Shropshire Probate Records

Return to Shropshire.

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

Court Jurisdictions

Before 1858, every town and parish in Shropshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary ecclesiastical court and several secondary ecclesiastical courts.  Search the courts in the order given.  Search indexes first.  To find indexes, click on a court name link.

Here is a list of Shropshire places beginning with A and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them.  For other places, click on a letter link: B-E, F-P, Q-Z. 

PLACES	PRIMARY COURT	SECONDARY COURTS - IN SEARCH ORDER
Abdon	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Acton Burnell	Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Acton Round	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Acton Scott	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Adderley	Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Alberbury	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Albrighton (near Shiffnal)	Court of the Royal Peculiar of St Mary Shrewsbury	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Albrighton (near Shrewsbury)	Court of the Royal Peculiar of St Mary Shrewsbury	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Alveley	Court of the Royal Peculiar of Bridgnorth	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ash	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ashford Bowdler	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Ashford Carbonell	Court of the Peculiar of the Chancellor of the Choir of the Cathedral in Little Hereford and Ashford Carbonell	2 - Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Epsicopal Consistory) 3- Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Astley	Court of the Royal Peculiar of St Mary Shrewsbury	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Astley Abbots	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aston Botterell	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Aston Eyre	Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory)	2 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Atcham	Court of the Bishop of Hereford (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 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.