Court of the Bishop of St Asaph (Episcopal Consistory)

Shropshire Probate Records

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 to the "Probate Records Held in This Archive" (below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court. Also see "Probate Records of This Court in The Family History Library". 3. Contact or visit The Library of Wales or, hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf. Officials may send upon request a list of record searchers. 4. Visit The Family History Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite family history centers worldwide and search indexes to probate records; then with the information obtained from the index[es] you can search more quickly the original wills and admons also on microfilm via any centers near you.

Online Index
Wills Index online

Indexes at the Family History Library
Also try the following indexes at the Family History Library:

Index to Wills &amp; Administrations (Admins) 1583-1857

Indexes also precede each volume of the microfilmed Copy Wills 1565-1709

Abstracts &amp; Indexes of Original Wills 1557-1833

Index to Act Books 1584-1858

St. Asaph probate index, 1660-1858

Important Note:
The records of the Consistory Court of the Archdeaconry of Taunton, which were deposited at the Probate Registry at Exeter, were destroyed by enemy action during World War II. The following is information on the few records that survive. They survive because they were not deposited at the Exeter Registry.

Archives Location
The surviving original records are deposited at:

[The National Library of Wales] 

E-mail:

Probate Records of This Court Held in This Archive
These include:


 * Act Books 1684-1858
 * Register Copy Wills 1565-1709
 * Original Wills, Administrations &amp; Inventories 1583-1858 (many missing early years)
 * Act Books 1817-1850
 * Acts of Court 1715-1716

Family History Library Records
Copy Wills 1565-1709

Act Books 1584-1858

Original Wills 1582-1858

Unproved Wills 1700-1800

Copies of Wills 1565-1699

Jurisdictions
The Consistory Court of St Asaph held probate jurisdiction over the following Shropshire parishes: Kinnerley, Knockin, Llanyblodwel, Llanymynech, Melverley, Oswestry, St Martin's, Selattyn and Whittington.