Dorset Probate Jurisdictions Parishes A

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.

Below is a list of the Dorset parishes beginning with A and the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over them.

To see a list of other parishes, click on the letter that begins the parish name.

A, B, C-D, E-G, H-K, L-M, N-R, S-U, W-Y

1. Find the place where your ancestor lived in the first column. 2. Click on the court name in the second column to learn where to find the records and indexes. 3. Click on each name of the court in the third column if the record isn't found in the first court. 4. Search last the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

If no will is found, your ancestor may not have left one.