Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (Episcopal Consistory)

England Derbyshire Probate Records, Shropshire Probate Records, Staffordshire Probate Records, Warwickshire Probate Records

The diocese of Lichfield was one of the largest in England. Until 1541, it included all of Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire, parts of Shropshire, Warwickshire and Lancashire, and a few parishes in Flintshire and one in Denbighshire, Wales. The creation of the See (Diocese) of Chester in 1541 removed all of Cheshire and the parts of Lancashire and Wales.

The court was also known as the Court of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.

During the Commonwealth Interregnum from 1653 to 1660, the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the form of a civil court, had sole probate or testmentary jurisdiction over all of England and Wales.

Records
The original records are deposited at:

Lichfield Record Office (formerly Lichfield Joint Record Office) The Friary' Lichfield Staffs WS13 6QG England Telephone: U.K. 01543 510720 Overseas: (+44) 1543 510720

The records include:


 * Original wills, 1472-1858
 * Register copy wills, 1516-1771
 * Act books, 1532-1638
 * Inventories, 1494-1860
 * Calendars, 1494-1860

The records have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and through one of the more than 4,500 family history centers worldwide. These include:


 * Original wills, administrations and inventories, 1530-1857
 * Registered wills, 1516-1771
 * Act books, 1532-1638
 * Inventories, 1494-1860
 * Calendars, 1494-1860

Obtaining a copy of a probate record:

 * 1) You may visit the Lichfield Record Office or contact their research service and request a copy of a probate record.
 * 2) You may visit the Family History Library and search the records on microfilm, or visit a family history center where you can order the films then search them there.
 * 3) Start your search in indexes.

Probate Indexes
Surviving wills and administrations have mostly been indexed:

Online Indexes
A list of Lichfield wills for 1516-1652 has been published and may be searched online. This source contains the names of the deceased and often their residence at the time of the will or administraion. A general aphabetical index is found at the end.

Printed and Published Indexes
Original will indexes 1514-1858 are available in print by Index Society (vol. 7). This contains numerous indexes to the wills and administrations for this major probate court jurisdiction as well as for Staffordshire's many peculiar courts. This publication series are often available at many major archives in the United Kingdom such as at the Lichfield Record Office, The Society of Genealogists, The Borthwick Institute in York, etc., and other archives.

Original Handwritten Indexes
Indexes to wills and administrations exist for the years 1494 to 1860 and are found with the original records, including the microfilmed copies. Also, the registered wills are somewhat alpha-ordered in their arrangement.

Microfilmed Indexes at the Family History Library
The above named index published by the indexes as listed in the above are also available covering the years 1514-1652 at The Family History Library and they are on microfilm and may be circulated to each of its satellite Family History Centers worldwide.

As per the above "Original Handwritten Indexes",the actual registered wills themselves have been indexed and have been alpha-ordered in their arrangements on the copies of the Family History Library's microfilmed collection of same.

Strategies, Tips, Other?
See the above Indexes or those available through the Family History Library or its many family history centers worldwide for indexes to this court.

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

When a search of this court's probate records fails to provide the desired probate record, be sure to search the Prerogative Court of the Exchequer of the Archbishop of York as well.