Kent Probate Records

For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.

Return to the main Kent page.

Kent Probate Courts
The following probate courts had some jurisdiction over the county of Kent prior to 1858:


 * Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Canterbury
 * Court of the Archdeaconry of Canterbury
 * Courts of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) and Archdeaconry of Rochester
 * Court of the Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Deaneries of the Arches, Croydon and Shoreham
 * Court of the Peculiar of the Rector of Cliffe
 * Court of the Exempt Jurisdiction of Wingham
 * Court of the Prior and Chapter of Christ Church, Canterbury
 * Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of London

In addition, the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury had jurisdiction over the whole of England. Wealthier individuals, people who owned property in more than one county or lower court's jurisdiction, people who emigrated but still owned property in England, and Naval personnel often had their estates proven through the Archbishop's court.

Appeals Courts
Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the lower courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:


 * Court of Arches
 * High Court of Delegates

Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts in Kent
The Court of the Archdeacon of Canterbury, the Court of the Episcopal consistory of Canterbury, and the Court of the Bishop and the Archdeacon of Rochester technically did not have jurisdiction over the Peculiar of Wingham, the Peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Episcopal Consistory and Archdeaconry of Rochester, but as the larger courts of original jurisdiction in the county they will often contain probate records of persons who resided in the other jurisdictions.

In the diocese of Canterbury, the Commissary-General exercised probate jurisdiction within the diocese. He also exercised the Archbishop’s prerogative throughout the diocese, and prerogative probate records exist from 1397 to about 1759 in the records of the Court of the Bishop (Episcopal Consistory) of Canterbury.

Kent Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions
Before 1858, every town and parish in Kent was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. To find the will of your ancestor who lived or owned property in Kent, see a list of Kent parishes with the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over each. Click on the letter for a parish of interest.

Search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. For indexes covering more than one court, see below. For court-specific indexes, click on the name of a court above. If you do not know where in Kent your ancestor lived or owned property, search the indexes to each court. Lastly, search the index to the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Probate Indexes
Before searching probate records, search indexes.

Indexes on the Internet
Here is a list of indexes on the Internet for the county of Kent. None of the indexes are comprehensive, but they will be added to over time.

Printed Indexes
For printed indexes that are available through the Family History Library, click on the name of a court above.

Post-1857 Probate Records
Beginning in 1858, the government took over the settlement of estates and all wills are now probated through the Principal Probate Registry system. The system consists of 11 district registry offices and 18 sub-district registries, located throughout England and Wales, and the principal registry office located in London. The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service. To learn more, go to the HMCS website.

A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The indexes for 1858-1957 and the records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.