Court of the Bishop of Chester (Episcopal Consistory)

Return to the Lancashire Probate Records page.

Location of These Probate Records
Cheshire and Chester Archives and Local Studies Service

Cheshire Record Office

Duke Street

Chester

Cheshire CH1 1RL

United Kingdom

Phone : 44 (0)1244 972574

Fax : 44 (0)1244 973812

E-mail: recordoffice@cheshire.gov.uk

Opening hours Monday 1.00pm - 5.00pm Tuesday 9.00am - 5.00pm Wednesday 9.00am – 5.00pm Thursday 9.00am - 5.00pm Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm 3rd Saturday in the month 9.00am – 4.00pm

(Please note we are closed Monday am)

In 2009, we will be open on the following Saturdays: 17 January 21 February 21 March 18 April 16 May 20 June 18 July 15 August 19 September 17 October 21 November 19 December

Historical Background
Return to the Cheshire Probate Records page.

The whole of the county of Lancashire lay in the Diocese of Chester. The Court of the Bishop of Chester (Episcopal Consistory) held jurisdiction over all parishes in the county.

When a search of this courts’ probate records fails to provide the desired probate record, be sure to search the Prerogative Court of the Exchequer of the Archbishop of York as well.

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 then to the "Probate Records of This Court" section (see below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court.

3. Contact or visit the Lancashire Record Office to 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.

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 near you for searching the wills). The information obtained from the index[es] will help you more quickly search the wills and admons which can also be circulated on microfilm via any family history.

Probate Indexes
Surviving wills and admons to the Court of the Bishop of Chester (Episcopal Consistory) probate records have to some extent been indexed with the following ones:

Online Indexes
An online index is available covering nearly 250,000 wills for this court at no cost. It contains the names of the deceased as well the placename at time of the will or admon probate action. However, to find the will or admon on microfilm requires a dedicated search through the whole microfilm of wills as there's no page or folio numbers cited in the above index to lead the researcher directly to the will, quickly. The microfilms (of wills and admons) contain no index beyond the mere alphabetical arrangement by the first letter of the surname.

Printed and Published Indexes
Original will indexes 1545-1858 are available in print by both the Lancashire &amp; Cheshire Record Society and the Chetham Society. These two voluminous series containing numerous records for both Lancashire and Cheshire counties, contain helpful indexes to most of the wills and administrations for this major probate court jurisdiction for Lancashire. These volume series are often available at many major archives in the United Kingdom such as at the British Library, and Guildhall Library, London, and other like institutions. The Family History Library likewise has most all of these volumed indexes in these series available on microfilm (the last three volumes below are available in book form only) as follows:

The Lancashire &amp; Cheshire Record Society--
Volume 2: 1545-1620 - on FHL film #823501; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 2

Volume 4: 1621-1650 - on FHL film #823502; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 4

Volume 15: 1660-1680 - on FHL film #82354; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 15

Volume 18: 1681-1700 - on FHL film #823505; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 18

Volume 20: 1701-1720 - on FHL film #823505; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 20

Volume 22: 1721-1740 - on FHL film #823506; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 22

Volume 25: 1741-1760 - on FHL film #823506; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 25

Volume 37: 1761-1780 (A-M) - on FHL film #823509; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 37

Volume 38: 1761-1780 (N-Z) - on FHL film #823509; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 38

Volume 44: 1781-1790 - on FHL film #823511; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 44

Volume 45: 1791-1800 - on FHL film #823511; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 45

Volume 62: 1801-1810 (A-L) - on FHL film #823515; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 62

Volume 63: 1801-1810 (M-Z) - on FHL film #823515; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 63

Volume 78: 1811-1820 (A-L) - on FHL film #823519; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 78

Volume 79: 1811-1820 (M-Z) - on FHL film #823519; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v.79

Volume 107: 1821-1825 - on FHL film #823525; also FHL book call #942.7 B4Lc v. 107

Volume 113: 1826-1830 - in FHL book call no. 942.7 B4Lc v. 113 only

Volume 118: 1831-1833 - in FHL book call no. 942.7 B4Lc v. 118 only

Volume 120: 1834-1837 - in FHL book call no. 942.7 B4Lc v. 120 only

Also:

Volume 2: Index of Enrollment Book Wills 1512-1635

Volume 4: Wills and Administrations for Lancashire and Cheshire during Interrugnum, 1650-1660

Volume 30: Abstracts of Wills not found in any Probate Registry 1301-1752

Volume 33: Probates formerly found in diocesan office registry, 1487-1620

Volume 43: Probates formerly found in diocesan office registry, 1621-1700

Volume 52: Probates formerly found in diocesan office registry, 1701-1800

Volume 52: Infra (Inferior court) Wills 1590-1665

Volume 63: Wills and Administrations (Admons) for the years 1670 and 1693

The Chetham Society--
Volume 37: Lancashire and Cheshire wills and inventories, 1563 to 1807, now preserved at Chester

Volume 3: Lancashire and Cheshire wills and inventories at Chester : with an appendix of abstracts of wills now lost or destroyed

Volume 33: List of Miscellaneous wills 1487-1800

Volume 51: List of Miscellaneous wills 1487-1800

Volume 54: List of Miscellaneous wills 1487-1800

Original Handwritten Indexes
Alphabetical Indexes to Supra wills 1816-1858 and Infra wills from 1819-1858.

Microfilmed Indexes at the Family History Library
The indexes as listed in the above are also available covering the years 1310-1858 at The Family History Library and they are on microfilm and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers worldwide.

The following volumes of the Lancashire & Cheshire Record Society are printed indexes available via the Family History Library and it's satellite family history centers worldwide:

Volume 2: 1545-1620 - on FHL film #823501 Volume 4: 1621-1650 - on FHL film #823502 Volume 15: 1660-1680 - on FHL film #82354 Volume 18: 1681-1700 - on FHL film #823505

Volume 20: 1701-1720 - on FHL film #823505

Volume 22: 1721-1740 - on FHL film #823506

Volume 25: 1741-1760 - on FHL film #823506

Volume 37: 1761-1780 (A-M) - on FHL film #823509

Volume 38: 1761-1780 (N-Z) - on FHL film #823509

Volume 44: 1781-1790 - on FHL film #823511

Volume 45: 1791-1800 - on FHL film #823511

Volume 62: 1801-1810 (A-L) - on FHL film #823515

Volume 63: 1801-1810 (M-Z) - on FHL film #823515

Volume 78: 1811-1820 (A-L) - on FHL film #823519

Volume 79: 1811-1820 (M-Z) - on FHL film #823519

Volume 107: 1821-1825 - on FHL film #823525

For the years 1826-1837, see the above volumes 113, 118, & 120 in FHL book call no. 942.7 B4Lc vols. 113, 118 and 120 (book only)

== Searching for probates in these two courts (Infra court wills and Supra court wills.) ==

SUPRA ORIGINAL AND REGISTERED WILLS 1815-1858

INFRA AND SUPRA WILLS (MIXED) 1821-1827

INFRA WILLS 1693; 1819-1858

SUPRA ORIGINAL WILLS 1558-1837

SUPRA REGISTERED WILLS 1838-1858 (WITH CHESHIRE WILLS)

INFRA ORIGINAL WILLS 1590-1858

MISCELLANEOUS INFRA WILLS 1791-1855

MISCELLANEOUS SUPRA WILLS 1696-1839

WILLS &amp; RELATED DOCUMENTS USED IN LANCASHIRE TESTAMENTARY SUITS 1541-1800

LIMITED ADMONS (ADMINISTRATIONS) 1824-1857

ACT BOOKS - SUPRA 1596-1858

ACT BOOKS INFRA 1660-1858

PROBATE AND ADMON ACTS 1582-1592

ACCOUNT BOOKS 1701-1826

CAVEATS 1587-1602

ABSTRACTS OF DEEDS, WILLS, ETC. 1500-1800

Strategies, Tips, Other?
See the above Indexes or those available through the Family History Library or its many family history centers worldwide for indexes to this court.

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