the civil government.&nbsp;
+==== Online Records ====
-*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;
+*'''1858-1957''' {{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 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;
+*'''1858-1995''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1904/ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995] at Ancestry ($); index
-*Beginning in 1858, probate authority was&nbsp;vested in&nbsp;the '''Principal Probate Registry''' system.&nbsp; For more information, scroll to the '''Post-1857 Probate Records''' section at the bottom of the page.
+*'''1858-2018''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/england-and-wales-government-probate-death-index-1858-2019 England and Wales Government Probate Death Index, 1858-2018] at Findmypast ($) index
-Once you have answered the two questions and determined the courts, look for indexes.&nbsp; Indexes will be found on the individual court pages (when you click on a court name) or in the '''Probate Indexes''' section below.<br>
+=== Before 1858  ===
-<br>
+Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Sussex, follow these steps:
-== Sussex Probate Courts  ==
+==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
+Wills from various parishes in Sussex have been indexed and made available online for free. See [http://www.sussex-opc.org/ Sussex Online Parish Clerks] to find these indexes.
+*'''1482-1858''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62214/ West Sussex, England, Wills and Probate, 1482-1858] at Ancestry — index & images ($)
+*'''1518-1858''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62213/ East Sussex, England, Wills and Probate, 1518-1858] at Ancestry — index & images ($)
+*https://sfhg.uk/resources/indexes/wills/names-from-wills<nowiki/>-- compiled by the Sussex Family History Group which has transcribed the names of 12,300 individuals found in Sussex wills, including testators, executors, beneficiaries or witnesses. The information recorded includes name, date and place.
+*The [https://www.sussexrecordsociety.org/ Sussex Record Society] has published four volumes of indexes to Sussex wills, and these can be viewed on their [https://www.sussexrecordsociety.org/?s=Wills+index Website]. They are arranged by parish then by surname.
+*[https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12122 Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384-1858)].
+Did you find a reference to a probate record?
+*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
+*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.
+==== 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 1872 ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' online:
+*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/index.jsp Vision of Britain]
-== Some Explanatory Notes on the Sussex Probate Courts  ==
+The gazetteer will either tell you:
-== Court Jurisdictions by Parish  ==
+*A place is a parish, or
+*What parish it is a part of, or
+*What place it is near.
-Before 1858, every town and parish in Sussex&nbsp;fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp; When looking for the will of an ancestor, you should search the courts in the order given.&nbsp;For&nbsp;an authoritative treatise on&nbsp;each Staffordshire probate court and the parishes&nbsp;comprising them in pre-1858, see Anthony J. Camp's publication,&nbsp;Wills and Their Whereabouts; also available at&nbsp;the Family History Library, FHL&nbsp;book call [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=413992&disp=Wills+and+their+whereabouts%20%20&columns=*,0,0 #942 S2wa].&nbsp;Search indexes first.&nbsp; For indexes, click on the court name links above [soon to be constructed]. When looking for the will of an ancester, you should search the courts in the order given.&nbsp; Search indexes first.&nbsp; For indexes, click on the court name links above.
+If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.
-&nbsp;
+Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.
-== Sussex Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions <br>  ==
+==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====
-Here&nbsp;are links to&nbsp;an alphabetical&nbsp;list of Sussex parishes containing a prioritized list of courts with jurisdiction over each in the pre-1858 era.&nbsp; To see which courts to search for probates of persons living in or owning property in particular parish, click on the letter the parish name begins with.
+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 Sussex 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.
-{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" width="432" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
+{| style="width: 660px; height: 25px" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="660" border="1"
 |-
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'A'|A]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'A'|A]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'B'|B]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'B'|B]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'C'|C]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'C'|C]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'D-F'|D-F]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'D-F'|D-F]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'G'|G]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'G'|G]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'H-K'|H-K]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'H-K'|H-K]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'L-M'|L-M]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'L-M'|L-M]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'N-P'|N-P]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'N-P'|N-P]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'Q-R'|Q-R]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'Q-R'|Q-R]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'S'|S]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'S'|S]]
-| &nbsp;[[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'T-Z'|T-Z]]&nbsp; &nbsp;
+|  [[Sussex Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with 'T-Z'|T-Z]]
 |}
-Here is a list of Staffordshire parishes beginning with the letter A and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them.&nbsp; For other parishes, click on a letter link:&nbsp;
+<br>
-<br>
+==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record  ====
-== Probate Indexes Online  ==
+Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:
-Before looking for a will, you should search an index.&nbsp;<br>
+*{{FSC|365281|subject_id|disp=Sussex 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>
+*Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection. Sussex has two record offices, the [https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/localandfamilyhistory/esro/ East Sussex Record Office] and the [https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure-recreation-and-community/history-and-heritage/west-sussex-record-office/ West Sussex Record Office]. If you are unable to visit a record office, they both provide a research service for a fee.
-[http://www.familyhistoryonline.net/database/SussexFHGprobate.shtml http://www.familyhistoryonline.net/database/SussexFHGprobate.shtml]
+== Sussex Probate Courts  ==
-This index by the Sussex Family History Group records 12,300 individuals found in Sussex Wills as Testator, Executor, Beneficiary or Witness. The following information is recorded. <br>• Name – Forenames and surname of individual mentioned in the will <br><br>
-== <br>Post-1857 Probate Records  ==
+Here is a list of all of the pre-1858 ecclesiastical courts that had probate jurisdiction over Sussex. For more information, click on a court name.
-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/infoabout/civil/probate/index.htm HMCS website].
+*[[Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Chichester for the Archdeaconry of Chichester]]
+*[[Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Chichester for the Archdeaconry of Lewes]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean of Chichester]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury for the Exempt Deaneries of Pagham and Tarring]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury for the Exempt Deanery of South Malling]]
+*[[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]
-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 records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.<br>
+{{Place|Sussex}}
-[[Category:England|England]]
+[[Category:Sussex Probate Records|
+Probate]]