Gloucestershire Probate Records

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

Return to the main Gloucestershire page.

Court Jurisdictions
Before 1858, every town and parish in Gloucestershire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and one or more secondary courts. To see a list of Gloucestershire parishes and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them, click on a letter link:

Post-1857 Probate Record
On 12 January 1858 a government system of registration for wills and administrations for England was introduced. Several district courts were established throughout the country, plus a principal registry located in London. The ease of finding probates under this system is a boon to family historians. The wills and administrations were filed either in the principal court, that had jurisdiction over the entire country, or in a district court that had jurisdiction over a local area.

The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service. To learn more, go to the HMCS website. Indexes and records for both courts are available on microfilm in the Family History Library. The catalog lists dates and film numbers. The films can be searched in the library, or searched locally by ordering through a family history center.

Calendars (Indexes) for both district and principal courts Principal Registry 1858-1925

District Probate Registries, 1858-1899

District Probate Registries, 1900-1925