Lincolnshire Probate Records

For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.

Return to Lincolnshire.

Court Jurisdictions

Before 1858, every town and parish in Lincolnshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and one or more secondary courts.  Search the courts in the order given.  Search indexes first.  For indexes, click on a court name.

Here is a list of Lincolnshire places beginning with the letter A and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them.  For other places, click on a link:  B, C-F, G-K, L-P, Q-S, T-Z.

PARISH	PRIMARY COURT	SECONDARY COURTS - IN SEARCH ORDER
Addlethorpe	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aisthorpe with Thorpe in the Fallows	Pre-1834 - Court of the Archdeaconry of Stow; Post-1833 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	Pre-1834 2 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury Post-1833 2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Alford	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Algarkirk	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Alkborough	Pre-1834 - Court of the Archdeaconry of Stow; Post-1833 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	Pre-1834 2 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury Post-1833 2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Allington, East	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Allington, West	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Althorpe with Keadby	Pre-1834 - Court of the Archdeaconry of Stow; Post-1833 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	Pre-1834 2 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury Post-1833 2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Alvingham	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Amcotts	Pre-1834 - Court of the Archdeaconry of Stow; Post-1833 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	Pre-1834 2 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury Post-1833 2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ancaster	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Anderby	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Anwick	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Apley	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Appleby	Pre-1834 - Court of the Archdeaconry of Stow; Post-1833 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	Pre-1834 2 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury Post-1833 2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Asgarby	Pre-1834 - Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln; Post-1833 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ashby by Partney	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ashby cum Fenby	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ashby de la Launde	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ashby Puerorum	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ashby, West	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aslackby	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Asterby	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aswarby with Swarby	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aswardby	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aubourn	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aunsby	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Authorpe	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aylesby	Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury

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.