Buckinghamshire Probate Records

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

Buckinghamshire Probate Courts

The following courts had some jurisdiction over Buckinghamshire before 1858:

Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory) -- Archdeaconry of Buckingham
Court of the Bishop of London (Episcopal Consistory) -- Archdeaconry of St. Albans
Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford (Episcopal Consistory)
Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln
Court of the Peculiar of Aylesbury
Court of the Peculiar of the Provost of Eton
Court of the Peculiar of Buckingham
Court of the Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury

In addition, the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury had jurisdiction over the whole of England. Wealthier individuals, people who owned property in more than one county or lower court's jurisdiction, and naval personnel often had their estates proven through the Archibishop's court.

Appeals Courts

Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could go to these high appeals courts:

Some Explanatory Notes About Buckinghamshire Probate Courts

Court Jurisdictions

Before 1858, every town and parish in Buckinghamshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. If you are looking for the probate or will of an ancestor in Buckinghamshire, look for the name of the parish in which your ancestor lived or owned property. Search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. To see a list of indexes, click on a court name.

Below is a list of Buckinghamshire parishes beginning with the letter A, and the pre-1858 courts that had jurisdiction over them. See also places beginning with: B-C, D-G, H-J, K-P, Q-T, U-Z.

PARISH	PRIMARY COURT	SECONDARY COURTS - IN SEARCH ORDER
Addington	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Adstock	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Akeley	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Amersham with Coleshill	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Ashendon	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Aston Abbots	Court of the Archdeaconry of St Albans	2 - Court of the Bishop of London
Aston Clinton	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Aston Clinton St Leonard	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Aston Sandford	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Astwood	Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	2 - Pre-1845: Court of the Bishop of Lincoln; Post-1844: Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford
Aylesbury	Pre-1846 - Court of the Peculiar of Aylesbury; Post-1845 - Court of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham	Pre-1846: 2 - Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln 3 - Court of the Bishop of Lincoln Post-1845: 2 - Courts of the Bishop and Archdeaconry of Oxford

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 the Principal Registry and the District Registries for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.