Royal Peculiar Court of St Katherine's by Tower

[Return to the Middlesex Probate Records page.]

Aldermanbury
London EC2V 7HH

Tel 020 7332 1862 / 020 7332 1863

Textphone 020 7332 3803 Email [mailto:manuscripts.guildhall@cityoflondon.gov.uk manuscripts.guildhall@cityoflondon.gov.uk]

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Website: http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ =====

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 Principal Probate Registry 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 this probate court's 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 family history centers near you.

Historical Background
London has a small peculiar jurisdiction granted to an important church within diocese of London which claimed immunity from the bishop’s jurisdiction. Called a Royal Peculiar, St Katherine's by The Tower [of London] claimed exemption from all jurisdictions except that of the sovereign. It lies immediately east of the City of London but is considered to be in the county of Middlesex, even with its close proximty to the City proper.

Probate records of the Royal Peculiar Court St Katherine's by the Tower held jurisdiction over its own premises, including St Katherine's Hospital.

Records of these probates--includes original as well as registered wills. These records date from as early as 1698.

Probate Indexes
Several of London and Middlesex probate jurisdictions are&amp;nbsp;well-covered with&amp;nbsp;indexes; look in this section in each court jurisdiction to find valuable indexes to London's probate records.

Online indexes

 * A comprehensive&amp;nbsp;will and admon index for nine London and Middlesex's probate jurisdictions--including the Royal Peculair of St Katherine's by The Tower is found in Dr. David Wright's will index for 1750-1857 on CDs&amp;nbsp;for sale&amp;nbsp;for surnames A-F; enquire with him for costs to do lookups for surnames beginning with G-Z at a set fee.

Original Handwritten Indexes
Calendars to the Probate Acts of Wills and Administrations (Admons) exist from 1698-1804. Calendars are a kind of index (of the first letter of each surname) to the probate records and admons (administrations).&amp;nbsp;

In addition to the calendars, a majority of the original (unregistered) wills and the registered wills are alphabetically arranged for but a few courts; most are only arranged chronologically, making will searches without indexes, fairly complex and challenging at best&amp;nbsp;and are likewise organized on the microfilmed probates for these courts at the Family History Library.&amp;nbsp;

Microfilmed Indexes at the Family History Library&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;
The Family History Library has many will and admon (Administration) indexes and calendars which&amp;nbsp;are available on microfilm at the Family History Library covering the years as above mentioned 1698-1804 and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers (see Court of the Archdeaconry of Essex), or go to this Family History Library Catalog page

Searching for probates in this court
WILLS 1729-1800

CALENDARS 1698-1803

POWERS OF ATTORNEY &amp; ORIGINAL WILLS 1690-1710

BOOK IN TESTAMENTARY CAUSES 1583-1584

Strategies, Tips, Other?
There are some indexes for this court. See the above general countywide indexes online (see "online Indexes) and possible other indexes available.

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