Court of the Peculiar of Leighton Buzzard

England Bedfordshire  Bedfordshire Probate Records

Jurisdiction
From the 13th century, Leighton Buzzard, attached to the royal manor of Leighton, was held by the Bishop of Lincoln and as such became a peculiar with probate jurisdiction. The peculiar includes the chapelries of Billington, Eggington, Heath &amp; Reach and Stanbridge.

While most wills of people living in Leighton Buzzard and the chapelries went through the peculiar court, some went through the Court of the Bishop of Lincoln (Episcopal Consistory) and the Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln, so those courts should be searched if a will is not found in the peculiar court.

In addition, Leighton Buzzard sits close to the Bedfordshire border with Buckinghamshire and some Leighton Buzzard wills for 1712 to 1798 have been found in the records of the Court of the Peculiar of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.

For the years 1736-1857, some Leighton Buzzard wills have been found in the records of the Court of the Archdeaconry of Northampton, though the reason for this is not clear.

The Bedfordshire Record Office (now the Bedfordshire &amp; Luton Archives &amp; Records Service Archives) has several helps for Leighton Peculiar wills on its website (ref: PLBP/W/V), as well as abstracts of some Leighton Peculiar wills.