Cambridgeshire Probate Records
For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.
Cambridgeshire Probate Courts[edit | edit source]
Here is a list of the courts that had some probate jurisdiction over the parishes of Cambridgeshire:
- Court of the Archdeaconry of Ely (Diocese of Ely)
- Court of the Archdeaconry of Norfolk (Diocese of Norwich)
- Court of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury (Diocese of Norwich)
- Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory)
- Court of the Bishop of Norwich (Episcopal Consistory)
- Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of London (Essex and Hertfordshire Division)
- Prerogative Court of the Archibishop of Canterbury
Some Explanatory Notes on the Cambridgeshire Courts[edit | edit source]
Court Jurisdictions[edit | edit source]
Before 1858, probate of the estates of deceased persons was handled by eccelesiastical courts of the Church of England. Every parish was under the jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts.
Below is a list of Cambridgeshire towns and parishes beginning with the letter A and the pre-1858 courts that had jurisdiction over them. For other places, click on the link for the letter a parish name begins with: B, C, D-G, H-L, M-R, S-Z.
| PARISH | PRIMARY COURT | SECONDARY COURTS - IN SEARCH ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| Abington Pigotts | Court of the Archdeaconry of Ely | 2 - Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory)
3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Abington, Great | Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory) | 2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Abington, Little | Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory) | 2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Arrington | Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory) | 2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Ashley with Silverley | Court of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury | 2 - Pre-1837: Court of the Consistory of Norwich
2 - Post-1836: Court of the Bishop of Ely (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
Post-1858 Probate Records[edit | edit source]
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 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.