Court of the Bishop of Canterbury

Essex  Kent   Kent Probate Records Return to the Surrey Probate Records page.

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. 3. Contact or visit the Hampshire 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. You can 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 Indexes
Online indexes are available at the following three websites:

Online Indexes


 * The East Kent Archealogical Society has created online indexes to East Kent probate records from 1396-1858.
 * Wills have been created for the "names of...people appearing in the wills of testators residing in the County of Surrey, England (and nine other Counties)." It is known as The Surrey Plus Wills Index. Currently it is a partial index to Surrey Wills.
 * British Origins has an index of over 500,000 entries for the Surrey and London region from 1470 to 1856 (a subscription website).

Printed and Published Indexes
The West Surrey Family History Society (Cliff Webb) has produced a significant number of indexes to County Surrey wills and other probate records. See their website for further details on their excellent publications.

Click for a list of printed indexes found in the Family History Library.

Archives Location
The records of the Court of the Archdeaconry of Surrey for 1480-1858 are found at:

Centre for Kentish Studies

Sessions house

County Hall

Maidstone ME14 1XQ

ENGLAND

Tel. 01622 694363 Fax: 01622 694379 [mailto:archives@kent.gov.uk archives@kent.gov.uk]

Website

Archive Records
The records include probate and administration act books, original wills and registered wills, as well as indexes.

Act Books 1542-1858

Original Copy Wills 1538-1857

Register Copy Wills 1396-1857 (some missing years)

Accounts &amp; Inventories 1569-1604

Inventories 1396-1857

Testamentary Cause Papers 1595-1646

Index to Wills 1396-1857 Testamentary Bonds 1667-1672

Temporary Administrations (Admons) 1600-1678

Account Papers 1605-1690

Caveats 1627-1809

Renunciation Papers

Affidavits 1829-1857

Testamentary Bonds 1660-1857

Inventory Paprers 1596-1748

Affidavits, depositions, interrogations, visitation books 1555-1857

Family History Library Records
The Family History Library has probate records (with indexes) on microfilm, microfiche and in print. Those available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City include copies and abstracts of the for 1484-1821.


 * (some missing years)
 * (some missing years)
 * (some missing years)

Jurisdiction
The Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Canterbury had primary jurisdiction over many parishes in the eastern part of Kent, from Maidstone eastward. The remaining eastern parishes were under the primary jurisdiction of the Archdeacon of Canterbury (who received his authority from the Bishop of Canterbury).

The Commissary-General of the Archbishop of Canterbury was the judge of the Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Canterbury. He exercised probate jurisdiction within the diocese of Canterbury, and he also exercised the Archbishop’s prerogative throughout the diocese. Therefore, records of probate that would have normally gone through the Archbishop's court, will be found in the records of the Court of the Bishop of Canterbury, particularly before 1759.