Wills and Probate Records Before 1858
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- Until 1857 wills were ‘proved’ or validated by a local church court. This process was known as granting probate.
- Wills can provide valuable information about a person’s family relationships.
- Probate records are held by county record offices.
- Letters of administration or “admons” were granted usually to a person’s next of kin when he or she died without leaving a will.
- Up to c 1760, inventories listing the deceased’s household possessions were often attached to the will or admon
- Occasionally wills were proved in a higher court, the Prerogative Courts of either Canterbury or York. For Canterbury, contact the Family Records Centre.
and for York Borthwick Institute of Historical Research.
- Cheshire Record Office holds over 70,000 original Cheshire wills and probate records 1540–1857, proved in the Archdeaconry of Chester
- Search our database and order wills online
From 1858
- After 1858 wills were proved in new civil district probate registries. Copies of wills are recorded in registers and copies of the registers are available at county record offices. Copies of wills after 1858 for the whole of England and Wales are held at the Principal Registry of the Family Division. For information on obtaining copies, contact the Courts Service
- Cheshire Record Office holds microfilm copies of registers for wills proved in the Registry of Chester from 1858 to 1940 and microfiche copies of the National Probate Calendars which gives summary information of wills proved in England and Wales from 1858 to 1935.
Search our database and order wills online
Useful Links
There are useful leaflets produced by the National Archives on wills before 1858 and probate records:
Cheshire Links
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