Court of the Bishop of Canterbury

England Kent  Kent Probate Records

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 "Records" (below) to determine what probate records exist for this court. 3. Contact or visit the Hampshire 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. You can 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.

Online Indexes
Online indexes are available at the following three websites:

Online Indexes


 * The East Kent Archealogical Society has created online indexes to East Kent probate records from 1396-1858.
 * Wills have been created for the "names of...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. Currently it is a partial index to Surrey Wills.
 * British Origins has an index of over 500,000 entries for the Surrey and London region from 1470 to 1856 (a subscription website).

Printed and Published Indexes
The West Surrey Family History Society (Cliff Webb) has produced a significant number of indexes to County Surrey wills and other probate records. See their website for further details on their excellent publications.

Click for a list of printed indexes found in the Family History Library.

Archives Location
The records of the Court of the Bishop of Canterbury for 1396-1857 are found at:

Kent Archvies Service Sessions house County Hall Maidstone ME14 1XQ ENGLAND Tel. 01622 694363 Fax: 01622 694379 Email: [mailto:archives@kent.gov.uk archives@kent.gov.uk] Website: http://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/archives-and-local-history/archive-centres/centre-for-kentish-studies.htm

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


 * Act Books 1542-1858
 * Original Copy Wills 1538-1857
 * Register Copy Wills 1396-1857 (some missing years)
 * Accounts &amp; Inventories 1569-1604
 * Inventories 1396-1857
 * Testamentary Cause Papers 1595-1646
 * Index to Wills 1396-1857
 * Testamentary Bonds 1667-1672
 * Temporary Administrations (Admons) 1600-1678
 * Account Papers 1605-1690
 * Caveats 1627-1809
 * Renunciation Papers
 * Affidavits 1829-1857
 * Testamentary Bonds 1660-1857
 * Inventory Papers 1596-1748
 * Affidavits, depositions, interrogations, visitation books 1555-1857

Family History Library Records
The Family History Library has probate records (with indexes) on microfilm, microfiche and in print. Those available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City include copies and abstracts of the for 1484-1821.


 * (some missing years)
 * (some missing years)
 * (some missing years)

Jurisdiction
The Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Canterbury had primary jurisdiction over many parishes in the eastern part of Kent, from Maidstone eastward. The remaining eastern parishes were under the primary jurisdiction of the Archdeacon of Canterbury (who received his authority from the Bishop of Canterbury).

The Commissary-General of the Archbishop of Canterbury was the judge of the Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Canterbury. He exercised probate jurisdiction within the diocese of Canterbury, and he also exercised the Archbishop’s prerogative throughout the diocese. Therefore, records of probate that would have normally gone through the Archbishop's court, will be found in the records of the Court of the Bishop of Canterbury, particularly before 1759.

After 1837, this court also had jurisdiction over the Surrey parishes of Addington and Lambeth. See Surrey Probate Records.