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This is the main link page to Wills and Administrations.

England and Wales

After 1858

After 1858 jurisdiction over wills and administrations was transferred to a new civil Court of Probate and its probate registries in London and across the county. The Court of Probate was merged into the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice in 1875 and became the Family Division in 1970.

National Probate Calendars
Cheshire

Before 1858

Before 1858 grants of probate and letters of adminstration were dealt with by the eccesiastical courts.

Wills were normally proved in the archdeaconry in which the testator died. If however, his possessions fell across two deaconries, or two bishoprics, or two archbishoprics then the will would be taken to the relevant consistory, diocese or prerogative court of the archbishop respectively. The highest church courts were the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (P.C.C.) for England and Wales and the Prerogative Court of York for the northern English provinces. But in practice the exception was almost as common as the rule. The wealthier the testator, the more likely their executor would take the will to the highest courts where records were better maintained and where the possibility of disputes was minimised.

There were also 'peculiar' jurisdictions of parishes and groups of parishes which were exempt from the archdeacon's and frequently the bishop's authority.

Consistory Court of Chester

Archdeaconry of Richmond

PCC Wills

Bank of England Will Extracts
The Bank of England Will Extracts contain 60,523 entries, covering the period 1717-1845. They contain extracts of wills of those who died with monies in public funds, as well as abstracts of orders made for stockholders who went bankrupt or were declared lunatic. There is only one Earlam or variant entry:
1822 Richard Earlom, Engraver of Clerkenwell
(Book 19 A-I, Reg No 3962)