Staffordshire Probate Records: Difference between revisions

Staffordshire Probate Records (view source)

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-[[England]]&nbsp;[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Staffordshire]] [[Staffordshire Probate Records]]
+''[[England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Staffordshire]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] Staffordshire_Probate_Records''
-The following article is about probate records in the county of Staffordshire. For general information about English probate records, click [[England Probate Records|here]].&nbsp;
+== Getting Started  ==
+''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. Probate records include [[W genealogical glossary terms|wills]] and [[A genealogical glossary terms|administrations]]. This article is about probate records in Staffordshire. For a general description of England probate records, click [[England Probate Records|here]].
+=== 1858 to the Present  ===
-<br>
+Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.
+=== Before 1858  ===
+Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Staffordshire, follow these steps:
+==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
+Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Staffordshire. Search these indexes first:
+*[http://www.familyhistoryonline.net/database/SussexFHGprobate.shtml http://www.familyhistoryonline.net/database/SussexFHGprobate.shtml]&nbsp;-- compiled by the Sussex Family History Group which has transcribed the names of 12,300 individuals found in Sussex wills, including testators, executors, beneficiaries or witnesses.&nbsp;The information recorded includes name, date&nbsp;and place.
+*The [http://sussexrecordsociety.org/home2.asp?an=&ap= Sussex Record Society] has&nbsp;published four volumes of indexes to Sussex wills, and these&nbsp;can be viewed on&nbsp;their [http://sussexrecordsociety.org/bwills1.asp?an=&ap= website]. They are arranged by parish then by surname.&nbsp;
+*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/wills.asp?WT.hp=Wills Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384-1858)].
+Did you find a reference to a probate record?
-== Description  ==
+*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
+*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.
-''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The term ''probate'' refers to a collection of documents, including [[W genealogical glossary terms|wills]], [[A genealogical glossary terms|administrations]] (also called admons), [[I genealogical glossary terms|inventories]], and [[A genealogical glossary terms|act books]]. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858. This article explains about probates and how to get started to search for a will.
+==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died  ====
-Beginning in 1858, authority over probate matters was taken from ecclesiastical courts and put under the civil authority of the Principal Probate Registry. The '''Probates After 1857'''&nbsp;section below has a link to an article about probates after 1857.
+Determine ''when'' your ancestor died.&nbsp;If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.&nbsp;
-<br>
+Determine ''where'' your ancestor died. It is easier to find a probate record if you know whether the place where your ancestor lived or died is a [[P genealogical glossary terms|parish]]. To learn whether it is a parish, look it up in a gazetteer. Here is a link to the 1872 ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' online:
-== Getting Started  ==
+*[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/index.jsp Vision of Britain]
-Follow these steps to look for a probate record before 1858:<br>
+The gazetteer will either tell you:
-#Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived. <br>
+*A place is a parish, or
-#Go to the Court Jurisdictions section below.<br>
+*What parish it is a part of, or
-#Click a letter or span of letters for your place. This opens an article showing a table of places and the courts that had jurisdiction over them.<br>
+*What place it is near.
-#Follow the steps at the top of the table to search for a will.<br><br>
-<br>
+If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.
-== Court Jurisdictions By Parish<br> ==
+Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.
-Before 1858, every town and parish in Cumberland was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp; When searching for the will of an ancestor, find the name of the town or parish where he/she lived in the jurisdictions lists. Go to the list of places by clicking on a letter or series of letters below.<br>
+==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====
-To view each parish and to learn which&nbsp;court[s] to search first for probates of persons living in or owning property in that&nbsp; parish, click on the letter the parish name begins with
+Once you have identified the parish where your ancestor lived or died, learn which courts had jurisdiction over it then search indexes for those courts. Every town and parish in Staffordshire fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. Click on a link below for the letter the parish begins with.
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 There is a brand new index for 1650-1700 for Staffordshire at this link [http://www.staffsnameindexes.org.uk/ Will and administsrations]
 A general will index for the Diocese of Lichfield exists online, a scanned edition of P.W. Phillimore's publicationby the British Record Society in 1892,[http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=4zYEAAAAIAAJ ''Calendars of wills administrations in the Consistory court of the bishop of Lichfield'']''.&nbsp; ''This single index consolidates most&nbsp;Staffordshire&nbsp;wills of the various probate court jurisdictions&nbsp;from 1514-1652 for the Diocese of Lichfield and to 1790 for Staffordshire smaller peculiar courts.''&nbsp;''
 ==== Printed Indexes  ====