Court of the Chancellor of the University of Oxford

England Oxfordshire Probate Records, Berkshire Probate Records

Step By Step
1. First search each index (see below) to help you more quickly find the will or administration (admon), writing down each detail cited in the indexed entry. 2. Proceed to the "Probate Records of This Court" (below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court. 3. Contact or visit the Oxfordshire Record Office or, hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf. Officials may send upon request a list of record searchers. 4. Visit The Family History Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite family history centers worldwide and search indexes to probate records; then with the information obtained from the index[es] you can search more quickly the original wills and admons also on microfilm via any centers near you.

Online Index
Here is a partial index to Oxfordshire wills from 1550-1590 online.

Printed Indexes

 * The Oxfordshire Record Society has published a probate index covering the years 1547-1856 (Swalcliffe probates may not go as late as this time period), entitled Index to the probate records of the courts of the bishop and archdeacon of Oxford, 1733-1857, c1997 (see the heading below, "Indexes in The Family History Library")
 * Peculiar Court of Banbury and Cropredy. A list of names extracted from 312 wills proved in the years 1796-1857 inclusive (and 26 wills proved in the Manorial Court of Sibford in the years 1786-1829). The main list, comprising over 3,000 names, is arranged in alphabetic sequence. The list of testators is presented in reference number sequence and shows, for each testator, the Oxfordshire Record Office reference, the date of the will, the date the will was proved and the name and location of the testator. The area of jurisdiction of the Peculiar Court of Banbury and Cropredy includes the Oxfordshire parishes of Banbury, Cropredy (including Great and Little Bourton, Claydon, Mollington and Wardington), and Horley (with Hornton), the Northamptonshire parish of Kings Sutton, and Grimsbury (in Banbury parish but in Northamptonshire). The Manorial Court of Sibford had jurisdiction in the hamlets of Sibford Gower and Sibford Ferris, both within the Oxfordshire parish of Swalcliffe. Contents: v. 1. Persons named in wills proved 1736-1785 -- v. 2. Persons named in wills proved 1786-1857.

Indexes at The Family History Library

 * Index to the probate records of the courts of the bishop and archdeacon of Oxford, 1733-1857
 * Index to the Wills &amp; Administrations of the Peculiar Courts 1550-1858 The records of this court may not provide information as late of 1858.
 * Peculiar Court of Banbury and Cropredy (see second bullit above for more details)

The Records
The original records are deposited at:

Oxfordshire Record Office

St Luke's Church

Temple Road

Cowley

Oxford OX4 2HT.

ENGLAND

Tel: 44 (0)1865 398200 Fax: 44 (0)1865 398201

E-mail: [mailto:archives@oxfordshire.gov.uk archives@oxfordshire.gov.uk]

Website

Probate Records of This Court Held in This Archive
The records held there include:


 * Original &amp; Register Copy Wills 1436-1814
 * Inventories 1443-1740
 * Accounts 1453-1719

Probate Records of This Court In The Family History Library
Some records have been microfilmed and made available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and through its satellite family history centers. They include:

Wills 1577-1747

Inventories 1577-1747

Administrations 1577-1747

Depositions, 1567-1578

Jurisdiction
The Court of the Chancellor of the University of Oxford had jurisdiction over matriculated persons with bona notabilia within the precincts of the University.