Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Chichester for the Archdeaconry of Chichester

England Kent Probate Records, Sussex Probate Records

Getting Started
1. Search each index (see below). If you find a reference to a probate record, write down all details cited in the index entry. 2. Proceed to "Records" (below) to determine what probate records exist for this court and how to obtain them.

Printed and Published Indexes
The following indexes have been published and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City:


 * Calendar of wills in the Consistory court of the Bishop of Chichester, 1482-1800 (British Record Society publication, volume 49)
 * Calendar of administrations in the Consistory court of the Bishop of Chichester, 1555-1800, etc.

Archive Location
Original records of this court are deposited at:

West Sussex Record Office 3 Orchard Street Chichester West Sussex PO19 1DD United Kingdom

Tel: 01243 753602 Fax: 01243 533959 e-mail: [mailto:records.office@westsussex.gov.uk records.office@westsussex.gov.uk] If you are unable to visit in person, the record office provides a research service for a fee.

Original Records
These include:


 * Original wills 1502-1652, 1660-1857
 * Registered wills 1479-1653, 1660-1858
 * Inventories 1560-1653, 1662-1809, 1834
 * Probate and administration act books &amp; diaries 1556-1653, 1665-1858
 * Citations &amp; caveats 1631-1642, 1660-1683, 1726-1805
 * Administration bonds 1605-1858
 * Renunciations 1550-1850
 * Probate accounts 1579-1700

Family History Library Records
Microfilm copies of the following records are available at the Family History Library or through one of its 4,500+ satellite family history centers worldwide.


 * Bishop of Chichester. Consistory Court (Archdeaconry of Chichester) Wills and administrations, 1511-1865 Indexes 1511-1857.

Jurisdiction
This court had jurisdiction over the western portion of the county of Sussex, with the line between West and East Sussex running from the mouth of the River Adur in the south roughly north and ending between the parishes of Rusper and Ifield on the north.

Appeals Courts
Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:


 * Court of Arches
 * High Court of Delegates

The Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury also served as an appeals court.

Estate Duty Records
Starting in 1796, a tax or death duty was payable on estates over a certain value. Estate duty abstracts may add considerable information not found elsewhere. Estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to Estate Duty Records.