Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)

England Herefordshire  Herefordshire Probate Records

Jurisdiction
This court had jurisdiction over Herefordshire expect the following:


 * Eight parishes in the Court of the Archdeaconry of Brecon
 * The city of Hereford and twenty-five parishes in the jurisdiction of the Consistory Court of the Dean of Hereford
 * And the peculiar prebends of Little Hereford, Upper Bullinghope or Upper Bullingham, andMoreton Magna or Moreton-upon-Lugg.

Before 1541, when the Diocese of Gloucester was formed, the western portion of Gloucestershire beyond the rivers Severn and Leaden was in the Diocese of Hereford, and there are consequently a few Gloucestershire wills in this court prior to 1541.

Records
The original records are deposited at the Herefordshire Archives in Hereford. They include:


 * Original wills, administrations, and inventories, 1520-1539 (with a few earlier), 1540-1858
 * Register copy wills, 1663-1858
 * Various act books, 1445-1835, 1587-1686, 1662/3-1858
 * Tuition bonds, 1673-1792

Records have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and through the many family history centers world-wide. They include:


 * Original wills, administrations and inventories for the Diocese of Hereford, 1517-1858. Includes registered wills with indexes in each volume.
 * Acts of office, 1407-1831 consist of all acts by the archdeacon. They are not all probate records.

Indexes
The original and microfilmed records include indexes.

In addition, the Family History Library has film copies of the following:


 * Probate indexes and abstracts, 1662-1858
 * Episcopal Consistory Court of the Bishop of Hereford - Calendar of wills, 1700-1802