How to find a will - Home - The Keep



4340225-30797500Guide to probate recordsPRIVATE Contents TOC \o "1-2" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc294786607 \h 1Locally proved wills before 1660 PAGEREF _Toc294786608 \h 1Locally proved wills from 1660 to 1857 PAGEREF _Toc294786609 \h 2Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury to 1857 PAGEREF _Toc294786610 \h 2Wills proved after 1858 PAGEREF _Toc294786611 \h 2IntroductionBefore 1858 wills were proved in church courts. Estates which lay in more than one jurisdiction were generally dealt with by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, which sat in London; all wills were proved in London when the local jurisdictions were suspended between 1648 and 1660. Within the area of the pre-1974 county of East Sussex there were three local probate courts: Archdeaconry of Lewes, Deanery of South Malling and the Deanery of Battle. Most of their records are at The Keep, although some are at the West Sussex Record Office; for a detailed description see M J Burchall ‘A Guide to Sussex Probate Records’ Sussex Genealogical Centre occasional papers 7 (1981).From 1858 wills could be proved either at the Principal Registry in London or at local registries.Locally proved wills before 1660Archdeaconry of LewesPlease use our online catalogue to search the will registers, 1518-1858 (PBT 1/2/1-6; PBT 1/1/1-85), unregistered wills, 1531-1780 (PBT 1/5-6, 8-9) and acts of administration, 1570-1642 (PBT 1/3/1-7).The originals of the registered wills, 1527-1640 are also available (XA/26/27-42) and in some cases they may be easier to read than the registered copies, although they have not survived in all cases. To find the relevant original you will need to note the name of the testator, the year of probate and the will number (which you will find in the left-hand margin of the index) in the Calendar of wills and administrations.Deanery of South MallingPlease use our online catalogue to search the unregistered wills, 1588-1681 (PBT 2/2/1-8).For the contents of the will registers, 1560-1575 (XA/23/51) please use the card index in the Reference Room on shelves 18-52-08 to 18-52-09.Deanery of BattlePlease use our online catalogue to search the will registers, 1531-1856 (PBT 3/1/1-2).Locally proved wills from 1660 to 1857Archdeaconry of LewesPlease use our online catalogue to search the will registers, 1518-1858 (PBT 1/2/1-6; PBT 1/1/1-85), unregistered wills, 1531-1849 (PBT 1/5-9) and probate inventories, 1711-1857 (PBT 1/10/1-3254).The originals of the registered wills, 1660-1858 are also available (XA/26/42-94) and in some cases they may be easier to read than the registered copies, although they have not survived in all cases. To find the relevant original you will need to note the name of the testator, the year of probate and the will number which you will find in the right-hand margin of the volumes of typescript indexes.For the acts of administration, 1670-1857 (PBT 1/3/8-23) please use the card index in the Reference Room on shelves 18-52-09 to 18-52-11.Deanery of South MallingPlease use our online catalogue to search the will registers, 1682-1857 (PBT 2/1/1-13), unregistered wills, 1588-1681 (PBT 2/2/1-8) and probate inventories, 1730-1836 (PBT 2/4/1-107).Deanery of BattlePlease use our online catalogue to search the will registers, 1531-1856 (PBT 3/1/1-2), original registered wills, 1657-1855 (PBT 3/2/1-185), unregistered wills, 1732-1800 (PBT 3/3/1-9) and inventories, 1781-1783 (PBT 3/6/1-2).Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury to 1857Wills of testators having property in more than one probate jurisdiction, or property over a certain value, were proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, which sat in London. These records are at The National Archives; a copy of the index can be viewed free while images of the wills can be downloaded for a fee (.uk). Copies of the published indexes are available in the Reading Room.Wills proved after 1858From 1858 wills could be proved either at the Principal Registry in London or at local registries (.uk/courts/probate/copies-of-grants-wills). The index from 1858 to 1966 is available on the Ancestry website which is currently freely available on the public access computers in the Reference Room.LIST OF PROBATE RECORDSArchdeaconry of Lewes: will registersThe will register, 1567 is at the West Sussex Record Office (STC 1/9 folios 145-146).The probate acts, 1542-1568 and 1641-1646 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/II/9/1; Ep/II/9/24; Ep/II/21). 1518-1542PBT 1/2/1 (formerly W/C 4)XA/26/31541-1549PBT 1/1/1 (formerly W/A 1)XA/891540-1542PBT 1/2/2 (formerly W/A 1a)XA/891550-1560PBT 1/1/2-4 (formerly W/A 2-4)XA/891560-1568PBT 1/1/5 (formerly W/A 5)XA/26/971560-1568PBT 1/2/3 (formerly W/A 5a)XA/891568-1569PBT 1/2/4 formerly W/C 11)XA/26/31570-1640PBT 1/1/6-27 (formerly W/A 6-27)XA/891602-1640PBT 1/2/5 (formerly W/A 28)XA/891660-1684PBT 1/1/29-36 (formerly W/A 29-36)XA/891685-1697PBT 1/2/6 (formerly W/A 36a)XA/891685-1713PBT 1/1/37-48 (formerly W/A 37-48)XA/891714-1717PBT 1/1/49 (formerly W/A 49)XA/26/1-21718-1720PBT 1/1/50 (formerly W/A 50)XA/26/21721-1858PBT 1/1/51-85 (formerly W/A 51-85)XA/89Archdeaconry of Lewes: originals of registered willsNo original wills have survived for 1556, 1562-1569, 1572, 1581, 1583-1585, 1592, 1597 and 1602.1527-1596PBT 1/4/1-6 (formerly W/O 1527-1596)XA/26/27-301598-1609PBT 1/4/6-9 (formerly W/O 1598-1609)XA/26/31-331611-1640PBT 1/4/10-18 (formerly W/O 1611-1640)XA/26/33-421660-1858PBT 1/4/19-85B (formerly W/O 1660-1858)XA/26/42-94Lewes Archdeaconry: unregistered wills1531-1591PBT 1/9/1-41 (formerly W/U 5/1-41)XA/26/231564-1686PBT 1/6/1-157 (formerly W/U 2/1-159)XA/26/261641-1645PBT 1/5/1-192 (formerly W/U 1/1-192)XA/26/251645-1659PBT 1/5/193-431 (formerly W/U 1/193-431)XA/26/261732-1780PBT 1/8/1-20 (formerly W/U 4/1-20)1808-1849PBT 1/7/1-6 (formerly W/U 3/1-6)Archdeaconry of Lewes: probate inventories1711-1712PBT 1/10/1-361 (formerly W/INV 1-361)XA/26/161712-1717PBT 1/10/361-900 (formerly W/INV 361-900)XA/26/171717-1721PBT 1/10/900-1400 (formerly W/INV 900-1400)XA/26/181721-1727PBT 1/10/1400-1952 (formerly W/INV 1400-1952)XA/26/191727-1730PBT 1/10/1952-2271 (formerly W/INV 1952-2271)XA/26/201730-1737PBT 1/10/2271-2726 (formerly W/INV 2271-2726)XA/26/211737-1762PBT 1/10/2726-3132 (formerly W/INV 2726-3132)XA/26/221762-1857PBT 1/10/3132-3254 (formerly W/INV 3132-3254)XA/26/23Archdeaconry of Lewes: letters of probate and of administration with wills annexed1735-1856PBT 4/3/1-74 (formerly PAW 1-74)`XA/26/23Archdeaconry of Lewes: acts of administration1570-1583PBT 1/3/1 (formerly W/B 1 fo 1-121)XA/26/31570-1583PBT 1/3/1 (formerly W/B 1 fo 121-155)XA/26/41586-1612PBT 1/3/2-3 (formerly W/B 2-3)XA/26/41613-1635PBT 1/3/4-6 (formerly W/B 4-6)XA/26/51637-1642PBT 1/3/7 (formerly W/B 7 pp 1-177)XA/26/51637-1642PBT 1/3/7 (formerly W/B 7 pp 174-300)XA/26/61670-1691PBT 1/3/8-11 (formerly W/B 8-11)XA/26/61692-1698PBT 1/3/12 (formerly W/B 12 fo 1-32)XA/26/61692-1698PBT 1/3/12 (formerly W/B 12 fo 30-138)XA/26/71699-1713PBT 1/3/13-15 (formerly W/B 13-15)XA/26/71714-1731PBT 1/3/16 (formerly W/B 16 fo 1-73)XA/26/71714-1731PBT 1/3/16 (formerly W/B 16 fo 72-211)XA/26/81731-1776PBT 1/3/17-19 (formerly W/B 17-19)XA/26/81777-1803PBT 1/3/20 (formerly W/B 20 pp 1-128)XA/26/81777-1803PBT 1/3/20 (formerly W/B 20 pp 125-353)XA/26/91804-1843PBT 1/3/21-22 (formerly W/B 21-22)XA/26/91844-1857PBT 1/3/23 (formerly W/B 23 pp 1-195)XA/26/91844-1857PBT 1/3/23 (formerly W/B 23 pp 190-283)XA/26/10Archdeaconry of Lewes: letters of administration1695-1856PBT 4/4/1-97 (formerly LA 1-97)XA/26/23Archdeaconry of Lewes: administration bondsThe administrators’ accounts, 1670-1684 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/II/22).1756-1858PBT 1/14 (formerly W/AB)Archdeaconry of Lewes: renunciations1753-1857 PBT 1/13/1-454 (formerly W/R 1-454)Archdeaconry of Lewes: proxies of guardianship1735-1823PBT 1/11/1-143 (formerly W/GU 1-143)Archdeaconry of Lewes: proved at London1602-1640PBT 1/2/5 (formerly W/A 28)XA/89Archdeaconry of Lewes: special acts of court1799-1855PBT 1/16Archdeaconry of Lewes: commissions to prove willsThe commissions, 1619-1742 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/II/6/1-2; Ep/II/2/3; Ep/II/20).1772-1854PBT 1/15Archdeaconry of Lewes: citations1743-1818PBT 1/12Archdeaconry of Lewes: caveatsThe caveats, 1641-1642 and 1670-1728 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/II/9/24; Ep/II/2/3; Ep/II/23).1728-1858PBT 4/1XA/26/3Archdeaconry of Lewes: office account booksThe account books, 1616-1833 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/II/23).Deanery of South Malling: will registersThe will registers, 1560-1575 are at the West Sussex Record Office (STA 1/2, 4-5).The probate acts, 1620-1646, 1661-1670 and 1679-1711 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/V/1/1-4). 1560-1568STA 1/2XA/23/511568-1575STA 1/4-5XA/23/511682-1688PBT 2/1/1 (formerly W/SM/D 1XA/26/111686-1690PBT 2/1/1 (formerly W/SM/D 1a)XA/26/111688-1707PBT 2/1/2-4 (formerly W/SM/D 2-4)XA/26/111706-1721PBT 2/1/5 (formerly W/SM/D 5 pp 1-253)XA/26/111706-1721PBT 2/1/5 (formerly W/SM/D 5)XA/26/121721-1857PBT 2/1/6-13 (formerly W/SM/D 6-13)XA/89Deanery of South Malling: originals of registered wills1682-1857PBT 2/3/1-7 (formerly W/SM/O)Deanery of South Malling: unregistered wills1588-1595PBT 2/2/1 (formerly W/SM/A)XA/26/951596-1620PBT 2/2/2-4 (formerly W/SM/B – D115)XA/26/131620-1646PBT 2/2/4-6 (formerly W/SM/D - F)XA/26/141661-1681PBT 2/2/7-8 (formerly W/SM/G - H)XA/26/151750-1773PBT 2/2/9 (formerly W/SM/J)XA/26/15Deanery of South Malling: probate inventories1730-1836PBT 2/4/1-107 (formerly W/INV/SM 1-107)XA/26/15Deanery of South Malling: acts of administrationFor acts of administration, 1711-1857 see W/SM/D 5-13; the administration acts, 1559 (indexed in Sussex Notes and Queries 14) are at the Canterbury Cathedral Library (Canterbury Chapter register U2), and 1620-1646, 1661-1670 and 1679-1711 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/V/1/1-4).Deanery of South Malling: administration bonds1751-1857PBT 2/7/1-432Deanery of South Malling: renunciations1735-1852 PBT 2/5/1-85Deanery of South Malling: commissions to prove wills1747-1845PBT 2/6/1-39Deanery of South Malling: caveatsFor 1728-1858 see Archdeaconry of Lewes caveats; the caveats, 1684-1734 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/V/11/1).Deanery of South Malling: office account booksThe account books, 1787-1833 are at the West Sussex Record Office (Ep/V/12/1-5).Deanery of Battle: will registers1531-1617PBT 3/1/1 (formerly W/BAT/book 1)XA/26/241732-1856PBT 3/1/2 (formerly W/BAT/book 2)XA/26/24Deanery of Battle: originals of registered wills1657-1855PBT 3/2/1-185 (formerly W/BAT/O 1-106)XA/26/16Deanery of Battle: unregistered wills1732-1800PBT 3/3/1-9Deanery of Battle: probate inventories1781, 1783PBT 3/6/1-2 (formerly W/INV/B1-2)XA/26/16Deanery of Battle: acts of administrationFor 1731-1848 (RA-RI) see PBT 3/1/2Deanery of Battle: administration bonds1663, 1716-1848PBT 3/4/1-18Deanery of Battle: renunciations1724-1840PBT 3/5/1-5 ................
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