London 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 London. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.  

*'''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 London, follow these steps:  

First search each index which you will find listed under the name of the particular probate court jurisdiction (see the "London Probate Courts" listed above) to help you more quickly find the will, writing down all details cited in the indexed entry.Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in London. Search these indexes first:  

*[http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/probate.htm Probate Records (wills and administrations) at Guildhall Library ]

*[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 ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.<br>

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

The gazetteer will either tell you:  

*What place it is near.

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

Prior to the year 1858,&nbsp;every town and parish in London fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.&nbsp;Identify the parish in which&nbsp;your ancestor lived or died.&nbsp;This enables you to&nbsp;learn which court[s] had jurisdiction over the parish so that you may then search for indexes and the actual probate records&nbsp;(i.e.&nbsp;wills)&nbsp;for those courts. Click on a link below&nbsp;for the letter the parish begins with. When you find the name of the parish, click the right-hand column[s] court links to&nbsp;obtain and&nbsp;search the original probate records of the pertinent probate court[s]:  

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This list does not include parishes&nbsp;in the county of&nbsp;Middlesex.&nbsp; For those parishes, go to [[Middlesex Probate Records|Middlesex Probate Records]].  

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

*Visit the[https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog Family History Library] or a [[Introduction to Family History Centers|family history center]] and obtain a copy of the record on microfilm. For more information, click on a court name below. <br>

The following courts had some probate jurisdiction over London before 1858.  

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

Probate records of the City of London commence from as early as 1374 up to&nbsp;1857.&nbsp;There are several&nbsp;probate court&nbsp;jurisdictions for&nbsp;the City of London, some of which hold extensive&nbsp;probate record coverage for the city&nbsp; and there are a few smaller court jurisdictions which only pertain to a small handful of parishes.  

In practice, most Londoners sent their wills to the [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury|Prerogative Court of Canterbury]] and the [[Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory)|Consistory Court of London]] from the mid 1700s to 1857.  

*[https://search.lma.gov.uk/rg_pdf_creator/index.php?research_guide=27 Wills for London, Middlesex and Surrey Before 1858] (London Metropolitan Archives Information&nbsp;Leaflet)