Kent Probate Records: Difference between revisions

Kent Probate Records (view source)

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 ''[[England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Kent]]''
-The following article is about probate records in the county of Kent. For general information about English probate records, click [[England Probate Records|here]]. <br>
+== 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 Kent. For a general description of England probate records, click [[England Probate Records|here]].
+=== 1858 to the Present  ===
+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 Kent, follow these steps:
+==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
+Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Kent. 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?
+*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
+*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.
+====  ====
+==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died  ====
+Determine ''when'' your ancestor died.&nbsp;If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.&nbsp;
-== Description  ==
+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:
-''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.
+*[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/index.jsp Vision of Britain]
-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.
+The gazetteer will either tell you:
-<br>
+*A place is a parish, or
+*What parish it is a part of, or
+*What place it is near.
-== Getting Started  ==
+If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.
-Follow these steps to look for a probate record before 1858:<br>
+Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.
-#Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived. <br>
+==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====
-#Go to the Court Jurisdictions section below.<br>
-#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>
-#Follow the steps at the top of the table to search for a will.<br><br>
-== Court Jurisdictions by Parish  ==
+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&nbsp;Kent 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.
-Before 1858, every town and parish in Kent was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp; To find the will of your ancestor who lived&nbsp;or owned property in&nbsp;Kent,&nbsp;see a&nbsp;list of Kent parishes&nbsp;with the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over each.&nbsp; Click on the letter for a parish of interest.&nbsp; <br><br>
+<br>Before 1858, every town and parish in Kent was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp; To find the will of your ancestor who lived&nbsp;or owned property in&nbsp;Kent,&nbsp;see a&nbsp;list of Kent parishes&nbsp;with the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over each.&nbsp; Click on the letter for a parish of interest.&nbsp; <br><br>
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