Hello List With regard to Wills or more precisely Probate there is one very important date and that is 12 Jan 1858. Before this date Probate was granted by Ecclesiastical Courts (see the message from Mary below) but after this date Probate was granted by the Principal Probate Registry in London or one of the District Probate Registries scattered throughout England and Wales (Scotland is different). The 1858 date refers to the Granting of Probate and this can be many years after the date of death - I have one in my family which was twenty five years after the death. Mike Shropshire, UK _________________________________________________- On 16/03/2011 07:31, Mary Littlejohn wrote: > Jenny, > > I found this on the UK National Archives page. Maybe it will shed some > light on the subject for you: > > > There were three main factors determining in which court a will would be > proved: > > - Where the person died > - The value of the goods > - How these goods were distributed geographically > > If the property was... The will was proved in the... Within one > archdeaconry Archdeacon's court In more than one archdeaconry but all in the > same diocese<https://mail.google.com/documentsonline/help/glossary.asp#D> > Bishop's > court (Consistory/Commissary > court)<https://mail.google.com/documentsonline/help/glossary.asp#C> In > more than one diocese Archbishop's prerogative court If the goods were > valued at more than £5 (or £10 within London), in more than one > diocese Archbishop's > prerogative court > Of course, there were exceptions to these general rules: During the > Interregnum<https://mail.google.com/documentsonline/help/glossary.asp#I>all > church courts were suspended, so all wills in England and Wales were > dealt with in the Court for Proving of Wills and the Granting of > Administrations, which sat in London in place of the PCC. After this these > records were merged with those of the PCC, so the PCC holds all probate > records for this period. If a will bequeathed goods to the value of £5 (£10 > in London) which were dispersed in the north of England, and the south of > England or Wales then the will was proved in both Archbishops' courts - > first York, then Canterbury If a property-owner in England or Wales died > overseas, such as sailors or soldiers, then their will was proved in the > Prerogative Court of Canterbury regardless of where their property was held > > Mary > >> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >