Court of the Peculiar of Biggleswade

England Bedfordshire  Bedfordshire Probate Records

Decription
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 act books. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858. This article explains about probates and how to get started to search for a will.

Beginning in 1858, authority over probate matters was taken from ecclesiastical courts and put under the civil authority of the Principal Probate Registry.

Step by Step
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 Held in This Archive" (below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court. Also see "Probate Records of This Court in The Family History Library". 3. Contact or visit the Bedford County 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.

Indexes
The original records may include indexes. Index 1712-1858 are known to be published. [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&amp;titleno=334619&amp;disp=Probate+records%20%20&amp;columns=*,0,0

List of Archives
Bedfordshire &amp; Luton Archives &amp; Records Service (BLARS) County Hall Cauldwell Street BEDFORD MK42 9AP Telephone:- U.K. 01234 228833/228777 Overseas +44 1234 228833/228777 Fax:- U.K. 01234 228854 Overseas +44 1234 228854 E-mail address:- archive@bedscc.gov.uk



Records
Probate records exist 1540-1858 with index 1712-1858 through the Bedford Record Office and the Family History Library and Family History Centers

A Collection of manuscripts relating to Biggleswade and district, Bedfordshire Contents: Rental agreements, title abstracts, portions of wills and estate settlements, indentures, transcripts of court testimonies and legal notes dating from the mid 18th to late 19th centuries. http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&amp;titleno=230871&amp;disp=A+Collection+of+manuscripts+relating+to+%20%20&amp;columns=*,0,0

Jurisdiction
This court, also called the Prebendal Court of Biggleswade (a prebend of the Cathedral of Lincoln), had jurisdiction over the parish of Biggleswade only.