Peculiar of the Court of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter

England Devon  Devonshire Probate Records

For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.

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 "Records" (below) to determine what probate records exist for this court.

3. Contact or visit the Devonshire 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.

Printed and Published Indexes
For an index at the Family History Library here's one for above court 1200-1900's.

Index to wills, copies and related papers [of the County of Devon], 1200-1900's,Church of England. Diocese of Exeter. Episcopal Principal Registry This is a card index to wills in private deposits, and to a small number of Diocesan wills which were never transferred to the Exeter Probate Office. Notes : The jurisdiction is over all beneficed clergy in the Diocese, and all persons in the Diocese during inhibition of the Archdeaconries or having bona notabilia in more than one jurisdiction within the Diocese

Archive Records
Virtually all records for this court were destroyed in 1942, but don't give up until you have searched the manuscript collections and all other possible courts.

Family History Library Records
The library has records for other courts.


 * Court of the Bishop of Exeter (Episcopal Consistory)
 * Episcopal Principal Registry of Exeter
 * Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Copies of some post-1796 probates may have been deposited in the Estate Duty Registers.

Jurisdiction
This court had primary jurisdiction over the following parishes.