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''Probate'' is the legal court 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 Post-1857 Probate Records 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. 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 Post-1857 Probate Records section below contains links to additional information about the records of this court. | ||
To look for a probate record before 1858:<br> | To look for a probate record before 1858:<br> | ||
#Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived. <br> | #Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived. <br> | ||
#Go to [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Lancashire_Probate_Records#Court_Jurisdictions Court Jurisdictions] section below.<br> | #Go to [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Lancashire_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> | #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> | #Follow the instructions on the jurisdictions table page.<br> | ||
== | == Explanatory Notes<br> == | ||
Probate records of Lancashire commence from as early as 1321 to 1857. The probate court jurisdictions listed below hold extensive probate record coverage not only for Lancashire but for Yorkshire, Cheshire, Durham, and Cumberland. There is only one peculiar or smaller court jurisdictions which pertain to Lancashire parishes. | Probate records of Lancashire commence from as early as 1321 to 1857. The probate court jurisdictions listed below hold extensive probate record coverage not only for Lancashire but for Yorkshire, Cheshire, Durham, and Cumberland. There is only one peculiar or smaller court jurisdictions which pertain to Lancashire parishes. | ||
== Lancashire Probate Courts == | == Lancashire Probate Courts == | ||
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The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] also served as an appeals court. | The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] also served as an appeals court. | ||
== Court Jurisdictions == | == Court Jurisdictions == | ||
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Before 1858, every town and parish in Lancashire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and one or more secondary courts. To see a list of parishes (and chapelries) in Lancashire and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click on a letter link: | Before 1858, every town and parish in Lancashire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and one or more secondary courts. To see a list of parishes (and chapelries) in Lancashire and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click on a letter link: | ||
{| | {| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" style="width: 508px; height: 22px;" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Lancashire Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes beginning with A|A]] | | [[Lancashire Probate Jurisdictions, Parishes beginning with A|A]] | ||
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|} | |} | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
== Indexes == | == Indexes == | ||
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<br>The Prerogative Court of Canterbury (also known as the PCC) has an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp online index of wills] and if a will is found it can be ordered online. Those from Lancashire have already been indexed in the Lancashire Will Search site mentione above. The advantage of the PCC site is that you can order the will directly for a small fee. | <br>The Prerogative Court of Canterbury (also known as the PCC) has an [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp online index of wills] and if a will is found it can be ordered online. Those from Lancashire have already been indexed in the Lancashire Will Search site mentione above. The advantage of the PCC site is that you can order the will directly for a small fee. | ||
<br>An [http://www.uclan.ac.uk/ahss/education_social_sciences/history/probate_index.php index] of wills and related documents for 1748-1858 has been prepared and covers Lancashire north of the Ribble River, and parts of Cumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire. It indexes all surviving probate documents for the Western Deaneries of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, which include the deaneries of Amounderness, Copeland, Furness, Kendal and Lonsdale: | <br>An [http://www.uclan.ac.uk/ahss/education_social_sciences/history/probate_index.php index] of wills and related documents for 1748-1858 has been prepared and covers Lancashire north of the Ribble River, and parts of Cumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire. It indexes all surviving probate documents for the Western Deaneries of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, which include the deaneries of Amounderness, Copeland, Furness, Kendal and Lonsdale:<br> | ||
<br> | |||
== Probate Records of Lancashire Courts == | == Probate Records of Lancashire Courts == | ||
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Beginning in 1796 a tax was levied on probates of estates valued over £10. Copies of the probate documents were filed with the Estate Duty Office in London when the tax was paid. These records are especially helpful for research in counties where local probate records have been destroyed. | Beginning in 1796 a tax was levied on probates of estates valued over £10. Copies of the probate documents were filed with the Estate Duty Office in London when the tax was paid. These records are especially helpful for research in counties where local probate records have been destroyed. | ||
For more information, see [[England Probate Records|England Probate Records]]. | For more information, see [[England Probate Records|England Probate Records]]. | ||
== 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 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 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.<br> | ||
{{Place|Lancashire}} | {{Place|Lancashire}} | ||
[[Category:Lancashire|Probate Records]] [[Category:Probate_records_in_England]] | [[Category:Lancashire|Probate Records]] [[Category:Probate_records_in_England]] | ||