Court of the Peculiar of the Dean of York

England Yorkshire  Yorkshire Probate Courts

To read a general explanation of probates in England, click here. Click to read a definition of the word peculiar.

Description
Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The term probate refers to a collection of documents, including wills, administrations (also called admons), inventories, and act books. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858.

Step By Step
1. Search indexes to help you more quickly find the will, writing down each detail given in the index.

2. Go to "Records" (below) to determine what probate records exist for this court.

3. Obtain the records to search. Use one of these methods to find indexes and records.


 * Contact or visit the Archive (see below) or hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf.
 * Order microfilm copies of the indexes and records listed in the Family History Library Records (see section below) by visiting the Family History Library or one of its family history centers and search indexes and records.

Online Indexes
Indexes for 54 peculiar courts, 1383-1883, are available online on BritishOrigins. This is a subscription site.

Printed and Published Indexes
The Family History Library has film copies of the following calendars, printed indexes and act book.


 * 1531-1708 on film number 100080 item 6. It has at least one entry for 1710.
 * 1735-1741 on film number 100800 item 9.
 * 1604-1722 on film number 599878. This is a copy of a printed index in the Records Series of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, volume 73, part II, pages 31-80.
 * 1604-1722 on film number 98925. There are 3 volumes of act books, and they appear in order on this film. Volume 1 covers 1604-1651. Volume 2 repeats entries in volume 1 for 1618-1629 and then covers 1660-1683. Volume 3 is 1684-1722.
 * 1722-1858 on film 98925. It starts in volume 3, page 96.

Archive Location
The records for this court are held in the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research.

Archive Records
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Family History Library Records
The library has copies of the original records as follows. There is little or no order until a fair chronological sequence begins in the eigtheenth century. Films can be view in the library or in a family history center.


 * 1530-1672 on film number 99346 item 1. Most of the documents end in 1660, but there is an ident for surname "K" dated 1672 that appears actually to be 1662, and surname "S" for 1670, and a surname "C" for 1710.
 * 1662 on film 99346item 2. See note above.
 * 1662-1667 on film number 99347.
 * 1668-1671 on film number 99348. Note item 1 on 99346 above.
 * 1672-1676 on film number 99349.
 * 1677-1680 on film number 99350.
 * 1681 on film number 99351.
 * 1682-1688 on film number 99352.
 * 1689-1697 on film number 99353.
 * 1698-1704 on film number 99354.
 * 1705-1712 on film number 99355. Note item 1 on film 99346 above.
 * 1713-1719 on film number 99356.
 * 1720-1726 on film number 99357.
 * 1727-1734 on film number 99358.
 * 1735-1740 on film number 99359.
 * 1741-1750 on film number 99360.
 * 1751-1760 on film number 99361.
 * 1761-1767 on film number 99362.
 * 1768-1775 on film number 99363.
 * 1776-1783 on film number 99364.
 * 1784-1790 on film number 99365.
 * 1791-1796 on film number 99366.
 * 1797-1802 on film number 99367.
 * 1803-1810 on film number 99368.
 * 1811-1817 on film number 99369.
 * 1818-1827 on film number 99370.
 * 1828-1838 on film number 99371.
 * 1839-1857 on film number 99372.

Jurisdiction
Inhibited six months at the Episcopal Visitation by the Chancery Court and at the Visitation of the Dean and Chapter. From the 18th century the prebendal of Givendale appears to have exercised testamentary jurisdiction in Givendale and Millington in place of the Dean.