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For an explanation of probate records in England, click [[England Probate Records|here]]. [This "Lancashire Probate Records" section under construction] | For an explanation of probate records in England, click [[England Probate Records|here]]. [This "Lancashire Probate Records" section under construction] | ||
== Getting Started == | |||
Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his/her heirs. | |||
In order to find a probate record for your ancestor, you must answer two questions: | |||
#When did your ancestor die? | |||
#Where did your ancestor live or own property? | |||
A key date is 1858, when probate authority was taken from the ecclesiatical courts of the Church of England and given to the civil government. | |||
*If your ancestor died before 1858, his/her probate would have been proven by an ecclesiatical court and it is important to know where he/she lived, as that will determine which courts had jurisdiction. | |||
*If you know where your ancestor lived before 1858, you should go to the '''Court Jurisdictions''' section below to determine what courts had jurisdiction over your ancestor's place of residence. | |||
*Beginning in 1858, probate authority was vested in the '''Principal Probate Registry''' system. For more information, scroll to the '''Post-1857 Probate Records''' section at the bottom of the page. | |||
Once you have answered the two questions and determined the courts, look for indexes. Indexes will be found on the individual court pages (when you click on a court name) or in the '''Probate Indexes''' section below.<br><br> | |||
== Lancashire Probate Courts == | == Lancashire Probate Courts == | ||
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*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of York]] | *[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of York]] | ||
*[[Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York]] | *[[Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York]] | ||
*[[Court of the Chancery of the Archbishop of York]] | *[[Court of the Chancery of the Archbishop of York]] | ||
*[[Peculiar Court of Halton Manor]] | *[[Peculiar Court of Halton Manor]] | ||
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Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts: | Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts: | ||
Court of Arches <br>High Court of Delegates | Court of Arches <br>High Court of Delegates | ||
== List of Lancashire Parishes and Their Court Jurisdictions == | == List of Lancashire Parishes and Their Court Jurisdictions == | ||
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== Historical Background == | == Historical Background == | ||
Probate records of | Probate records of Yorkshire commence from as early as 1321 to 1857. These probate court jurisdictions cover all of Yorkshire, most of Lancashire, Cheshire, Durham, Cumberland, some of which hold extensive probate record coverage. There are numerous smaller or peculiar court jurisdictions which pertain to parishes. | ||
If you know in which parish your ancestor may have died or lived, go to the " | If you know in which parish your ancestor may have died or lived, go to the "Yorkshire Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions" section (below--or under whatever county you are searching) and search by parish name in order to determine the correct or most likely probate court to search, first. | ||
Next, see the above links to each London probate court jurisdictions in order to obtain further information for researching in the prime probate court for a will. | Next, see the above links to each London probate court jurisdictions in order to obtain further information for researching in the prime probate court for a will. | ||
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A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=208102&disp=Calendar+of+the+grants+of+probate+and+le%20%20&columns=*,0,0 indexes] for 1858-1957 and the records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.<br> | A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=208102&disp=Calendar+of+the+grants+of+probate+and+le%20%20&columns=*,0,0 indexes] for 1858-1957 and the records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.<br> | ||
[[Category:England|England]] | [[Category:England|England]] | ||