Gloucestershire Probate Records
For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.
Getting Started
Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his/her heirs.
In order to find a probate record for your ancestor, you must answer two questions:
- When did your ancestor die?
- Where did your ancestor live or own property?
A key date is 1858, when probate authority was taken from the ecclesiatical courts of the Church of England and given to the civil government.
- If your ancestor died before 1858, his/her probate would have been proven by an ecclesiatical court and it is important to know where he/she lived, as that will determine which courts had jurisdiction.
- If you know where your ancestor lived before 1858, you should go to the Court Jurisdictions section below to determine what courts had jurisdiction over your ancestor's place of residence.
- Beginning in 1858, probate authority was vested in the Principal Probate Registry system. For more information, scroll to the Post-1857 Probate Records section at the bottom of the page.
Once you have answered the two questions and determined the courts, look for indexes. Indexes will be found on the individual court pages (when you click on a court name) or in the Probate Indexes section below.
Gloucestershire Probate Courts
The following courts had some probate jurisdiction over Gloucestershire before 1858.
- Court of the Bishop of Hereford, pre-1541
- Court of the Bishop of Gloucester (Episcopal Consistory)
- Court of the Bishop of Bristol (Episcopal Consistory)
- Court of the Peculiar of Bibury
- Court of the Peculiar of Child's Wickham
- Court of the Peculiar of Withington
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 Archbishop's court.
Appeals Courts
Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:
Some Explanatory Notes on the Probate Courts
Most of the county was under the jurisdiction of the Court of the Bishop of Gloucester (Episcopal Consistory). Part of the western side was under the jurisdication of the Bishop of Hereford before 1541.
Court Jurisdictions
Before 1858, every town and parish in Gloucestershire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and one or more secondary courts. To see a list of Gloucestershire parishes and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click on a letter link:
| A | B | C-F | G-L | M-R | S-T | U-Z |
Indexes
Internet
The Gloucestershire Archives/Record Office has a genealogical database that includes an online index to all known wills proven in the county between 1541 and 1858
A database of Bristol Wills Indices 1781-1858 is available online.
Early Gloucestershire Probate Records transcribed by Leslie Mahler are available for select parishes in the Bristol and Gloucester dioceses.
http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/index.php
29 probate documents listed under Gloucestershire from this website
Microfilm or Printed
The Family History Library has copies of original probates and indexes on microfilm and in print.
Estate Duty Records
Starting in 1796, a tax or death duty was payable on estates over a certain value. Estate duty abstracts may add considerable information not found elsewhere. Between 1813-1858 estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to Estate Duty Records.
Post-1857 Probate Record
On 12 January 1858 a government system of registration for wills and administrations for England was introduced. Several district courts were established throughout the country, plus a principal registry located in London. The ease of finding probates under this system is a boon to family historians. The wills and administrations were filed either in the principal court, that had jurisdiction over the entire country, or in a district court that had jurisdiction over a local area.
The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service. To learn more, go to the HMCS website. Indexes and records for both courts are available on microfilm in the Family History Library. The catalog lists dates and film numbers. The films can be searched in the library, or searched locally by ordering through a family history center.
Calendars (Indexes) for both district and principal courts