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London Probate Records: Difference between revisions
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[[England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[London]] | |||
For an explanation of probate records in England, click [[England Probate Records|here]]. | 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/her heirs. | |||
In order to find a probate record for your ancestor, you must answer two questions: | |||
#When did your ancestor die? | |||
#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. | |||
*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. | |||
*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. | |||
*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> | |||
== London Probate Courts == | == London Probate Courts == | ||
The following courts had some probate jurisdiction over London before 1858. | |||
*[[Consistory Court of London|Court of Husting]] | *[[Consistory Court of London|Court of Husting]] | ||
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Before 1858, every parish was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. For an alphabetical list of London City parishes and the courts that had jurisdiction over them, click on the link for the letter that a parish name begins with: [Note: This section is currently 'Under Construction"] | Before 1858, every parish was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. For an alphabetical list of London City parishes and the courts that had jurisdiction over them, click on the link for the letter that a parish name begins with: [Note: This section is currently 'Under Construction"] | ||
{| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" | {| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" width="300" | ||
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| [[London Probate Jurisdictions Parishes A-F|A-F]] | | [[London Probate Jurisdictions Parishes A-F|A-F]] | ||
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<br> | <br> | ||
== Probate Indexes Online == | == Probate Indexes Online == | ||
Before looking for a will, you should search an index. <br> | Before looking for a will, you should search an index. <br> | ||
[http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-acl2.htm http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-acl2.htm] | [http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-acl2.htm http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-acl2.htm] | ||
Archdeaconry Court of London Wills Index 1750-1800<br> | Archdeaconry Court of London Wills Index 1750-1800<br> | ||
[http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/applications/wills/index.htm http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/applications/wills/index.htm] | [http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/applications/wills/index.htm http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/applications/wills/index.htm] | ||
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London Signatures currently includes 10,000 Archdeaconry Court of Middlesex Wills (AM/PW), covering the period 1609 -1810, and 23,500 Diocese of Winchester, Commissary for the Archdeaconry of Surrey marriage bonds (DW/MP), for the period 1673 - 1850. | London Signatures currently includes 10,000 Archdeaconry Court of Middlesex Wills (AM/PW), covering the period 1609 -1810, and 23,500 Diocese of Winchester, Commissary for the Archdeaconry of Surrey marriage bonds (DW/MP), for the period 1673 - 1850. | ||
[http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-surrwills.htm http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-surrwills.htm] | [http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-surrwills.htm http://www.originsnetwork.com/help/popup-aboutbo-surrwills.htm] | ||
Surrey & South London Will Abstracts1470-1856<br>This extraordinary collection is one of the most valuable on British Origins. It contains fully indexed abstracts of every Surrey will known to still exist, over 28,000 of them, dating from the 15th to 19th centuries; nearly all the originals are held at the London Metropolitan Archives. | Surrey & South London Will Abstracts1470-1856<br>This extraordinary collection is one of the most valuable on British Origins. It contains fully indexed abstracts of every Surrey will known to still exist, over 28,000 of them, dating from the 15th to 19th centuries; nearly all the originals are held at the London Metropolitan Archives. | ||
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[http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/invent.htm http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/invent.htm] | [http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/invent.htm http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/invent.htm] | ||
Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section<br>Indexes to Probate Inventories of the Peculiar Court of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral<br> | Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section<br>Indexes to Probate Inventories of the Peculiar Court of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral<br> | ||
The probate inventories of the Peculiar Court of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's date from 1660 to 1725. They are arranged in yearly (mostly) and half-yearly bundles. Within each bundle they are arranged chronologically by the date they were exhibited in the court. There are 77 bundles now numbered as Guildhall Library Ms 19504/1-77. | The probate inventories of the Peculiar Court of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's date from 1660 to 1725. They are arranged in yearly (mostly) and half-yearly bundles. Within each bundle they are arranged chronologically by the date they were exhibited in the court. There are 77 bundles now numbered as Guildhall Library Ms 19504/1-77. | ||
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[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Wills/Wills1.html http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Wills/Wills1.html] | [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Wills/Wills1.html http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/Wills/Wills1.html] | ||
Commissary Court of London Will Abstracts Volume 26 (1629-1634)<br> | Commissary Court of London Will Abstracts Volume 26 (1629-1634)<br> | ||
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== Post-1857 Probate Records == | == Post-1857 Probate Records == | ||
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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 [http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/civil/probate/index.htm HMCS website]. | 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 [http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/civil/probate/index.htm HMCS website]. | ||
A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. 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 the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=517092&disp=Record+copy+wills%2C+1858%2D1925%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Principal Registry] and the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=517092&disp=Record+copy+wills%2C+1858%2D1925%20%20&columns=*,0,0 District Registries] for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library. <br> | A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. 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 the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=517092&disp=Record+copy+wills%2C+1858%2D1925%20%20&columns=*,0,0 Principal Registry] and the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=517092&disp=Record+copy+wills%2C+1858%2D1925%20%20&columns=*,0,0 District Registries] for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library. <br> | ||
[[Category:England|England]] | [[Category:England|England]] | ||