Court of the Archdeaconry of Surrey

Background
This court (which was part of the diocese of Winchester) had pre-1858 jurisdiction over the vast majority of the county of Surrey with just a few exceptions. The exceptions are listed in the Surrey probate jurisdiction tables.

The Archdeaconry court could not grant probate administrations and these had to be taken to the Commissary Court of the Bishop of Surrey or the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Original Records
The original records of the Court of the Archdeaconry of Surrey for 1480-1858 are found at:

The London Metropolitan Archives City of London, Guildhall, PO Box 270, London EC2P 2EJ UK Tel: (0)20 7606 3030 Email: pro@cityoflondon.gov.uk

The records include probate and administration act books, original wills and registered wills, as well as indexes.

Copies of Records
Probate records and indexes on microfilm, microfiche and in print are also available at some societies and libraries. Those available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City include copies and abstracts of the records for 1480-1821.

On the Internet
Online indexes are available at the following two websites:


 * Wills have been created for the "names of all people appearing in the wills of testators residing in the County of Surrey, England (and nine other Counties)." It is known as The Surrey Plus Wills Index.
 * British Origins has an index of over 500,000 inhabitants for the Surrey and London region from 1470 to 1856 (a pay-per-view site).
 * The National Archives has an online index to the Court of the Arches of London, Testamentary Records: Wills and inventories: Croydon and Shoreham [Deanery of Croydon] (and Shoreham) from 1614-1841:

Printed Indexes
Click here for a list of printed indexes found in the Family History Library Catalog.