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[[England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Suffolk]]  
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| link5=[[Suffolk_Probate_Records|Probate Records]]
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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 Suffolk. 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.


== Getting Started  ==
==== 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


Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his/her heirs. 
=== Before 1858  ===


In order to find a probate record for your ancestor, you must answer two questions:  
Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Suffolk, follow these steps:  


#When did your ancestor die?
==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
#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 the civil government. 
Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Suffolk. Search these indexes first:


*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. 
*[http://www.norfolksources.norfolk.gov.uk/ Probate Indexes 1800-1857] This index contains 12,000 plus entries for Suffolk county under the probate search. Norfolk Sources is a collection of images of archive material supplied by the Norfolk Record Office and the Norfolk Heritage Centre (part of Norfolk Libraries and Information Service
*If you know where your ancestor lived before 1858, you should go to the '''Court Jurisdictions''' section below to determine what courts had jurisdiction over your ancestor's place of residence. 
*[http://www.findmypast.co.uk/other-records-collection-search-start.action?event=O Suffolk Probate Indexes 1847-1857].  The Testator index records 1,124 wills and the people who made them. The Beneficiary index records 10,698 people, or other entities, who will benefit from those wills.
*Beginning in 1858, probate authority was vested in the '''Principal Probate Registry''' system.  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>
The following indexes to probate records are available on [http://www.ancestry.com www.ancestry.com] under the category of "England Court, Land, Wills &amp; Financial".  


== Suffolk Probate Courts  ==
*Ipswich Probate Inventories, 1583-1631
*Sudbury Archdeaconry Wills, 1439-1638
*Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, 1439-1461
*Wills of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, 1620-1624
*Wills of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, 1625-1626
*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1904 National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1861-1941. ]<br>


The following ecclesiastical courts had some probate jurisdiction over the county of Cumberland prior to 1858. Click on a court name to learn more about its records, indexes and finding a probate for your ancestor. To determine which court, go to the [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Cumberland_Probate_Records#Court_Jurisdictions Court Jurisdictions] section below.<br>
Did you find a reference to a probate record?


*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk]]<br>
*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury]]<br>
*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.
*[[Court of the Arhcdeaconry of Norfolk (Episcopal Consistory)]]
*[[Court of the Bishop of Norwich (Episcopal Consistory)]]
*[[Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory)]]
*[[Court of the Consistory of Norwich]]
*[[Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of St Edmunds]]<br>
*[[Court of the Commissary of the Sacrist of St Edmunds]]<br>
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Peculiar Deanery of Bocking]]<br>
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Isleham and Freckenham]]<br>


== Some Explanatory Notes on the Suffolk Probate Courts ==
==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died ====


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


Before 1858, every town and parish in Suffolk was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary ecclesiastical court and one or more secondary ecclesiastical courts.&nbsp; To see a list of Suffolk places and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click on a letter for the name of a place:  
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:  


{| style="width: 403px; height: 24px" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="403" border="1"
*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/index.jsp Vision of Britain]
|-
| &nbsp;[[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes beginning with A|A]]
| &nbsp;[[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes B|B]]
| &nbsp;[[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes C through E|C-E]]
| &nbsp;[[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes F through G|F-G]]
| &nbsp;[[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes H through K|H-K]]
| &nbsp;[[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes L through Q|L-Q]]
| &nbsp;[[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes R through S|R-S]]
| &nbsp;[[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes T through Z|T-Z]]
|}


<br><br>
The gazetteer will either tell you:


== Probate Indexes Online  ==
*A place is a parish, or
*What parish it is a part of, or
*What place it is near.


Before looking for a will, you should search an index. <br>&nbsp;
If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.  


[http://www.familyhistoryonline.net/database/SFKProbate.shtml http://www.familyhistoryonline.net/database/SFKProbate.shtml]
Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.  


Suffolk Probate Indexes 1847-1857<br>The Testator index records 1,124 wills and the people who made them. The Beneficiary index records 10,698 people, or other entities, who will benefit from those wills. The wills were proved during the years 1847-1857, that is the decade before the civil courts took over the probate of wills from the ecclesiastical courts in 1858. <br>
==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====


&nbsp;
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 Suffolk 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.


The following indexes to probate records are available on [http://www.ancestry.com www.ancestry.com] (under&nbsp;the category of&nbsp;'England Court, Land, Wills &amp; Financial'):
{| width="403" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
|    [[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes beginning with A|A]]
|    [[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes B|B]]
|    [[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes C through E|C-E]]
|  [[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes F through G| F-G]]
|  [[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes H through K|H-K]]
|  [[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes L through Q|L-Q]]
|  [[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes R through S|R-S]]
|  [[Suffolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes T through Z|T-Z]]
|}


*Ipswich Probate Inventories, 1583-1631
<br>
*Sudbury Archdeaconry Wills, 1439-1638
*Wills of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, 1439-1461
*Wills of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, 1620-1624
*Wills of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, 1625-1626


== Estate Duty Records<br> ==
==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record  ====


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. Between 1813-1858 estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to [[Estate Duty Records]].<br>
Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:


<br>
*{{FSC|395944|subject_id|disp=Suffolk 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.


== Post-1857 Probate Records ==
== Suffolk Probate Courts ==


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].  
The following ecclesiastical courts had some probate jurisdiction over the county of Suffolk prior to 1858. Click on a court name to learn more about its records, indexes and finding a probate for your ancestor. To determine which court, go to the [[Cumberland_Probate_Records#Court_Jurisdictions|Court Jurisdictions]] section below.<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 records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.<br>
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk]]
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury]]
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk|Court of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk  ]]
*[[Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Norwich]]
*[[Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory)]]
*[[Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of St Edmunds]]
*[[Court of the Commissary of the Sacrist of St Edmunds]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Peculiar Deanery of Bocking]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Isleham and Freckenham]]
*[[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]


[[Category:Suffolk|Probate Records]]
[[Category:Suffolk_Probate Records]]

Latest revision as of 12:08, 5 January 2024

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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 wills and administrations. This article is about probate records in Suffolk. 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.

Online Records

Before 1858

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

Step 1. Search Indexes

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

  • Probate Indexes 1800-1857 This index contains 12,000 plus entries for Suffolk county under the probate search. Norfolk Sources is a collection of images of archive material supplied by the Norfolk Record Office and the Norfolk Heritage Centre (part of Norfolk Libraries and Information Service
  • Suffolk Probate Indexes 1847-1857. The Testator index records 1,124 wills and the people who made them. The Beneficiary index records 10,698 people, or other entities, who will benefit from those wills.

The following indexes to probate records are available on www.ancestry.com under the category of "England Court, Land, Wills & Financial".

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 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 Suffolk 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-E F-G H-K L-Q R-S T-Z


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:

Suffolk Probate Courts

The following ecclesiastical courts had some probate jurisdiction over the county of Suffolk prior to 1858. Click on a court name to learn more about its records, indexes and finding a probate for your ancestor. To determine which court, go to the Court Jurisdictions section below.

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