References to American Colonists in English Wills

England England Probate Records

Wills in England are often used by Americans to trace the origins of their colonial ancestors. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, several scholars read Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills seeking references to American colonists, including Henry F. Waters, Lothrop Withington, H. Henry Lea, and J.R. Hutchinson. Later, Peter Wilson Coldham made extensive searches. Leslie Mahler is currently investigating other probate courts for such references. Here is a list of wills that have been read:

Prerogative Court of Canterbury
1574-1641


 * 1574 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 56 (Martyn), . LM.
 * 1575-1576 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 57 (Pyckering), . LM.
 * 1576 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 58 (Carew), . LM.
 * 1577 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 59 (Daughtry), . LM.
 * 1578 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 60 (Langley), . LM.
 * 1579 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 61 (Bakon), . LM.
 * 1580 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 62 (Arundell), . LM.
 * 1581 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 63 (Darcy), . LM.
 * 1582 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 64 (Tirwhite), . LM.
 * 1583 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 65 (Rowe), . LM.
 * 1583-1584 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 66 (Butts), . LM.
 * 1584 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 67 (Watson), . LM.
 * 1585 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 68 (Brudenell), . LM.
 * 1586 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 69 (Windsor), . LM.
 * 1587 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 70 (Spencer), . LM.
 * 1587 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 71 (Spencer), . LM.
 * 1588 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 72 (Rutland), . LM.
 * 1588-1589 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 73 (Leicester), . LM.
 * 1588-1589 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 74 (Leicester), . LM.
 * 1590 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 75-76 (Drury), . LM.
 * 1591 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 77 (Sainberbe), . LM.
 * 1591 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 78 (Sainberbe), . LM.
 * 1592 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 79 (Harrington), . LM.
 * 1592 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 80 (Harrington), . LM.
 * 1593 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 81 (Nevelle), . LM.
 * 1593 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 82 (Nevelle), . LM.
 * 1594 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 83 (Dixy), . LM.
 * 1595 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 85 (Scott), . LM.
 * 1595 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 86 (Scott), . LM.
 * 1596 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 87 (Drake), . LM.
 * 1596 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 88 (Drake), . LM.
 * 1597 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 89 (Cobham), . LM.
 * 1597 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Wills, v. 90 (Cobham), . LM.

Bedfordshire

 * 1595-1600 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Box 11, . LM.
 * 1600-1605 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 12-13, . LM.
 * 1605-1609 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 13-14, . LM.
 * 1609-1612 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 15-16, . LM.
 * 1612-1616 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 16-17, . LM.
 * 1616-1618 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 17-18, . LM.
 * 1618-1621 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 18-19, . LM.
 * 1620-1624 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 20-21, . LM.
 * 1624-1627 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 21-22, . LM.
 * 1627-1631 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 22-23, . LM.
 * 1631-1635 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 23-24, . LM.
 * 1634-1638 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 24-25, . LM.
 * 1638-1640 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 26-27, . LM.
 * 1640-1644 - Archdeaconry Court of Bedford, Original Wills, Boxes 27-28, . LM.

Essex

 * 1605-1665 - Archdeaconry Court of Essex, Registered Wills, . LM.

London

 * 1621-1625 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 24, . LM.
 * 1626-1629 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 25, . LM.
 * 1629-1634 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 26, . LM.
 * 1634-1639 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 27, . LM.
 * 1639-1643 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 28, . LM.
 * 1643 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 29, . LM.
 * 1644-1646 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 30, . LM.
 * 1660-1664 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 31, . LM.
 * 1665 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 32, . LM.
 * 1666-1670 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 33, . LM.
 * 1670-1673 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 34, . LM.
 * 1673-1676 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 35, . LM.
 * 1677-1679 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 36, . LM.
 * 1679-1682 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 37, . LM.
 * 1682-1684 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 38, . LM.
 * 1684-1685 - Commissary Court of London, Registered Wills, Volume 39, . LM.

Middlesex

 * 1622-1636 - Peculiar Court of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, Registered Wills, Camden, . LM.
 * 1636-1642 - Peculiar Court of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, Registered Wills, Todd, . LM.
 * 1660-1667 - Peculiar Court of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, Registered Wills, Smith, . LM.

Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk

 * 1600-1602 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 34 (Wright), . LM.
 * 1602-1604 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 35 (Offwood), . LM.
 * 1604-1606 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 36, . LM.
 * 1607-1609 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 37, . LM.
 * 1610-1611 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 38, . LM.
 * 1612-1613 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 39, . LM.
 * 1613-1614 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 40, . LM.
 * 1614 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1614, . LM.
 * 1615 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1615, . LM.
 * 1616 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1616, . LM.
 * 1617 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1617, . LM.
 * 1618-1619 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1618-1619, . LM.
 * 1620-1621 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1620-1621, . LM.
 * 1622-1623 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1622-1623, . LM.
 * 1624 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1624, . LM.
 * 1625-1626 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 40, . LM.
 * 1627-1629 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1627-1629, . LM.
 * 1630-1631 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vols. 41-42, . LM.
 * 1634 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 43, . LM.
 * 1633-1636 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Registers Wills, Vol. 44, . LM.
 * 1637 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1637, . LM.
 * 1638 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1638, . LM.
 * 1639 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1639, . LM.
 * 1640 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1640, . LM.
 * 1641-1642 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1641-1642, . LM.
 * 1643-1644 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1643-1644, . LM.
 * 1645-1646 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1645-1646, . LM.
 * 1647-1648 - Archdeaconry Court of Norfolk, Original Wills, 1647-1648, . LM.

Consistory Court of Norwich

 * 1600 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 96, . LM.
 * 1601 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 97, . LM.
 * 1602 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 98, . LM.
 * 1603 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 99, . LM.
 * 1604-1606 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 100-101, . LM.
 * 1607-1608 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 102-103, . LM.
 * 1609 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 104, . LM.
 * 1610 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 105, . LM.
 * 1611 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 106, . LM.
 * 1612 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 107, . LM.
 * 1613-1614 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 108-109, . LM.
 * 1615-1616 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 110-111, . LM.
 * 1617-1618 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 112-113, . LM.
 * 1619-1620 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 114-115, . LM.
 * 1621-1623 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 116-118, . LM.
 * 1624-1625 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 119-120, . LM.
 * 1626 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 121, . LM.
 * 1627-1628 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 122-123, . LM.
 * 1629 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Original Wills, 1629, . LM.
 * 1630 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Original Wills, 1630, . LM.
 * 1631-1632 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vols. 125-125, . LM.
 * 1633 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 126, . LM.
 * 1634 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 127, . LM.
 * 1635 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 128, . LM.
 * 1636 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 129, . LM.
 * 1637 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 130, . LM.
 * 1638-1639 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 131, . LM.
 * 1640-1642 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 132, . LM.
 * 1643-1646 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 133, . LM.
 * 1647-1651 - Consistory Court of Norwich, Registered Wills, Vol. 134, . LM.

Explanations
LM = Read by Leslie Mahler, FASG