Essex Probate Jurisdictions

England Essex  Essex Probate Records

Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The term probate refers to a collection of documents, including wills, administrations (also called admons), inventories, and act books.

Below is a list of Essex places beginning with the letter 'A' and the ecclesiastical courts with pre-1858 probate jurisdiction over them. Once you have identified a court of interest, search indexes. Search the courts in the order given. Click on a court name for more information about the court.

To see a list of other Essex places, click on a letter link:

1. Find the place where your ancestor lived in the first column. 2. Click on the court name in the second column to learn where to find the records and indexes. 3. Click on each name of the court in the third column if the record isn't found in the first court. 4. Search last the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

If no will is found, your ancestor may not have left one.