Cornwall Probate Records

For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.

Return to the main Cornwall page.

Court Jurisdictions

Here is a list of the Cornwall parishes beginning with letters A and B and the pre-1858 courts that had jurisdiction over them.  For other parishes, click on the link for the first letter of the parish name: C, D-K, L, M-O, P-R, S, and T-Z. 

PARISH	PRIMARY COURT	SECONDARY COURTS - IN SEARCH ORDER
Advent	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Altarnon	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Antony	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Baldhu	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Blisland	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Boconnoc	A Peculiar of the Court of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter	2 - Court of the Dean and Chapeter of Exeter 3 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 4 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 5 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Bodmin	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Bolventor	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Botus Fleming	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Boyton	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Bradoc	A Peculiar of the Court of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter	2 - Court of the Dean and Chapeter of Exeter 3 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 4 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 5 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Breage	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Bude Haven	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Budock	A Peculiar of the Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Callington	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Calstock	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Camborne	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Cardynham	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Carnmenellis	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Chacewater	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Charlestown	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Colan	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Constantine	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Cornelly	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Crantock	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Creed	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Crowan	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Cubert	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Cury with Gunwalloe	Court of the Bishop (Consistory) of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall	2 - Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter 4 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Post-1857 Probate Records

Beginning in 1858, the government took over the settlement of estates and all wills are now probated through the Principal Probate Registry system.  The system consists of 11 district registry offices and 18 sub-district registries, located throughout England and Wales, and the principal registry office located in London.  The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service.  To learn more, go to the HMCS website.

A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills.  The indexes for 1858-1957 and the records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.