Court of the Peculiar of the Provost of the Collegiate Church of St John, Beverley

England Yorkshire  Yorkshire Probate Courts

For a general explanation about England probate records, click here.

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 to 1858.

Step By Step
1. Search indexes to help you more quickly find the will, writing down each detail given in the index.

2. Go to the Archive Records below to determine what original probate records exist for this court.

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


 * Contact or visit the Archive (see below) or hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf.
 * Order microfilm copies of the indexes and records listed in the Family History Library Records (see section below) by visiting the Family History Library or one of its family history centers and search indexes and records.

Indexes
A printed index, 1539-1552, is in volume 60 of the Records Series of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society appendix II, pages 182-184. The Family History Library has a copy of this index on film number 402541.

Archive Location
The records for this court are held in the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research.

Family History Library Records
The Family History Library has a copy of register copy wills, 1539-1552, on film number 98920 item 3. Films can be view in the library or in a family history center.

Jurisdiction
Beverley and 20 other parishes were under this court. Select from a court juridictions by parish table for your place to determine if this court had jurisdiction.