Cornwall Probate Records

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

Return to the main Cornwall page.

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


 * Prerogative Court of Canterbury
 * Court of the Archdeaconry of Cornwall
 * Episcopal Consistory Court of Exeter
 * Court of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter Cathedral
 * Court of the Peculiar of the Dean of St. Buryan

Court Jurisdictions
Before 1858, every town and parish in Cornwall was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. When looking for the will of an ancestor who lived or owned property in Cornwall, search the courts in the order given. Search indexes first. To find indexes, click on the name of a court.

Here is a list of the Cornwall parishes beginning with letters A and B and the pre-1858 courts that had jurisdiction over them. For other parishes, click on the link for the first letter of the parish name: B, C, D-K, L, M-O, P-R, S, T-Z.

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.