Court of the Peculiar of the Prebend of St. Decumans

Step By Step
1. First search each index (see below) to help you more quickly find the will, writing down each detail cited in the indexed entry.

2. Proceed to "Records" (below) to determine what probate records exist for this court. Also see "Probate Records of This Court in The Family History Library."

3. Contact or visit the Somersetshire 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 an online index of Somersetshire wills 1796-1857

Printed and Published Indexes
Also try the indexes to the following probate collections at the Family History Library:

Important Note:
The records of the Consistory Court of the Dean and Chapter of Wells, which were all deposited at the Probate Registry at Exeter, were destroyed by enemy action during World War II. The following is information on the very few records that survive.

Archives Location
The surviving original records are deposited at:

Somerset Archives and Local Studies

Somerset Heritage Centre

Taunton U.K. TA2 6SF

England

Tel: (0)1823 278805

Email: [mailto:somersetarchives@swheritage.org.uk somersetarchives@swheritage.org.uk]

Archive Records
Add information about the manuscript, printed and digital records in this location.

Wills 1636-1857

Administrations 1641-1745

Family History Library Records


The Family History Library has very few original probate records for Somerset on microfilm. Most of the what the library has is various volumes of published abstracts. See the information found in the article on the Court of the Bishop of Bath & Wells (Episcopal Consistory).

Try searching the following collections which are a copy or abstract of the original registers for many areas throughout the county:

The Society of Genealogists in London has copies of published abstracts of wills and other probate documents for Somerset. To see a list of titles, search their library catalogue for the Subject of "Somerset - General: Wills."

Jurisdiction
St. Decumans was a peculiar probate court in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. It had jurisdiction over the parish of St. Decumans only.