Court of the Peculiar of the Dean of Lichfield

Return to the Staffordshire Probate Records page.

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 in This Archive" (below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court. 3. Contact or visit the Staffordshire County 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.

Probate Indexes
Surviving wills and admons to the Peculiar of the Dean of Lichfield have to some considerable extent been indexed with the following ones:

Online Indexes
Here is an online printed (scanned images) from 1516-1652. This is not a complete listing of all wills for this time period, but, it might be helpful to those searching during this period.

Original Handwritten Indexes
There is an index (manuscript) from 1516 to 1857 covering most if not all wills in Staffordshire including both the Consistory Court of Lichfield and also the smaller or peculiar courts.

Microfilmed Indexes at the Family History Library&lt;br&gt;
The indexes as listed in the above are also available in the collection of The Family History Library and they are on microfilm and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers worldwide.

In addition, the Family History Library has a more comprehensive microfilmed set of Calendars for Staffordshire probate records which partially indexes the surnames (by first letter of surname only) available for the years from 1492 to 1860.

Amazingly, the Lichfield Archives has alphabetically arranged many of the diocesan wills by each letter of each surname as well (see the next section below).

Archives Location
Lichfield Record Office (formerly Lichfield Joint Record Office)

The Friary

Lichfield Staffs WS13 6QG

Telephone: U.K. 01543 510720 Overseas (+44) 1543 510720

Probate Records of This Court Held in This Archive
Original Wills &amp; Admons 1510-1858

Probate Records of This Court Held In The Family History Library
Original Wills &amp; Admons 1510-1858

Calendars of Wills &amp; Admons 1510-1858

Jurisdiction
The Court of the Peculiar of the Dean of Lichfield held jurisdiction over the following parishes: City of Lichfield parishes including the Cathedral, Christ Church, St Chad, St Mary, St Michael; the surrounding parishes of Adbaston, Brewood, Hammerwich, Haselour, Stafford, Streethay, Wall and Whittington. When a search of this courts’ probate records fails to provide the desired probate record, search the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield as well as the Consistory Court of Lichfield and the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

You can also visit The Family History Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite family history centers worldwide and search the wills and their indexes (see the Family History Library's cataloged entries providing the microfilms so you can have them circulated to the center near you for searching the wills). The information obtained from the index[es] will help you more quickly search the wills and admons which can also be circulated on microfilm via any family history center.

To view a list of parishes and their respective probate court jurisdiction, see the "Staffordshire Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions" on the main page for Staffordshire Probate Records.

England: Stafford