Cheshire Probate Records

England &gt; Cheshire

For an expanation of probate records in England, click here.

Court Jurisdictions
Before 1858, all of Cheshire was under the primary probate jurisdiction of the Court of the Bishop of Cheshire. Secondary courts are also listed in the table below. When looking for the will of an ancestor in Cheshire, search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. For an online index to Cheshire wills, click here.

Probate Indexes Online 1492-1940
Before looking for a will, you should search an index.

http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Recordoffice/Wills/

The index covers the years 1492 - 1940 and contains 130,000 entries. It covers probate documents proved at Chester mainly for Cheshire residents.

Post-1857 Probate Records
Beginning in 1858, the government took over the settlement of estates and all wills are now probated through the Principal Probate Registry system. The system consists of 11 district registry offices and 18 sub-district registries, located throughout England and Wales, and the principal registry office located in London. The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service. To learn more, go to the HMCS website.

A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The indexes for 1858-1957 and the records for the Principal Registry and the District Registries for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.