England, Cheshire Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains an index to probate records of many types from the county of Cheshire for the years 1492-1940. Original records are held at the Cheshire Archives. Probate records are a good source for determining family relationships, and the other information they provide can provide clues to other records which might be found. These records also have relatively good coverage. Even though only about ten percent of the population ever left a will, it is estimated that approximately a quarter of the population was mentioned in wills.


 * Probate records document the transfer of possessions after death; this process requires several types of record to be kept.
 * Wills ensure that the property and personal estate of a deceased are distributed according to their wishes.
 * Act books are brief paragraphs telling that the executor has appeared in court and is approved to distribute the goods as set forth in the will.
 * Administrations are documents created when a person died without leaving a will.

Those who had land or money and who were heads of their household created wills. After 1837, anyone over the age of 21 could leave a will; before this, men as young as 14 and women as young as 12 could leave a will. Non-widowed married women rarely left wills, as they were not allowed to own property until 1882.

For more information on the history and significance of probate records, see the England Probate Records page.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Probate Records may contain:

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person
 * A general date range for the record

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * If a death date is available, search in church death and burial records, or civil registration after 1837
 * If relatives are mentioned, use the names to find birth and marriage records
 * Use family relationships to find the individual in census records
 * If an occupation is mentioned, military or trade records could be researched
 * Search for land and property records
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * When looking for an individual with a common name, look at all the search results before deciding which is the correct person
 * Try variations of given names and surnames. An individual might have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an abbreviation of their given name
 * Pay attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try spelling variations that could have that pronunciation
 * Vary the search terms. For example, expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return broader list results
 * Search the records of nearby locations. For this collection,bordering locations could include the English counties of Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south, or the Welsh counties of Denbighshire and Flintshire to the west

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"England, Cheshire Probate Records, 1492-1940." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. District Probate Registry. Record Office, Chester.
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