.: Wills before 1858: PCC and Other Courts
.: How to Search
.: A list of Smaller Church Courts: archdeaconries, peculiars, the consistory and commissary courts
.: Estate Duty Indexes
.: Probate Inventories
.: Wills after 1858
.: Wills of individuals who died 2003-2004: Standing Searches
.: Details you will need to provide for searching the Calendars/Indexes
.: Prices for Research
.: Recommended Reading

Wills before 1858
   Smaller Courts (see below): prior to the 11th January 1858 a testator whose estate lay specifically within the area of an archdeaconry would probably have his/her Will proved in the Archdeacon's Court. If, however it was outside, but within the Bishop's diocese it might be proved in the Consistory Court or Commissary Court; these Wills can be found in County Archives where an Archdeaconry or Consistory Court exists. If you suspect that your ancestor who died in the 19th century left a Will, but do not know where why not commission a search in the Estate Duty Indexes?
    Larger Courts: sometimes an individual's estate was spread over one or more diocese, in which case his/her Will would be proved in either of the two Prerogative Courts of Canterbury or York.
    For an excellent guide to the boundaries of the Archdeaconries etc. consult The Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers."

How to Search
There are some indexes to the smaller courts, but most are Calendared i.e. arranged by Year so you need to have a very good idea of when and where your ancestor died otherwise your search may be expensive.
Wills at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) are available for consultation at Documents Online, each Will cost's £3.00 to download. If your ancestor had a common name and you do not know when he/she died you may find our general search more cost effective; it also covers Administrations.

A List of Smaller Church Courts (before 1858)
This list is a guide to the smaller Courts as described above. Wills within these jurisdictions can be difficult to find and the original records are often kept at County level; if you suspect your ancestor left a Will, but it is not in the index of PCC Wills, you may find it in one of these Courts depending on where they were living. If you are unsure about where they were living or the Will jursidiction, we suggest you ask for an Estate Duty Index (see below) search first.

Arranged in County Order
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Estate or Death Duty Indexes
Do you think that your ancestor left a Will but do not know in which Court? From 1796 - 1903 a tax was levied on some legacies and on estate residuals. These indexes will lead the researcher to the Court where the Will was eventually proved and the registers themselves will indicate what a person actually left and to whom rather than what the deceased intended to leave as is normally the case with Wills. The tax was also imposed on administrations and can be employed as a useful adjunct to those records.
This particular source is very much underused by family historians, but can provide vital linkage information where it is found wanting. The only downside is that some of the records are no longer extant.

Probate Inventories
From The National Archives: 'Up to 1782 it was obligatory for every executor or administrator to return into the registry of the court an inventory of the deceased's goods. After this date an inventory might be called for by an interested party, but it was no longer an automatic part of common form precedure. Only about 800 pre-1660 inventories have survived.'

The records themselves provide a fascinating glimpse into an individuals' life. Even though no account of real estate is taken per se, it is the detail on moveable goods and possessions that are always the most enlightening: furnishings, clothes, tools, plates and stock in trade etc.

Wills after 1858
After the 11th January 1858 the responsibility for Probate was transferred from the church courts to the Probate Division. All Wills and administrations since then are arranged yearly in alphabetical order of surname and can be consulted at the Probate Registry in High Holborn.
   Recent Wills of individuals who have died within the last two years may not yet be in the public domain due to legal processes, in which case you will require a Standing Search (see below).

Wills of individuals who died 2003-2004: Standing Searches
Standing searches are really 'open ended searches' whereby you make an Application for the Will of an individual recently deceased when that Will is not yet in the public domain; once you have made that Application, when the Will finally becomes public you will receive a copy.
We offer two types of standing searches, both last for the duration of six months and each can be renewed. For both you must have the full and accurate name of the deceased:
1. If you have the exact date of death and the full address of the individual.
2. If you have neither of the above, we can still search but at a different price.
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Details you will need to provide for searching the Wills and Probate Indexes/Calendars
The more information you provide the more successful your search is likely to be and also the more cost effective. Try and provide as much detail as possible, chief amongst the following are: Full and correct name, date of death (try and avoid wild approximations), place of event, subjects age, marital status.
E = Full and Correct Name
E = Date of Death
E = Parish or town (with address) where event took place (Please do not put 'England')
E = Individual's age at death
E = Marital Status
D = Spouses full name
D = Occupation
D = Children's names if known.
E = Essential     D = Desirable

How long will my research take?
This will vary depending on length and difficulty of project and size of investment, standard services range from seven Working days to six months for Standing Searches. A faster service can be negotiated, but you will need to take into consideration that large projects which require immediate attention and completion may need full time study and you will therefore be expected to pay the going rate.

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Recommended Reading:
Using Wills: PRO Pocket Guide to Family History
Wills and other Probate records: a Practical Guide to researching your ancestors' last documents
Probate Jurisdictions: where to look for Wills