England, Kent, Wills and Probate - FamilySearch Historical Records

England Kent

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes wills and probate records from the county of Kent, covering the period 1440-1881. Availability of the records varies by year and locality.

Probate records document the transfer of possessions after a person dies. Wills, in particular, were written to ensure that the property and personal estate of a deceased person would be distributed according to his or her wishes. If the deceased did not specify an executor, the court would usually assign the next of kin the duty of distributing the goods.

Collection Content
The collection consists of wills and probate records.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The following list indicates potential information given in these records. It must be remembered that every record may not provide all of the listed information.

Wills and Probate Records may contain:
 * Full name of deceased
 * Residence of deceased
 * Names of beneficiaries (usually surviving spouse and children)
 * Name of executor or administrator
 * Names of witnesses
 * Date and place of will or probate
 * Relatives present at the time of death
 * Itemization of household goods and property
 * Listing of any debt or funeral expenses to be paid
 * Property names

Please note that the records most likely to contain information from the fifteenth century are wills.

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before beginning a search in these records, it is best to know the full name of the individual in question, as well as an approximate time range for the desired record. When entered into the search engine on the Collection Page, this information provides the quickest, most reliable path to finding the correct person. Of course, other information can be substituted as necessary.

To Browse by Image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "County, Court" ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type" ⇒Select the appropriate "Year, Surname Range, Volume" which will take you to the images.

Compare the information found on the images with what is already known determine if a particular record relates to the correct person. This process may require examining multiple records before the correct person is located.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on this website are granted by the record custodians. Due to their restrictions, some images in this collection may not be available for general viewing, but can be accessed by registered FamilySearch Patrons at the Family History Library or a Family History Center. Registration for a free FamilySearch account can be done here.

For users in the United Kingdom, images may also be viewed by visiting the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone, England.

Ordering Microfilm
Archdeaconry and Diocese of Canterbury:

FamilySearch has rights to publish images online to users from the supporting organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and at FamilySearch Centers.

Exceptions:

Miscellaneous Court Papers and Miscellaneous Court Papers Index (Registered Users, FamilySearch Centers and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Archdeaconry and Diocese of Rochester:

FamilySearch has rights to publish images online to Registered Users, FamilySearch Centers and members of the supporting organization.

Exempt Deanery of Shoreham:

FamilySearch has rights to publish images online to users from the supporting organization, (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and at FamilySearch Centers.

Peculiar of the Rector of Cliffe:

FamilySearch has rights to publish images online to users from the supporting organization, (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and at FamilySearch Centers.

In August 2011, a new agreement was signed restricting access to images older than 100 years. If even one image on a film exceeds the 100 year cutoff, the entire film is restricted. Many older films contained multiple items and year ranges.

FamilySearch, however, has other resources which are available to all researchers. These online records, and many others for this area, are available on microfilm which can be ordered for viewing into the nearest FamilySearch Center.

I Found the Person I Was Looking for, What Now?

 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the index entry record for future reference. See below for assistance in citing this collection.
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find the individual in civil records. Particularly useful for research in nineteenth-century England are the England Census and the England Civil Registration records.
 * Continue to search to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation.
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Remember that it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name in a church record. See Abbreviations Found in Genealogy Records for some common examples of abbreviations. Note that some women reverted to their maiden name when their husband died, and therefore could be listed under their maiden name in a will.
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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Contributions to this Article
England, Kent, Wills and Probate (FamilySearch Historical Records)