Oxfordshire Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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Probate Records

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 Oxfordshire. 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 & images

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 Oxfordshire, follow these steps:

Step 1. Search Indexes[edit | edit source]

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

Oxfordshire Wills Index 1516-1857 at Findmypast (£)
Oxfordshire Transcribed Wills by the Oxfordshire Family History Society

Also check:

Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384 - 1858)

See also indexes on the individual court pages. 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 Oxfordshire 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-C

D-K

L-R

S-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:

Oxfordshire 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.

Oxfordshire Probate Courts[edit | edit source]

Most of Oxfordshire was under the pre-1858 probate jurisdiction of the combined Courts of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) and Archdeaconry of Oxford. The majority of probate searches will be in the records of this court and its superior courts. However, the following courts also had some pre-1858 jurisdiction within the county. Click on a court name to learn about records and indexes.

The Origins Network has an index to Oxfordshire Peculiars for 1547-1856.

The Oxfordshire Family Society has transcribed wills online on their website.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[England]]&nbsp;[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Gloucestershire]]
+{{Oxfordshire-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[England Genealogy|England]]
+| link2=[[Oxfordshire, England Genealogy|Oxfordshire]]
+| link3=
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Oxfordshire_Probate_Records|Probate Records]]
+}}
-For an explanation of probate records in England, click [[England Probate Records|here]].
+== 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 Oxfordshire. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.
+=== 1858 to the Present  ===
+Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.
+==== Online Records ====
+*'''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 & images
+=== Before 1858  ===
+Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Oxfordshire, follow these steps:
+==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
+Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Oxfordshire. Search these indexes first:
+*[http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/oxfordshire-wills-index-1516-1857?_ga=1.208941586.141134231.1415381737 Oxfordshire Wills Index 1516-1857] at Findmypast (£)
+*[http://wills.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk/ Oxfordshire Transcribed Wills] by the Oxfordshire Family History Society
+Also check:
+*[https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/wills-or-administrations-before-1858/%7C Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384 - 1858)]
+See also indexes on the individual court pages. Did you find a reference to a probate record?
-== Getting Started  ==
+*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
+*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.
-Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his/her&nbsp;heirs.&nbsp;
+==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died  ====
-In order to find a probate record for your ancestor, you must answer two questions:
+Determine ''when'' your ancestor died.&nbsp;If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.&nbsp;
-#When did your ancestor die?
+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:
-#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&nbsp;the civil government.&nbsp;
+*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/index.jsp Vision of Britain]
-*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;
+The gazetteer will either tell you:
-*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;
-*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.
-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>
+*A place is a parish, or
+*What parish it is a part of, or
+*What place it is near.
-== Oxfordshire Probate Courts  ==
+If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.
-== Some Explanatory Notes on the Oxfordshire Probate Courts  ==
+Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.
-== Probate Indexes Online  ==
+==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====
-Before looking for a will, you should search an index.&nbsp;<br>
+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&nbsp;Oxfordshire 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.
-*[http://users.ox.ac.uk/%7Emalcolm/genuki/big/eng/OXF/probate/1550-90.txt http://users.ox.ac.uk/%7Emalcolm/genuki/big/eng/OXF/probate/1550-90.txt] &nbsp;&nbsp;Here are three files forming "Index Of Probate Inventories, Oxfordshire 1550-1590" based upon an original document "Household And Farm Inventories In Oxfordshire, 1550-1590" published by the Historical Manuscript Society &amp; H.M.S.O. (Editing By Dr. W. O. Hassall. Original transcription by M.A.Havinden, D.G.Vaisey &amp; Jane E. Sayers. Computer transcription by M.Brewerton (c) Copyright 1994.)<br>
+{| style="width: 201px; height: 24px" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="201"
+|-
+| &nbsp;[[Oxfordshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes A through C|A-C]]
+| &nbsp;[[Oxfordshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes D through K|D-K]]
+| &nbsp;[[Oxfordshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes L through R|L-R]]
+| &nbsp;[[Oxfordshire Probate Jurisdictions Parishes S through Z|S-Z]]
+|}
 <br>
-== Post-1857 Probate Records  ==
+==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record  ====
+Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:
+*{{FSC|438968|subject_id|disp=Oxfordshire 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.
+== Oxfordshire Probate Courts  ==
+Most of&nbsp;Oxfordshire was under the pre-1858 probate jurisdiction of the combined&nbsp;[[Courts of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) and Archdeaconry of Oxford]]. The majority of probate searches will be in the records of this court and its superior courts. However, the following courts also had some pre-1858 jurisdiction within the county. Click on a court name to learn about records and indexes.
+*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham|Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham]]
+*[[Court of the Bishop of Gloucester (Episcopal Consistory)|Court of the Bishop of Gloucester]]
+*[[Court of the Bishop of Lincoln|Court of the Bishop of Lincoln]]
+*[[Court of the Bishop of Worcester|Court of the Bishop of Worcester]]
+*[[Court of the Bishop of Hereford|Court of the Bishop of Hereford]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar Parish of Banbury|Court of the Peculiar Parish of Banbury]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar Parish of Langford|Court of the Peculiar Parish of Langford]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar Parish of Dorchester|Court of the Peculiar Parish of Dorchester]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar Parish of Monks Risborough|Court of the Peculiar Parish of Monks Risborough]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar Parish of Thame]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln]]
+*[[Court of the Manor of Sibford|Court of the Manor of Sibford]]
+*[[Court of the Chancellor of the University of Oxford|Court of the Chancellor of the University of Oxford]]
+*[[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]
-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].
+The [http://www.origins.net/help/helpNWI-oxf.aspx Origins Network] has an index to Oxfordshire Peculiars for 1547-1856.<br>
-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 at the Family History Library.<br>
+[[Category:Oxfordshire Probate Records|Probate]]
-[[Category:England|England]]
+The Oxfordshire Family&nbsp; Society has [http://wills.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk/index.html transcribed wills ]online on their website.