PROBATE SOURCES

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/NFK/01 Norwich Archdeaconry Wills 1684/5

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/06 Index to Wakefield Wills 1853-60

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