London Probate Records
For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.
London Probate Courts[edit | edit source]
Some Explanatory Notes on the London Court[edit | edit source]
London Parishes and Their Court Jurisdictions[edit | edit source]
Here is a list of London parishes beginning with letter A and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them. For parishes beginning with B-G, H-R or S-Z, click on the letter links.
| PARISH | PRIMARY COURT | SECONDARY COURTS - IN SEARCH ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| All Hallows Barking | Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of London (London Division) | 2 - Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory)
3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| All Hallows Bread Street with St John the Evangelist |
Court of the Peculiar Jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Deaneries of the Arches, Croydon and Shoreham;
|
2 - Court of the Royal Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul 3 - Court of the Royal Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster 4 - Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory) 5 - Court of the Royal Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster 1541-1550 6 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| All Hallows Staining | Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of London (London Division) | 2 - Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory)
3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| All Hallows the Great and All Hallows the Less | Court of the Archdeaconry of London | 2 - Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory)
3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| All Hallows, Lombard Street | Court of the Peculiar Jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Deaneries of the Arches, Croydon and Shoreham |
2 - Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory) 3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| All Hallows, London Wall | Court of the Archdeaconry of London | 2 - Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory)
3 - Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury |
Post-1857 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 the Principal Registry and the District Registries for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.