Court of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk

England  Norfolk  Norfolk Probate Records

Step by Step

1. First search each index (see below) to help you more quickly find the will or administration (admon), writing down each detail cited in the indexed entry

2. Proceed to the "Records" (below) to determine what probate records exist for this court.

3. Contact or visit the Norfolk County Record Office or, hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf. Officials may send upon request a list of record searchers.

4. Visit The Family History Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite family history centers worldwide and search the indexes. Then, with the information obtained from the index[es] you can search more quickly the original wills and admons on microfilm.

Indexes

The Court of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk probate records have to some extent been indexed with the following ones:

Online Indexes

A general will index (partial) for this probate court covering much of the county is available online for the years 1800-1857. More years are bring added so re-visit their website regularly.

Also, Ancestry.co.uk has indexed some probate records abstracts as well.

Printed and Published Indexes

The Norfolk Record Office has indexed a considerable number of the wills from this court jurisdiction and these are available in the following publications:

• Index of wills proved in the Norfolk Archdeaconry Court, 1453-1603/4 (in three volumes) [1]
• Index to Norfolk Wills 1838-1858 is also available. 

In addition to the calendars, a majority of the original (unregistered) wills and the registered wills are alphabetically arranged at Norfolk Record Office and are likewise organized on the microfilmed probates for this court at the Family History Library. Visit The Norfolk Record Office or the Family History Library Catalog under Norfolk, England to determine availability of records.

Indexes of Wills and Admons (Administrations) are available on microfilm at the Family History Library covering the years 1460-1857 and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers (see Court of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk), or go to the Family History Library Catalog.

Records

Archive Location

Norfolk Record Office
The Archive Centre
Martineau Lane
Norwich, NR1 2DQ
UK
Telephone: 01603 222599
Fax: 01603 761885
E-mail: norfrec@norfolk.gov.uk

These include:

• Original wills, 1539, 1550-1579, 1585-1652, 1660-1857 (with some minor gaps)
• Register copy wills, 1453, 1459-1614, 1625-1636, 1660-1699, 1705-1858 (with some minor gaps)
• Administrations, 1672-1857
• Admon Act Books, 1541-1618, 1820-1857
• Inventories, 1728-1774

Archive Records

Add information about the manuscript, printed and digital records in this location.

Family History Library Records

Many of the records have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library and through family history centers.  These include:

• Wills and administrations, 1459-1857
• Probate records, 1670-1774 (admon act books, 1670-1675; inventories,1728-1774)

Jurisdiction

This court had jurisdiction over 398 parishes in the in the following Norfolk deaneries:

Brook Burnham Cranwich  Depwade

Fincham  Hingham Hitcham  Humbleyard

Reddenhall Repps  Rockland  Waxham

It also had jurisdiction over the parts of the parishes of Outwell, Upwell, and Welney in the county of Cambridge.