Yorkshire Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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The following text has information about probate records in the county of Yorkshire. To read general information about  English probate records click [[England Probate Records|here]].


== Getting Started in Probate Records<br> ==
== Getting Started  ==


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 Principal Probate Registry. The Post-1857 Probate Records section below contains links to additional information about the records of this court.
''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 Yorkshire. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.  


To look for a probate record before 1858:
=== 1858 to the Present  ===


#Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived.
Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.
#Go to Court Jurisdictions section below.
#Click a letter or span of letters for your place. This opens a jurisdictions table.
#Follow the instructions on the jurisdictions table page.<br>


== Yorkshire&nbsp;Probate Courts  ==
==== Online Records ====


Yorkshire is the largest county in England and has more than 1,000 parishes. More than 60 courts were over Yorkshire before 1858. Click [[Yorkshire Probate Courts|here]] to see the list.  
* '''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
* '''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


In addition, the [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] had jurisdiction over the whole of England and specifically in the following cases.
=== Before 1858  ===


#Wealthy individuals
Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Yorkshire, follow these steps:
#People who owned property in more than one county
#Military and naval personnel
#People who lived or owned property outside England


==== Appeals Courts ====
==== Step 1. Search Indexes ====


Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:  
Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Yorkshire. Search these indexes first:  


*Court of Arches<br>
*[[Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York|'''Prerogative Court of York''']]
*High Court of Delegates<br>
*'''York Peculiars Probate Index''' covers over 25,000 wills proved in the fifty-four peculiar courts of the Province of York in the five-hundred year period from 1383 to 1883. Available at [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/york-peculiars-probate-index-1383-1883?_ga=1.19087288.141134231.1415381737 Findmypast (£)]. See Step 3 below to identify if the parish you're researching was in a peculiar court.
*Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
*[https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/#ProbateRecords Colin Blanshard Withers] has produced a list of all known Indexes and Calendars relating to Yorkshire Probate. This is available in both Microsoft Word format (.doc) and plain text format (.txt) from his site.


== Court Jurisdictions<br> ==
Did you find a reference to a probate record?


Before 1858, every town and parish in Yorkshire 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 list. Go to the list of places by clicking on a letter or series of letters below.<br>
*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.  
*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.


&nbsp;A &nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with B|B]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with C|C]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with D|D]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with E and F|E-F]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with G|G]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with H|H]]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with I through K|I-K]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with L|L]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with M and N|M-N]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with O through P|O-P]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Q and R|Q-R]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with S|S]]&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with T and U|T-U]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with W|W]]&nbsp;&nbsp; [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Y|Y]].
==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died  ====


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


== Some Explanatory Notes on the Yorkshire Probate Courts  ==
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:


== Court Jurisdictions by Parish  ==
*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/ Vision of Britain]


Before 1858, every town and parish in Yorkshire fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp; For&nbsp;an authoritative treatise on&nbsp;each Yorkshire 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 [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;
The gazetteer will either tell you:  


When looking for the will of an ancestor, you should search the courts in the order given.&nbsp; Search indexes first.&nbsp; For indexes, click on the court name links [soon to be constructed].  
*A place is a parish, or
*What parish it is a part of, or
*What place it is near.


Here is a list of Yorkshire 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 to link to the another table.  
If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.  


<br>
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 a probate index.<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 Yorkshire 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://www.uclan.ac.uk/ahss/education_social_sciences/history/probate_index.php Probate Index] related to documents covering Lancashire north of the Ribble, and parts of Cumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire, 1748-1858.
{| width="444" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" style="width: 444px; height: 66px;"
|-
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with A|A]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with C|C]]   
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with F|F]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Ho-Hy|Ho-Hy]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with L|L]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with N|N]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with S|Sa-Sk]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with W|Wa-We]]
|-
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with B|Ba-Bl]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with D|D]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with G|G]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with I|I]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Ma through Me|Ma-Me]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with O through P|O-P]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Sl through Sy|Sl-Sy]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Wh through Wy|Wh-Wy]]
|-
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Bo through By|Bo-By]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with E|E]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with H|Ha-Hi]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with K|K]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Mi through My|Mi-My]]  
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Q and R|Q-R]]
|  [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with T and U|T-U]]
|    [[Yorkshire Probate Jurisdictions for Parishes Beginning with Y|Y]]
|}


[http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-ypec.htm York Peculiars Probate Index] covers over 25,000 wills proved in the fifty four peculiar courts of the Province of York in the five-hundred year period from 1383 to 1883.
<br>


[http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-yprex.htm Prerogative &amp; Exchequer Courts of York Probate Index 1842-1858]
==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record  ====
[http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-ypec.htm <br>]


<br>
Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:
This index covers over 10,000 wills proved in the Prerogative &amp; Exchequer Courts of York in the period 1267 to 1500. Wills are one of the most important sources for the family historian, and the originals of all the wills indexed here are held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives. Copies of these wills can be ordered online, via the index.


[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/#ProbateRecords http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/#ProbateRecords]
*{{FSC|330753|subject_id|disp=Yorkshire 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.


Colin Blanshard Withers has produced a list of all known Indexes and Calendars relating to Yorkshire Probate. This is available in both MS Word format (.doc) and plain text format (.txt) from his site. <br>
== Yorkshire Probate Courts  ==


== Post-1857 Probate Records  ==
Yorkshire is the largest county in England and has more than 1,000 parishes. More than [[Yorkshire Probate Courts|'''''60 Courts''''']] had jurisdiction over Yorkshire before 1858 (click [[Yorkshire Probate Courts|'''here''']] to read about them).


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].
==== Some Explanatory Notes on the Yorkshire Probate Courts ====


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>  
When an estate was solely within the Diocese (excluding Peculiars) it was usual for the local Rural Dean, acting by commission from the Exchequer Court of York, to make the grant of probate or administration. The records were then returned to the Exchequer Court and filed; separate Act Books being kept for each deanery. When an estate was solely within the Diocese of Richmond (excluding Peculiars) the same procedure took place; the deans acting by commission from the Commissary of the Archdeaconry returned the Eastern Deanery records to Richmond and the Western Deanery records to Lancaster. There are, however, some Western Deanery grants at Richmond, as all grants passed by decree of the Court anywhere within the Archdeaconry were returned there.<ref>Camp, Anthony J. Wills and Their Whereabouts. London: published by author, 1974; page 152. Punctuation revised.</ref><br>
 
It should be remembered that abstracts of the relevant parts of wills affecting real estate in Yorkshire are recorded from 1704 onwards at the Registry of Deeds for the appropriate Riding: at Wakefield for the West Riding, at Beverley for the East Riding, and at Northallerton for the North Riding.<ref>Camp, Anthony J. Wills and Their Whereabouts. London: published by author, 1974; page 153. Punctuation revised.</ref>
 
<br>  


[[Category:England]] [[Category:Yorkshire]]
{{Reflist}}


<br>
[[Category:Yorkshire Probate Records]]

Latest revision as of 10:48, 21 May 2024

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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 Yorkshire. 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]

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 Yorkshire, follow these steps:

Step 1. Search Indexes[edit | edit source]

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

  • Prerogative Court of York
  • York Peculiars Probate Index covers over 25,000 wills proved in the fifty-four peculiar courts of the Province of York in the five-hundred year period from 1383 to 1883. Available at Findmypast (£). See Step 3 below to identify if the parish you're researching was in a peculiar court.
  • Colin Blanshard Withers has produced a list of all known Indexes and Calendars relating to Yorkshire Probate. This is available in both Microsoft Word format (.doc) and plain text format (.txt) from his site.

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:

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 Yorkshire 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 F Ho-Hy L N Sa-Sk Wa-We
Ba-Bl D G I Ma-Me O-P Sl-Sy Wh-Wy
Bo-By E Ha-Hi K Mi-My Q-R T-U Y


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:

Yorkshire Probate Courts[edit | edit source]

Yorkshire is the largest county in England and has more than 1,000 parishes. More than 60 Courts had jurisdiction over Yorkshire before 1858 (click here to read about them).

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

When an estate was solely within the Diocese (excluding Peculiars) it was usual for the local Rural Dean, acting by commission from the Exchequer Court of York, to make the grant of probate or administration. The records were then returned to the Exchequer Court and filed; separate Act Books being kept for each deanery. When an estate was solely within the Diocese of Richmond (excluding Peculiars) the same procedure took place; the deans acting by commission from the Commissary of the Archdeaconry returned the Eastern Deanery records to Richmond and the Western Deanery records to Lancaster. There are, however, some Western Deanery grants at Richmond, as all grants passed by decree of the Court anywhere within the Archdeaconry were returned there.[1]

It should be remembered that abstracts of the relevant parts of wills affecting real estate in Yorkshire are recorded from 1704 onwards at the Registry of Deeds for the appropriate Riding: at Wakefield for the West Riding, at Beverley for the East Riding, and at Northallerton for the North Riding.[2]



  1. ↑ Camp, Anthony J. Wills and Their Whereabouts. London: published by author, 1974; page 152. Punctuation revised.
  2. ↑ Camp, Anthony J. Wills and Their Whereabouts. London: published by author, 1974; page 153. Punctuation revised.

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