Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln

A general explanation of probate records in England, is given in the article England Probate Records. Click to read a definition of the word peculiar.

Description
Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The term probate refers to a collection of documents, including wills, administrations (also called admons), inventories and act books. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until 1858.

Step by Step
1 . First searcheach index (see below) to help you more quickly find the will, writing down each detail cited in the indexed entry.

2. Proceed to the "Records" (below) to determine what probate records exist for this court. Also see "FamilySearch Library Records."

3. Obtain the records to search. Use one of these methods to find indexes and records:


 * Contact or visit Lincolnshire Archives Office or hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf. Officials may send a list of record searchers upon request.
 * The indexes and original records have been digitized and are available at a FamilySearch centre or a FamilySearch affiliate library near you.

Printed and Published Indexes
The FamilySearch Library has a film copy of an index to covering about 1582-1834. There are gaps of years in this span.

. Edited by C. W. Foster. Volume 57 pages 265-366 covers wills and administrations, 1534-1834 for the Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln.

Archives Location
The original records are in the collection of the Lincolnshire Archives Office.

Archive Records
Add information about the manuscript, printed and digital records in this location.

FamilySearch Library Records
The indexes and original records have been digitized and are available at a FamilySearch centre or a FamilySearch affiliate library near you:

Jurisdiction
This court had jurisdiction over parishes in Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire and Huntingdonshire.

Bedfordshire
This court had secondary jurisdiction over the two Bedfordshire peculiars of Biggleswade and Leighton Buzzard, particularly during inhibition, but in reality, few records for the two peculiars are found in the records of this court.

Lincolnshire
This court had jurisdiction over twenty-six parishes. To find out if your parish was one of these, go to Lincolnshire Probate Records, scroll to the Court Jurisdictions section and click the letter that begins the name of the parish.

Huntingdonshire
This court had third jurisdiction over the parishes of Barham, Buckden, Easton, Leighton Bromswold, Little Catworth and Stow Longa.