A GUIDE TO WILLS IN ESSEX
LOCAL CHURCH OF ENGLAND COURTS
Most Essex wills are held at the
ESSEX RECORD OFFICE Besides wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, the other few exceptions are any wills which might have been proved in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of London and in three small peculiars.
A general will index for Essex is available online from Essex Record Office –
SEAX Essex Archives Online. This consolidates most county wills from the various Essex church courts into one index.
ESSEX WILLS BENEFICIARIES INDEX 1675-1858 an index of people mentioned in wills held at the Essex Record Office where the surname differs from that of the testator.
ESSEX FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY also holds a wills beneficiaries index.
Essex Record Office information leaflet
WILLS IN ESSEXDuring the Commonwealth period 1649-1660 all Essex wills were proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.
A LIST OF CHURCH OF ENGLAND COURTS WITH JURISDICTION IN ESSEX
Essex parishes listed by their
PROBATE JURISDICTIONS at Family Search
Archdeaconry Court of Colchester 1495-1858
Archdeaconry Court of Essex 1400-1858
Archdeaconry of Middlesex (Essex and Hertfordshire Division) 1538-1858
Commissary Court of London 1400-1858 (Essex and Hertfordshire Division)
Consistory Court of the Bishop of London 1262-1858
Essex wills were proved in this court up to 1846. The London Metropolitan Archives has an online index
THE CONSISTORY COURT OF LONDON WILLS AND ADMINISTRATIONS London Metropolitan Archives information leaflet
WILLS FOR LONDON, MIDDLESEX AND SURREY BEFORE 1858 for further details
Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral 1535-1837
Guildhall Library
MANUSCRIPTS SECTION has an online index to probate inventories for this court.
The Guildhall Library guide
PROBATE RECORDS (WILLS AND ADMINISTRATION) for further details.
Court of the Peculiar of the Deanery of Bocking 1538-1857
Court of the Peculiar of Good Easter 1631-1847
Court of the Peculiar of Havering-atte-Bower 1753-1839 wills held at
NEW COLLEGE OXFORD archives
Court of the Peculiar of the Liberty of the Sokens 1618-1857
Court of the Peculiar of Writtle near Roxwell 1631-1847
Court of the Royal Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster 1504 -1829 wills are held at
WESTMINSTER ARCHIVES Westminster Archives guide to
WILLS for further details.
LONDON WILLS AND PROBATE INDEX 1525-1858 covers the church court records held by the London Metropolitan Archives and the Guildhall Library. Further details for this index with images can be found at Ancestry.
THE LONDON PROBATE INDEX, 1750-1858 covers 9 of the Church courts found in the London area including the Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral 1750-1837 and the Court of the Royal Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster 1750-1780s, with a few later to 1829.
Further details for this index can be found at
FINDMYPASTThe National Archives hosts transcribed
PROBATE TRANSCRIPTS online. The wills are from all areas of the country.
A map of Essex
PROBATE JURISDICTIONS at Family Search showing each courts’ jurisdiction over Essex parishes