Court of the Bishop of Carlisle (Episcopal Consistory)

England Cumberland Probate Records or Westmorland Probate Records

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

Description
Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The term probate refers to a collection of documents, including wills, administrations (also called admons), inventories, and codicils. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858. This article explains about probates for Cumberland and explains how to get started to search for a will.

Getting Started
Follow these steps to look for a probate record before 1858:

1. Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived. 2. Go to the Court Jurisdictions section below. 3. Click a letter or span of letters for your place. This opens a table showing places and the courts that had jurisdiction over them. 4. Follow the steps at the top of the table of jurisdictions to search for a will.

Indexes
Comprehensive indexes are available through the Cumbria Archive Servicesin the Carlisle and the Kendal offices. The indexes cover from 1617 to 1941, listing the year of probate and the residence of the deceased. This is extraordinarily helpful in distinguishing between many individuals of the same name.

The Family History Library has indexes, 1563-1858, on film. Some indexes are on films containing wills, administrations and inventories.

Archive Location
The original records are deposited at the Carlisle Record Office (part of the Cumbria Archive Service). The Cumbria Archives Service provides a research service for a fee.

Archive Records

 * Original wills, administrations, and inventories, 1558-1644, 1661-1858
 * Register copy wills, 1727-1858
 * Act books, 1661-1858

Family History Library Records
The Family History Library has film copies of these records. Films can be viewed in the library or in a family history center.

Jurisdiction
This court covered the northern part of Westmorland and all of Cumberland expect the Deanery of Copeland in the southwest of the county (see the Court of the Archdeaconry of Richmond Western Deaneries - Copeland).