Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York

England Cheshire  Cheshire Probate Records

England Yorkshire  Yorkshire Probate Records

England Lancashire  Lancashire Probate Records

For a general explanation about probate records in England, click here.

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 then to the "Probate Records In This Archive" section (see below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court.

3. Contact or visit the Lancashire Record Office to hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf, citing information obtained from the index[es]. Officials may send upon request a list of record searchers.

4. You can also visit The Family History Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite family history centers worldwide and search 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.

Online Indexes
Indexes to Yorkshire wills are beginning to come online. The Prerogative &amp; Exchequer Courts of York Probate Index 1731-1858 is available at britishorigins. This is a subscription site.

Printed and Published Indexes
The Family History Library has film copies of the following indexes. Films can be viewed in the Family History Library and in a family history center.


 * Calendar of probate records taken from the act books of the Prerogative Court of York : 1 December 1688-30 April 1731, and the Deanery of Holderness, 1 December 1688-31 December 1705
 * Calendar of Yorkshire probate records taken from the deanery act books of the exchequer court of York, 1688-1731
 * Index of wills in the York Registry

Yorkshire probate index : part one, 1800 to 1803 was compiled by Janet Ogden, Stephen D. Whitwam and Brian Jones.

Records
The original records for this court are in the Borthwick Institute for Historical Research

University of York Heslington York YO10 5DD England

Telephone: (0)1904 321166

Email: [mailto:bihr500@york.ac.uk bihr500@york.ac.uk]

The Family History Library has the following records on film.


 * Original wills, etc. of the Exchequer and Prerogative courts, Archbishop of York, 1688-1750
 * Wills and administrations, 1389-1858
 * Wills registered at York, 1540-1802
 * York District Probate Registry : probate act books, 1502-1624
 * Register of tuitions and curations, 1592-1639. Click to read an explanation of tuitions and curations.
 * Court books, 1548-1663
 * Commissions books, 1611-1683
 * Citation books, 1611-1695
 * Caveat books, 1521-1859

Juridiction
This court's jurisdiction applies to persons with bona notabilia (property worth 5 pounds or more) in more than one diocese within the northern Province of York, which includes all of the dioceses of York, Carlisle, Chester, Sodor and Man (Isle of Man), Durham and Lancaster. If probate records are not found in this court, be certain to search the Court of the Dean and Chapter of York.

Historical Background
The Court of the Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York held jurisdiction over the whole of the Province of York, which consisted of the counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Westmoreland, Yorkshire.

Unless a person held properties in more than one diocese (within the Province of York), always first search, the local diocesan court probate records of the county in which they lived and/or died. When a search of this courts’ probate records, or a search in those of the local diocesan courts fails to provide the desired probate record, be sure to search the Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of York as well.