Court of the Peculiar Parish of Dorchester

England Oxfordshire Probate Records, Berkshire Probate Records

Step By Step
1. First search each index (see below) to help you more quickly find the will or administration (admon), writing down each detail cited in the indexed entry. 2. Proceed to the "Probate Records of This Court" (below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court. 3. Contact or visit the Oxfordshire Record Office or, hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf. Officials may send upon request a list of record searchers. 4. Visit The Family History Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite family history centers worldwide and search indexes to probate records; then with the information obtained from the index[es] you can search more quickly the original wills and admons also on microfilm via any centers near you.

Online Index
Here is a partial index to Oxfordshire wills from 1550-1590 online.

Printed Indexes
The Oxfordshire Record Society has published a probate index covering the years 1547-1856 (Langford probates may not go as late as this time period), entitled Index to the probate records of the courts of the bishop and archdeacon of Oxford, 1733-1857, c1997 (see the heading below, "Indexes in The Family History Library")

Indexes at The Family History Library

 * Index to the probate records of the courts of the bishop and archdeacon of Oxford, 1733-1857
 * Index to the Wills &amp; Administrations of the Peculiar Courts 1550-1858 The records of this court may not provide information as late of 1858.

The Records
The original records are deposited at:

Oxfordshire Record Office

St Luke's Church Temple Road Cowley Oxford OX4 2HT ENGLAND

Tel: 44 (0)1865 398200 Fax: 44 (0)1865 398201 E-mail: [mailto:archives@oxfordshire.gov.uk archives@oxfordshire.gov.uk]

Website

Probate Records of This Court Held in This Archive
The records held there include:


 * Filed Wills 1553-1835
 * Register Wills &amp; Administrations (Admons) 1698-1733 (also see Banbury)
 * Inventories (see Banbury)

Probate Records of This Court In The Family History Library
Some records have been microfilmed and made available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and through its satellite family history centers. They include:


 * Original Wills and administrations Bonds, early to 1700
 * Original Wills &amp; Admons 1684-1835
 * Registered Wills &amp; Admons 1698-1733
 * Inventories early to the late 18th century
 * Administration Bonds 1801-1856

Jurisdiction
This peculiar court held jurisdiction over the following parishes:


 * Dorchester (and Abbey)
 * Benson
 * Chiselhampton
 * Clifton Hampden
 * Drayton St Leonard
 * Marsh Baldon
 * Nettlebed
 * Pishill
 * Stadhampton
 * Toot Baldon
 * Warborough