Essex Probate Records

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For a general explanation of probate records in England, click here.

Essex Probate Courts
The following probate courts had some jurisdiction over the county of Essex prior to 1858:


 * Court of the Archdeaconry of Essex
 * Court of the Archdeaconry of Colchester
 * Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of London (Essex & Hertfordshire Division)
 * Court of the Archdeacon of Middlesex (Essex & Hertfordshire Division)
 * Court of the Bishop of London
 * Court of the Peculiar of the Deanery of Bocking
 * Court of the Peculiar of Good Easter
 * Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster (Abbey)
 * Court of the Peculiar of Writtle with Roxwell
 * Court of the Peculiar of the Liberty of the Sokens
 * Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral
 * Court of the Peculiar of Havering-atte-Bower - records available
 * Prerogative Court of Canterbury

Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts in Essex
Probate records for the Court of the Commissary of the Bishop of London (Essex &amp; Hertfordshire division), the Court of the Archdeaconry of Colchester, Court of the Archdeacon of Essex, Court of the Archdeacon of Middlesex (Essex &amp; Hertfordshire division), Court of the Bishop of London, Court of the Peculiar of the Deanery of Bocking, Court of the Peculiar of the Sokens, and the Courts of the Peculiars of the Deanery of Good Easter, and Writtle with Roxwell are at the Essex Record Office.

Essex Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions
Here are links to an alphabetical list of Essex parishes containing a prioritized list of courts with jurisdiction over each. To see which courts to search for probates of persons living in or owning property in particular parish, click on the letter the parish name begins with.

Probate Indexes
Before looking for a will, you should search an index.

Printed Indexes
If the indexes on the Internet do not produce possible wills for your ancestors, look in the published indexes listed here.


 * The Essex County Record Office, under the direction of F.G. Emmison, compiled a complete surname index covering wills and administrations from all Essex County probate court jurisdictions listed above.

The links are to their listings in the Family History Library Catalog:

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 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.