Peculiar Court of the Prebendal of Hampton-Lucy

Return to the Warwickshire 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 then to "Records" (see below) to determine what probate records exist for this court.

3. Contact or visit the Lichfield Record Office (see address below), to hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf, citing information obtained from the indexes (see next heading). Officials may send upon request a list of record searchers.

4. You can also visit The FamilySearch Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite family history centers worldwide and search indexes and wills (see the FamilySearch Library's providing the microfilm numbers so you can have them circulated to the center near you for searching the wills). The information obtained from the index[es] will help you more quickly search the wills and admons which can also be circulated on microfilm via any family history.

Indexes
Surviving wills and admons to the Peculiar Court of the Prebendal of Hampton-Lucy Parish, also includes the parishes of Alveston and its chapelry--Chilcote, and the Parish of Wasperton have to some extent been indexed with the following ones:

Online Indexes
1521-1850 Dioceses of Lichfield and Coventry Wills and Probate at Findmypast (£). Includes index by name and residence that links to images of the actual records.

Printed and Published Indexes
The British Record Society's Index Library published a calendar for earlier years up to 1790 in, which may be accessed at many major archives in the United Kingdom, such as The National Archives, The British Library, etc.

Microfilmed Indexes at the FamilySearch Library

The indexes as listed in the above are also available in the collection of The FamilySearch Library and they are on microfilm and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers worldwide.

In addition, the FamilySearch Library has a on microfilm that partially indexes the surnames (by first letter of surname only) available for the years from.

Here's an index for Hampton-Lucy wills from

Archives Location
The original records are deposited at:

' The Shakespeare Centre Library and Archive ' Henley Street' Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire CV37 6QW England Telephone: U.K. 01789 201816 Overseas: (+44) 1789 201816

Fax:  (+44) (0)1789 296083 E-mail: [mailto:library@shakespeare.org.uk library@shakespeare.org.uk] or [mailto:records@shakespeare.ork.uk records@shakespeare.ork.uk]

Obtaining a copy of a probate record:

You may visit the Shakespeare Centre via contacting by--

Tel. (+44) (0)1789 201824

Fax: (+44) (0)1789 263248

E-mail: [mailto:conferences@shalespeare.org.uk conferences@shakespeare.org.uk]

Or you can write to learn if they provide a research service and request a copy of a probate record (include an index reference in your request). You may visit the FamilySearch Library and search the records on microfilm, or visit a family history center where there may be microfilm copies available. Start your search in indexes.

The records have been microfilmed and are available at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City and through one of the more than 4,500 family history centers worldwide. These include:

Archive Records
Original Wills &amp; Admons &amp; Inventories 1678-1795

Calendars 1678-1858

Jurisdiction
The Court of the Peculiar of Hampton-Lucy held court concurrent jurisdiction over the following Warwickshire parishes: Alveston and its chapelry, Chilcote, and Wasperton Parish. When a search of this courts’ probate records fails to provide the desired probate record, be sure to search the Consistory Court of Lichfield as well as the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

This peculiar court held jurisdiction over the Parish of Hampton-Lucy as well the Warwickshire parishes of Alveston, Wasperton and Chilcote (a chapelry in Alveston Parish).

During the Commonwealth Interregnum from 1653 to 1660, the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the form of a civil court, had sole probate or testmentary jurisdiction over all of England and Wales.