Middlesex Probate Records

For a explanation of England probate records, click here.

Return to the main Middlesex page.

Middlesex Probate Courts

Return to the Middlesex Probate Records page. 

• Archdeaconry Court of London
• Consistory Court of London
• Archdeaconry Court of Middlesex (Middlesex Division)
• Commissary Court of London (London Division)
• Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster (Abbey)
• Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral
• Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory)
• Deanery of the Arches (Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury)
• Deanery of the Arches of London, Croydon, Shoreham (Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury)
• Court of Husting
• Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Historical Background

Probate records of Middlesex, encorporating Greater London commence from as early as 1258 up to 1857. There are several Middlesex County probate court jurisdictions, some of which hold extensive probate record coverage for the greater metropolis and there are a few smaller court jurisdictions which only pertain to a small handful of parish. See the above links to Middlesex probate court jurisdictions in order to obtain an accurate idea as to the prime courts in which to search for a will, first. If you do not know where to search for a will, first, then go to the "Middlesex Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions" section (if you happen to know in which parish your ancestor may have died or was known to have lived in) below and search by parish name in order to determine the correct or most likely probate jurisdiction to search in, first.

If a search in the most likely probate court jurisidiction proves unsuccessful, then search the next court in ranked order, i.e. "no. 2", etc. 

Starting Your Search in Indexes

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

2. Proceed to the "Probate Records of This Court" (below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court.

3. Contact or visit the Westminster City Archives, 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 indexes to probate records then with the information obtained from the index[es] you can search more quickly the original wills and admons also on microfilm via any family history centers near you.

 

Probate Indexes

Several of London and Middlesex probate jurisdictions are well-covered with indexes; look in this section in each court jurisdiction to find valuable indexes to London's probate records.

Online indexes

• A comprehensive will and admon index to London (including Greater L.) for the years covering 1750-1858, is Dr David Wright's London Probate Index or he will perform "lookups" in his indexes for you.

A comprehensive will and admon index for most all of London and Middlesex's probate jurisdictions is found in Dr. David Wright's will index for 1750-1857 on CDs and is on sale for surnames A-F; enquire with him for lookups for surnames beginning with G-Z at a set fee.

Printed Indexes

Several printed indexes esist for the various courts of Greater London (but not all). Look in this section for these and their locations for accessing same.

Original Handwritten Indexes

Indexes and claendars to the Probate Acts of Wills and Administrations (Admons) exist from 1258-1857. Calendars are a kind of index (of the first letter of each surname) to the probate records and admons (administrations). 

In addition to the calendars, a majority of the original (unregistered) wills and the registered wills are alphabetically arranged for but a few courts; most are only arranged chronologically, making will searches without indexes, fairly complex and challenging at best and are likewise organized on the microfilmed probates for these courts at the Family History Library. 

Microfilmed Indexes at the Family History Library<br>

The Family History Library has many will and admon (Administration) indexes and calendars which are available on microfilm at the Family History Library covering the years as above mentioned 1258-1858 and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers (see Court of the Archdeaconry of Essex), or go to this Family History Library Catalog page

Some Explanatory Notes on the Middlesex Courts

1. No single probate court jurisdiction holds coverage to the whole of London and Middlesex counties 2. The complexity of probate research in this most populous region of England resides in the fact that Greater London's layout is likewise complex, incorporating the whole of Middlesex and London counties, as well--portions of northwest Kent, northeast Surrey, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire. 3. Several courts held concurrent jurisdiction with one another. 4. Search or utilize the "Middlesex Probate Jurisdictions of Parishes" section in order to determine in which probate court jurisdiction a parish lay.

Middlesex Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions

Before 1858, every parish was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.  For an alphabetical list of Middlesex parishes and the courts that had jurisdiction over them, click on the link for the letter that a parish name begins with:

A-F

G-H

I-L

M-R

S

T-Z

Post-1857 Probate Records

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 HMCS website.

A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The indexes for 1858-1957 and the records for the Principal Registry and the District Registries for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.