Peculiar Court of Wolverhampton

Location of These Probate Records
Lichfield Record Office (formerly Lichfield Joint Record Office)

The Friary

Lichfield Staffs WS13 6QG

Telephone: U.K. 01543 510720 Overseas (+44) 1543 510720

Historical Background
The Court of the Peculiar of Wolverhampton held jurisdiction over the parishes of Bentley, Bilston, Bushbury, Hatherton, Hilton, Kinvaston, Pelsall, Wolverhampton Parish, Willenhall and Wednesfield. 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.

You can also visit The FamilySearch Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite FamilySearch centers worldwide and search indexes (see theFamilySearch Library's cataloged entries providing the microfilms 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.

Probate Indexes
Surviving wills and admons to the Court of the Peculiar of Wolverhampton have to some extent been indexed with the following ones:

Online Indexes
Here is an online printed (scanned images) from 1516-1652. This is not a complete listing of all wills for this time period, but, it might be helpful to those searching during this time.

Original Handwritten Indexes
There is an index (manuscript) from 1516 to 1857 covering most if not all wills in Staffordshire including both the Consistory Court of Lichfield and also the smaller or peculiar courts.

Microfilmed Indexes at the FamilySearch Library&lt;br&gt;
The indexes and original records have been digitized and are available at a FamilySearch centre or a FamilySearch affiliate library near you.

Strategies, Tips
See the above Indexes or those available through the FamilySearch Library or its many FamilySearch centers worldwide for an index to this court.

To view a list of parishes and their respective probate court jurisdiction, see the "Staffordshire Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions" on the main page for Staffordshire Probate Records.