Probate until 1858 was under the jurisdiction of a variety of ecclesiastical courts. These ranged from the Archdeacon's courts at the lowest level through the Bishops' Consistory courts up to the Prerogative Courts of York and Canterbury. There were also many "Peculiar" jurisdictions which operated usually at a similar level to the Archdeacons' courts. From 1858 onwards the process was transferred to a number of civil registries, a structure which has remained in place to the present day.
Probate indexes and transcripts are an important part of the Marsden Archive and efforts are being made to develop comprehensive indexes and to obtain abstracts of wills where possible. The indexes currently available are:
PT/CHS/01 Chester Wills 1545-1858 (with gaps)
PT/CHS/02 Transcripts and Abstracts of Chester Wills
PT/DBY/01 Derby Wills 1860-1922 (incomplete)
PT/ESS/01 Colchester Wills 1721-1858
PT/IRL/01 Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536-1810
PT/KEN/01 Wills at Canterbury 1396-1558, 1640-50
PT/LAN/01 Lancashire Wills Proved at Richmond 1457-1812 (see YKS/04)
PT/MIS/01 Index to Bank of England Wills 1805-6
PT/MIS/02 Miscellaneous Will Abstracts 1599-1774
PT/MIS/03 Index to Original Probate Documents Held
PT/MIS/04 Transcripts & Abstracts of Civil Probates 1858 onwards
PT/NFK/01 Norwich Archdeaconry Wills 1684/5
PT/PCC/01 Index to PCC Wills Various dates 1605-1840
PT/STS/01 Dean & Chapter of Lichfield 1832-1857 Index & abstracts
PT/STS/02 Lichfield Consistory Court Index & Abstracts
PT/WLS/01 Welsh Wills (various courts)
PT/YKS/01 Index to York Consistory Court Wills 1660-1713
PT/YKS/02 Index of North Riding Wills 1800-1884
PT/YKS/03 Index of Wills Proved at Masham 1572-1856
PT/YKS/04 Lancashire Wills Proved at Richmond 1457-1812
PT/YKS/05 Marsden Manorial Peculiar Index 1654 - 1855
PT/YKS/06 Index to Wakefield Wills 1853-60
PT/YKS/07 Index to York (PCY & Exchequer) Wills 1389-1857
PT/YKS/08 Transcripts and Abstracts of York (PCY & Exchequer) Wills
PT/YKS/09 Richmond Wills 1825-1858
PT/YKS/10 Index to Wills in the Deanery of Craven 1688-1850
[Revised 10 October 2002]