Court of the Archdeaconry of Essex

[Return to the Essex Probate Records page.]

Essex Record Office Archives &amp; Museums Wharf Road Chelmsford CM12 6YT Telephone (01245) 244644 E-mail: [mailto:ero.enquiry@essexcc.gov.uk ero.enquiry@essexcc.gov.uk]
Website: Essex County Record Office

Starting Your Search in Indexes
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 of This Court" (below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court. 3. Contact or visit the Essex County Record Office 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.

History and Background
Probate records of the Court of the Archdeaconry of Essex were once held in the Chelmsford Cathedral Registry. After the setup of civil courts by act of Parliament in 1858, they were removed to Somerset House, London in 1858. In 1958, almost all of Essex wills were transferred back to Chelmsford to the County Hall, where they reside today.

These records date from 1400 to 1858 and cover 140 parishes in Essex.

Indexes
The Archdeaconry Court of Essex probate records is well-covered with the following indexes:

Online indexes
A general will index for Essex County is available  online. This single index consolidates just about all Essex county wills of the various probate court jurisdictions into one database.

Printed Indexes
The Essex County Record Office compiled and published a complete surname index covering wills and administrations from eight Essex County probate courts including this court.


 * Emmison, F. G., ed. [Index to] Wills at Chelmsford.  (FHL book 942 B4b vols. 78, 79 &amp; 84; also on microfilms 0962739 and 0962740; also on microfiche 6073796, 6073797, and 6073802.)

Original Handwritten Indexes
Calendars to the Probate Acts of Wills and Administrations (Admons) exist from 1400-1858. Calendars are a kind of index to the day to day probate court procedures in which wills and admons (administrations) are processed.

In addition to the calendars, a majority of the original (unregistered) wills and the registered wills are alphabetically arranged at the Record Office and are likewise organized on the microfilmed probates for this court at the Family History Library. Visit the Essex County  Archives or the Family History Library Catalog under Essex, England to determine availability of records.

Microfilmed Indexes at the Family History Library
The majority of the original (unregistered) wills and the registered wills are alphabetically arranged at the Record Office and are likewise organized on the microfilmed probates for this court at the Family History Library. Visit the Essex County Archives. Original (Unregistered) Wills and Registered Wills as well as extant indexes for this court are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers (see Court of the Archdeaconry of Essex), or go to this Family History Library Catalog page under Essex, England to determine availability of records.

The indexes at the Family History Library are as follows:


 * Indexes to Registered and Un-Registered 1441-1619; 1660-1696


 * Indexes to Un-Registered Wills 1620-1660


 * Indexes to Registered Wills 1420-1718 at FHL; (1420-1783 at Essex CRO)


 * Calendar of Wills &amp; Administrations (Admons) 1608-1810


 * Calendar of Wills 1554-1721


 * Calendar of Wills 1708-1857
 * Index to Act Books 1558-1720

Also the following Calendars (first-letter-of-surname index) of Wills and Administration Acts are divided into four calendar books:

First Calendar 1400-1603

Second Calendar 1604-1725

Third Calendar 1726-1794

Fourth Calendar 1795-1858

In addition to the general index above, most of the filmed volumes also contain a separate index to the wills and administrations

Probate Records in this court
REGISTERED WILLS

Alpha Indexes precede the Wills 1420-1858 Wills from 1420-1858

ORIGINAL WILLS

Original Wills (unindexed) 1400-1637

ACT BOOKS Indexes mostly at end of each Act Book for the preceding entries Act Books are often in Latin and in chronological order 1558-1858

Strategies, Tips, Other?
There are no indexes on microfilm for the years 1718-1858 for the Archdeaconry Court of Essex. See the above general countywide index online (see "online Indexes) or available through the Family History Library's (see "Printed Indexes) many family history centers worldwide for an index to this court.

To view a list of parishes and their respective probate court jurisdiction, see the "Essex Parishes Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions" on the main page for Essex Probate Records.