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== Pre-1858 Probate Courts == | == Pre-1858 Probate Courts == | ||
'''What You Are Looking For''' | |||
You are looking for a pre-1858 probate record for one of your ancestors, which could be a will or an administration with related documents. The information you will find varies from record to record. The records may provide: | |||
*Names of heirs. | |||
*Other family members. | |||
*Witnesses. | |||
*Guardians. | |||
*Relationships. | |||
*Residences. | |||
*Property names. | |||
*An inventory of the deceased's personal property. | |||
<br> | |||
Prior to 1858 the Church of England probated the estates of deceased persons. There were over 300 church probate courts in a hierarchy of jurisdiction and importance. A higher court had jurisdiction when the testator owned property within the jurisdiction of two or more lower courts. Usually the court with primary jurisdiction probated the will, but wealth, status, and convenience could have affected which court was used. The hierarchy of jurisdictions is as follows: | Prior to 1858 the Church of England probated the estates of deceased persons. There were over 300 church probate courts in a hierarchy of jurisdiction and importance. A higher court had jurisdiction when the testator owned property within the jurisdiction of two or more lower courts. Usually the court with primary jurisdiction probated the will, but wealth, status, and convenience could have affected which court was used. The hierarchy of jurisdictions is as follows: | ||
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Ecclesiastical jurisdictions, which help determine the court, are given in Samuel Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of England (see the "[[England Gazetteers|Gazetteers]]" section of this outline) and Frank Smith’s ''A Genealogical Gazetteer of England''. | Ecclesiastical jurisdictions, which help determine the court, are given in Samuel Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of England (see the "[[England Gazetteers|Gazetteers]]" section of this outline) and Frank Smith’s ''A Genealogical Gazetteer of England''. | ||
For more information, see 'Indexes' and 'Finding Records in the Family History Library' below. | For more information, see 'Indexes' and 'Finding Records in the Family History Library' below. | ||
== Post-1857 Probate Courts == | == Post-1857 Probate Courts == | ||