Yorkshire Probate Records

For an explanation of probate records in England, click here. For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.

Court Jurisdictions by Parish
Before 1858, every town and parish in Yorkshire fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. For an authoritative treatise on each Yorkshire probate court and the parishes comprising them in pre-1858, see Anthony J. Camp's publication, Wills and Their Whereabouts, also available at the Family History Library, FHL book #942 S2wa.

When looking for the will of an ancester, you should search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. For indexes, click on the court name links [soon to be constructed].

Here is a list of Yorkshire parishes beginning with the letter A and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them. For other parishes, click on a letter link: B, C, D, E-F, G, H, I-K, L, M-N, O-P, Q-R, S, T-U, W, Y.

Probate Indexes Online
Before looking for a will, you should search an index. http://www.uclan.ac.uk/ahss/education_social_sciences/history/probate_index.php

An index of wills and related documents covering Lancashire north of the Ribble, and parts of Cumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire, 1748-1858.

An index of all surviving probate documents for the Western Deaneries of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, 1748-1858 has been prepared. The deaneries included are Amounderness, Copeland, Furness, Kendal and Lonsdale.

Post-1857 Probate Records
Beginning in 1858, the government took over the settlement of estates and all wills are now probated through the Principal Probate Registry system. The system consists of 11 district registry offices and 18 sub-district registries, located throughout England and Wales, and the principal registry office located in London. The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service. To learn more, go to the HMCS website.

A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The indexes for 1858-1957 and the records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.