Derbyshire Probate Jurisdictions

England Derbyshire  Derbyshire 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.

Before 1858, every town and parish in Derbyshire was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary ecclesiastical court and one or more secondary ecclesiastical courts. Most of the county was under the primary jurisdiction of the Court of the Bishop of Lichfield (Episcopal Consistory) and the secondary jurisdiction of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, which also was the highest court in the country. However there were some exceptions.

Here is a list of the parishes of Derbyshire that were exceptions to the above, with the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them. Search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. For indexes, click on a court name or return to Derbyshire Probate Records.

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