Essex Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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''[[England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Essex]]''
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<br>The following article is about probate records in the county of Essex. For general information about English probate records, click [[England Probate Records|here]].
| link4=
 
| link5=[[Essex_Probate_Records|Probate Records]]
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== Getting Started  ==
== Getting Started  ==


''Probate'' is the legal 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 Probates After 1857&nbsp;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 Essex. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.  


To look for a probate record before 1858:<br>
=== 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. <br>
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 [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Cheshire_Probate_Records#Court_Jurisdictions Court Jurisdictions] section below.<br>
#Click a letter or span of letters for your place name. This opens a jurisdictions table.<br>
#Follow the instructions on the jurisdictions table page.<br><br>


== Essex Probate Courts  ==
==== Online Records ====


The following&nbsp;ecclesiastical courts&nbsp;had some probate jurisdiction over the county of Essex prior to 1858.&nbsp;&nbsp;Click on a court name to learn about records and indexes.&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
*'''1858-1995''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1904/ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995] at Ancestry
*'''1858-2019''' [https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/england-and-wales-government-probate-death-index-1858-2019 England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019] at Findmypast


*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Essex]]
=== Before 1858  ===
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Colchester]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Liberty of the Sokens]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Deanery of Bocking]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Good Easter]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Writtle with Roxwell]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Havering-atte-Bower]] (or Hornchurch)
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Middlesex (Essex & Hertfordshire Division)]]
*[[Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of London (Essex & Hertfordshire Division)]]
*[[Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory)]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster (Abbey)]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral]]


In addition, the [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] had jurisdiction over the whole of England and specifically in the following cases.<br>
Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Essex, follow these steps:


*Wealthy individuals<br>
==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
*People who owned property in more than one county<br>
*Military and naval personnel<br>
*People who lived or owned property outside England<br>


<br>
Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Essex. Search these indexes first:


=== Appeals Courts ===
County-wide general will indexes for Essex County are now available online, making Essex County one of the foremost in facilitating probate research in  England.  


Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:  
The following sites index significant portions of Essex wills:  


*[[Court of Arches]]  
*Essex County Record Office's outstanding wills index from [https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/] consolidates into one single index, the county's wills. Images have been uploaded up to 1720.<ref>'Where there's a will: major update to Essex Ancestors,' ''Essex Record Office Blog,'' 30 October 2014, http://www.essexrecordofficeblog.co.uk/where-theres-a-will-major-update-to-essex-ancestors/.</ref>
*[[High Court of Delegates]]
*[https://www.findmypast.com/articles/england-and-wales-published-wills-and-probate-indexes-1300-1858-volumes-available/essex Wills at Chelmsford, 1400-1858] at Findmypast ($).
*[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/essex-wills-beneficiaries-index-1675-1858 Essex Wills Beneficiaries Index, 1675-1858] at Findmypast ($).


The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] also served as an appeals court.  
The Essex County Record Office previously compiled and published a complete name index covering wills and administrations from the '''''first eight'' '''Essex County probate court jurisdictions listed above (through the Liberty of Sokens). The index is available in three volumes online through the National Wills Index and in book form at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City:


== Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts in Essex<br> ==
*Emmison, F. G., ed.  ''[Index to] Wills at Chelmsford 1400-1858''.  3 vols. London: s.n., 1961, by the British Record Society. Digital versions online at [http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ National Wills Index] ($); {{FSC|247479|title-id|disp=FS Library Book 942 B4b v. 78, 79, 84; microfilms 0962739 and 0962740; microfiche 6073796, 6073797, and 6073802}}.


Probate records for the&nbsp;first eight&nbsp;courts listed above are located at the [http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/dis/guc.jsp?channelOid=13813&guideOid=14783&guideContentOid=14819 Essex Record Office]. The additional four courts' records are located in Greater London-based record offices (click links to view).  
*Transcriptions of Essex wills from various probate court jurisdictions at <br>[http://linux02.lib.cam.ac.uk/earlscolne/probate/index.htm http://linux02.lib.cam.ac.uk/earlscolne/probate/index.htm].


Records and indexes for each court are also available in the collection of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.&nbsp; Search the [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library Catalog] for the title of the court or the court as&nbsp;an author.&nbsp; <br>
Always re-visit these websites as new, updated data may periodically be posted online.  


== Court Jurisdictions by Parish<br> ==
If the indexes on the Internet do not produce possible wills for your ancestors, look in the '''published indexes '''listed here.


Here&nbsp;are links to&nbsp;an alphabetical&nbsp;list of Essex parishes containing a prioritized list of courts with jurisdiction over each.&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.  
Other printed indexes are found listed on the court pages. '''Click on the court name links above.'''


{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="472" border="1"
Did you find a reference to a probate record?
|-
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions|A]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'B' Parishes|B]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'C' Parishes|C]]&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes D-F|D-F]]&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'G' Parishes|G]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes H-K|H-K]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'L' Parishes|L]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes M-N|M-N]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes O-R|O-R]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'S' Parishes|S]]&nbsp; &nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes T-V|T-V]]&nbsp;&nbsp;
| &nbsp;[[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes W-Z|W-Z]]&nbsp;
|}


<br>
*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.


== Probate Indexes ==
==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died ====


Before&nbsp;looking for a will, you should search an index.  
Determine ''when'' your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.


=== Online Indexes  ===
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 are two outstanding topographical dictionaries online:


County-wide&nbsp;general will indexes for Essex County are now available online, making Essex County one of the foremost in facilitating probate research in&nbsp; England.&nbsp;
*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/index.jsp Vision of Britain] - the 1870 Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales online  
*[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.aspx?pubid=445 British-History] - has Lewis' ''Topographical Dictionary of England''


The following two online sites&nbsp;contain significant portions of&nbsp;Essex wills:  
These gazetteers will either tell you:  


<br>
*A place is a parish, or
*What parish it is a part of, or
*What place it is near.


*These&nbsp;indexes overall,&nbsp;are transcriptions to most&nbsp;Essex county wills of the various probate court jurisdictions&nbsp;at
If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.


[http://linux02.lib.cam.ac.uk/earlscolne/probate/index.htm http://linux02.lib.cam.ac.uk/earlscolne/probate/index.htm]
Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.  


*Essex County Record Office's outstanding wills index from [http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/default.asp early to 1857]&nbsp;consolidates into one&nbsp;single index, the&nbsp;county's&nbsp;wills.
==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====


Always re-visit these websites as&nbsp;new, updated data may periodically be posted online.  
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. Here are links to an alphabetical list of Essex parishes containing a prioritized list of courts with jurisdiction over each.  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.  


=== Printed Indexes ===
{| border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="469"
|-
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions|A]] 
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'B' Parishes|B ]]
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'C' Parishes|C]] 
| [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes D-F|D-F]]
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'G' Parishes|G ]]
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes H-K|H-K]]
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'L' Parishes|L]] 
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes M-N|M-N]]
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes O-R|O-R]]
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, 'S' Parishes|S]] 
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes T-V|T-V]]
|  [[Essex Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes W-Z|W-Z]]
|}


If the indexes on the Internet do not produce possible wills for your ancestors,&nbsp;look in the '''published indexes '''listed here.
==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record  ====


The Essex County Record Office compiled and published a complete surname index covering wills and administrations from&nbsp;the '''''first&nbsp;eight'' '''Essex County probate court jurisdictions listed above (through the Liberty of Sokens).&nbsp; The index is available in three volumns at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City:  
Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:  


*Emmison, F. G., ed.&nbsp; ''[Index to] Wills at Chelmsford''.&nbsp; London: s.n., 1961,&nbsp;by the British Record Society.&nbsp; (FHL book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=247479&disp=Wills+at+Chelmsford+%28Essex+and+East+He%20%20&columns=*,0,0 942 B4b] vols. 78, 79 &amp; 84; also on microfilms 0962739 and 0962740, and on microfiche 6073796, 6073797, and 6073802.)
*{{FSC|358118|subject_id|disp=Essex 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.


Other printed indexes&nbsp;are found listed on the court pages.&nbsp; '''Click on the court name links above.'''
== Essex Probate Courts  ==


<br>
The following ecclesiastical courts had some probate jurisdiction over the county of Essex prior to 1858.  Click on a court name to learn about records and indexes. 


== Estate Duty Records<br> ==
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Essex]]
 
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Colchester]]
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.&nbsp; Estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to [[Estate Duty Records]].<br>
*[[Court of the Archdeaconry of Middlesex (Essex & Hertfordshire Division)]]
*[[Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory)]]
*[[Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of London (Essex & Hertfordshire Division)]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Good Easter]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Writtle with Roxwell]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Deanery of Bocking]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Liberty of the Sokens]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of Havering-atte-Bower]] (or Hornchurch)
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster (Abbey)]]
*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral]]
*[[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]


<br>
== Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts in Essex<br> ==


== Probates After 1857  ==
Probate records for the first eight courts listed above are located at the [https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate Essex Record Office]. The additional four courts' records are located in Greater London-based record offices (click links to view).


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. For more information, go to [[Principal Probate Registry]].<br>
Records and indexes for each court are also available in the collection of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Search the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog ]for the title of the court or the court as an author. <br>


<br>
== References ==
{{reflist}}


<br>&nbsp;
{{Essex}


[[Category:Essex]]
[[Category:Essex Probate Records]]

Latest revision as of 10:18, 21 May 2024

Essex Wiki Topics
File:Flag_of_Essex.png
Beginning Research
Record Types
Essex Background
Local Research Resources

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 Essex. 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 Essex, follow these steps:

Step 1. Search Indexes[edit | edit source]

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

County-wide general will indexes for Essex County are now available online, making Essex County one of the foremost in facilitating probate research in England.

The following sites index significant portions of Essex wills:

The Essex County Record Office previously compiled and published a complete name index covering wills and administrations from the first eight Essex County probate court jurisdictions listed above (through the Liberty of Sokens). The index is available in three volumes online through the National Wills Index and in book form at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City:

Always re-visit these websites as new, updated data may periodically be posted online.

If the indexes on the Internet do not produce possible wills for your ancestors, look in the published indexes listed here.

Other printed indexes are found listed on the court pages. Click on the court name links above.

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 are two outstanding topographical dictionaries online:

These gazetteers 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. Here are links to an alphabetical list of Essex parishes containing a prioritized list of courts with jurisdiction over each. 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.

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

Essex Probate Courts[edit | edit source]

The following ecclesiastical courts had some probate jurisdiction over the county of Essex prior to 1858. Click on a court name to learn about records and indexes.

Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts in Essex
[edit | edit source]

Probate records for the first eight courts listed above are located at the Essex Record Office. The additional four courts' records are located in Greater London-based record offices (click links to view).

Records and indexes for each court are also available in the collection of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Search the FamilySearch Catalog for the title of the court or the court as an author.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 'Where there's a will: major update to Essex Ancestors,' Essex Record Office Blog, 30 October 2014, http://www.essexrecordofficeblog.co.uk/where-theres-a-will-major-update-to-essex-ancestors/.

{{Essex}

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