Berkshire Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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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. Probate records include [[W genealogical glossary terms|wills]] and [[A genealogical glossary terms|administrations]]. This article is about probate records in Berkshire. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.  

Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.

*'''1858-1957''' - {{RecordSearch|2451051|England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957}} at [https://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch] — index

Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Berkshire, follow these steps:  

Here are some indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Berkshire. Search these indexes first:  

Before looking for a will, you should search an index.  

*[http://www.origins.net/help/aboutNWI-procoll.aspx Berkshire Wills and Administrations 1508-1710]. Part of the National Wills Index.

*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/browse-refine.asp?CatID=6&searchType=browserefine&pagenumber=1&query=*&queryType=1 Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384-1858)].

Did you find a reference to a probate record?  

*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.

Determine ''when'' your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.   

The gazetteer will either tell you:  

*What place it is near.

Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.  

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 Berkshire fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. Most of the places in Berkshire were under the jurisdiction of the Court of the Archdeaconry of Berkshire. Click [[Berkshire Probate Jurisdictions|here]] to see an alphabetical list of Berkshire parishes that were the exceptions, and the courts that had jurisdiction over them.

Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:  

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Most of Berkshire was under the jurisdiction of the [[Court of the Archdeaconry of Berkshire]].&nbsp; The majority of&nbsp;probate searches&nbsp;will be in the records of this court and its superior courts, which were the [[Court of the Bishop of Salisbury (Episcopal Consistory)]] until 1836 and the combined [[Courts of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) and Archdeaconry of Oxford]] from that time on.&nbsp; The courts should be searched in that order.  

However, the following courts also had some pre-1858 probate jurisdiction within&nbsp;the county. Click on a court name to learn about records and indexes.  

*[[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]

*Free online index from Berkshire Record Office to all Berkshire Archdeaconry probates 1480-1857  [https://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/wills-index Berkshire records]