Court of the Bishop of Chester (Episcopal Consistory)

Return to the Lancashire Probate Records page.

Location of These Probate Records
The Lancashire Record Office

Lancashire Record Office Bow Lane PRESTON Lancashire PR1 2RE UK

Tel: +44(0)1772 533039 Fax: +44(0) 1772 533050 Email: record.office@ed.lancscc.gov.uk Website

Website is available:

Opening Times:&amp;nbsp;Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9.30am - 4.45pm&lt;br&gt;Tuesday and Thursday 9.30am - 7.30pm

Saturday openings:&amp;nbsp;9.30am - 4.45pm

2009:

January 10&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; May 9&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; September 12 &lt;br&gt;January 24&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; June&amp;nbsp;13&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; September 26

February 14&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; June 27&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; October 10 &lt;br&gt;February 28&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; July 11&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; October 24&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;March 14&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; July 25&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; November 28 &lt;br&gt;March 28&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; August 8&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;December 12 &lt;br&gt;April 25&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;August 22&amp;nbsp;

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Historical Background
Return to the Middlesex Probate Records page.

The Archdeaconry Court&amp;nbsp;of Middlesex had jurisdiction over 28 parishes&amp;nbsp;in both the Middlesex and the City of London portions of the metropolis. When a search of this courts’ probate records fails to provide the desired probate record, be sure to search the Consistory Court of the Bishop of London as well.

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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.&lt;br&gt;2. Proceed then&amp;nbsp;to the "Probate Records of This Court" section (see below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court.&lt;br&gt;3. Contact or visit The London Metropolitan Archives and Library,&amp;nbsp;or,&amp;nbsp;hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf, citing information obtained from the index[es]. Officials may send upon request a list of record searchers.&lt;br&gt;4. You can also 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&amp;nbsp;near you for searching the wills). The information obtained from the index[es] will help you&amp;nbsp; more quickly search the&amp;nbsp;wills and admons which can also&amp;nbsp;be circulated on microfilm via any&amp;nbsp;family history .&lt;br&gt;

Probate Indexes
The&amp;nbsp;Archdeaconry&amp;nbsp;Court of&amp;nbsp;Middlesex probate records have to some extent been&amp;nbsp;indexed&amp;nbsp;with the following ones:&lt;br&gt;

Printed and Published Indexes

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

Original Handwritten Indexes
Court probate inventories, 1662-1747 with surnames alpha-arranged

Probate and administration act book, 1667-1675

Calender of Probate &amp;amp; Administrations acts, vols. 1-16, 1660-1810

Microfilmed Indexes at the Family History Library&lt;br&gt;
The indexes as listed in the above are also available&amp;nbsp;covering the years 1662-1810&amp;nbsp;at The Family History Library and they are on microfilm&amp;nbsp;and may be circulated&amp;nbsp;to each of its satellite Family History Centers&amp;nbsp;worldwide.

== Searching for probates in this court. ==

ORIGINAL WILLS

1608-1794, 1799-1800, 1810

REGISTERED COPY WILLS

1664-1779

PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION ACT BOOKS

1660-1794, 1799, 1810

ADMINISTRATION&amp;nbsp;BONDS

1667-1741 (with gaps)

INVENTORIES

1669-1737 (with gaps)

RENUNCIATIONS

1664-1775 (with gaps)

WARRANTS

1668-1775 (with gaps)

CAVEATS

1705-1812

ASSIGNATION BOOKS

1743-1788

ACTS, EXHIBITS, &amp;amp; OTHER PAPERS

1670-1810

Strategies, Tips, Other?
See the above&amp;nbsp;Indexes or those available through the Family History Library or its&amp;nbsp;many family history centers worldwide for an index to this court.

&lt;br&gt;To view a list of parishes and their&amp;nbsp;respective probate court jurisdiction, see the "Middlesex Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions" on the main page for Middlesex&amp;nbsp;Probate Records.