Court of Husting

Return to the Middlesex Probate Records page.

Location of These Probate Records
Corporation of London Record Office

Guildhall

Aldermanbury

London EC2P 2EJ 

Tel: 0171 332 1863

Fax: 0171 600 3384

'''Opening Times: Mon-Sat. 9:30am-4:45pm'''

Website: For help in the original records of this court contact The Guildhall Library.

Historical Background
Probate records of the Court of Husting are among the earliest for the metropolis commencing from as early as 1258-1688. This court held jurisdiction for the City (of London) parishes and liberties (Inns of courts of the city).

Starting Your Search in Indexes
1. First search each index (see below) to help you more quickly find the will, 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 Guildhall Library, 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 (see the Family History Library's cataloged entries providing the microfilms so you can have them circulated to the center near you for searching the wills). The information obtained from the index[es] will help you more quickly search the wills and admons which can also be circulated on microfilm via any family history.

Probate Indexes
The Court of Husting wills have been indexed according to the following:

Online indexes
A comprehensive will index for this probate court covers the gamut or range of years in which this court operated. They are found at the following two British-History Online web-pages at no cost:


 * 1258-1315


 * 1316-1688

Printed and Published Indexes
Available at the Coporation of London Records Office, Guildhall, are printed indices to these court records, "Calendar of Wills Proved and Enrolled in the Court of Husting, London".

Also:


 * A comprehensive will and admon index to most of London's (including Greater L.) probate courts for the years covering 1750-1858, is Dr David Wright's London Probate Index on CD and is on sale. He will perform "lookups" in his indexes for you for surnames covering from G-Z at a set fee.

Original Handwritten Indexes
Calendars to this Probate court exist covering acts of Wills and Administrations (Admons) exist from 1368-1786. Calendars are a kind of index (of the first letter of each surname) to the probate records and admons (administrations).

In addition to the calendars, a majority of the original (unregistered) wills and the registered wills are alphabetically arranged at The Guildhall Library and are likewise organized on the microfilmed probates for this court at the Family History Library. Visit The Guildhall Library or the Family History Library Catalog under Middlesex, England to determine availability of records.

Microfilmed Indexes at the Family History Library
Indexes and claendars to teh Court of Husting wills are available on microfilm at the Family History Library covering the years 1258-1688 and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers (see Court of Husting listed under "London - Probate Records", or go to this Family History Library Catalog page.

== Searching for probates in this court. ==

CALENDAR WILLS AND ADMINISTRATIONS (ADMONS) 1368-1781

ORIGINAL WILLS

1524-1718

REGISTERED WILLS

1368-1807

PROBATE &amp; ADMON ACTS

1563-1790

EXAMINATION &amp; DEPOSITION BOOKS

1632-1692

"INSTANCE" BOOK 1636-1648

ASSIGNATION BOOKS

1635-1781

CAVEAT BOOKS (mainly testamentary)

1675-1821

Strategies, Tips, Other?
See the above general countywide index online (see "online Indexes) or those available through the Family History Library's (see "Printed Indexes) many family history centers worldwide for an index to this court.

To view a list of parishes and their respective probate court jurisdiction, see the "Middlesex and Their Probate Jurisdictions" on the main page for Middlesex Probate Records.