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Last updated 24 Feb 2000

Archbishop of York: Exchequer &  Prerogative (PCY) Courts:
Probate Index   1688-1858

Sorted by Date

Note that most of the probate records of the Exchequer Court of York & the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of York (PCY) are filed together in one sequence.

Source Info (also notes missing books and describes the condition of each book.)

Latin: nuper = lately,   de = of,   vid = widow;   filia = daughter;   filius = son;   impubes = under age, youthful;   cum = with (usually abbreviated as just the letter c)

Abbreviated Words: Prerog or Prog = Prerogative (PCY) Court,   Test or just the letter T = Testament (Will),   Admon or just the letter A = Administration,    Cod or just the letter C = Codicil.   Note - I have tried to transcribe the entries exactly as written. Where I use a ~ in the middle of a word, i.e. Tho~s, it indicates the entry was written with the letter(s) following the ~ superscripted. Many words in the indexes are abbreviated with a line over the word, i.e. the word Tuition is abbreviated as Tuon with a line over the word, and the word Curation is abbreviated as Curon with a line above. I am unable to duplicate the line over such abbreviated words and simply write the word as abbreviated sans the line.

In the later entries (after 1830) if there is an unidentified number alone or before the Volume number and/or folio number, I understand that number to be the value of the estate (under the stated amount in pounds).

The date thing: Pre-1752 dates have NOT been adjusted to the new style. It's easy to forget that January 1733 comes after December 1733 and that the new year starts March 25th. Confused about English dates prior to 1752? Here's a Tutorial.

Disclaimers: I attempted to extract every instance of each surname in the calendars. I have transcribed each entry as it appeared to my eyes. I'm pretty good at deciphering Old English, but I don't pretend that I haven't made mistakes or missed entries. I do not have any additional information at all on any entry or on any person mentioned in any entry. A ? is invariably my own note indicating I was unsure of whatever precedes it. My [comments & clarifications] are added in brackets. If I have seen the probate record I include a [thumbnail in brackets] but please note that I haven't necessarily noted EVERY name mentioned in the will. I haven't taken the time to include the film number where I found that record either. Yes, I'm lazy.
  

Transcribed 1688 - January 1858 for these surnames (click names to go to lists):

Bradley, Edgehill, Gill, Harrison, Herrington, Maude, Meggitt, Metcalf, Nelson, Pearson, Shaw, Thornton, Turner, Waslin

 

Source Information:

NOTE that the filmed contemporary manuscript calendars cover 1688-1857 but the Exchequer & Prerogative Wills & Admons themselves start at 1389! Modern indexes for much of the earlier periods can be found, usually done by the Yorkshire Archeaelogical Society or the Family History Library.

I viewed the manuscript calendars on these Salt Lake Family History Library films:

0099445 1688-1714   (Note: According to David H. Pratt's "Researching British Probates," this microfilm is a calendar for both courts, but of the registered copy wills only. The Family History Library has done typescript calendars, based on the Act Books, for both courts. I have not read those typescript calendars.)  This film is negative.  The 1688-1690 book is in surprisingly good shape for its age but still has many illegible edges, corners & spots. No wills registered 1691-1698. The 1698-1699 book: the bottom corners (last 5-10 surnames) of every page are too light to read but the rest is mostly legible. No wills registered 1700-1704. The 1705-1706 book is in kind of bad condition, with the corners of every page too light to read and much of the writing disintigrating. The 1707-1708 book is half clear and half very difficult with the corners of every page too light to read. . The 1708-1709 book is sometimes very legible, sometimes very light, and sometimes very dark. The 1709-1710 book is sometimes very legible, sometimes very light, and sometimes very dark. The 1710-1711 book is pretty legible but the bottom corners of every page are too light. The 1712-1713 book is pretty legible but the bottom corners of most pages are too light. The 1713-1714 book is on both this film and film 0099446 - the writing is legible but the corners of every page are too light.

0099446 1713-1741   This film is negative.   From 1716-1731 the bottom third of nearly every page is too light to read. 1717-1718 book missing the letters A & B. 1731-1741 the clerk usually makes his S & L identically.

0099447 1741-1771   1741-1745 book is in good shape & easy to read. 1745-1757 book -the writing is good but there is tape over the bottom 4-5 entries on most pages & most pages are very dark at the bottom. 1757-1770 book-the writing is good but there are mildew spots & most pages are dark and/or taped over at the bottom.

0099448 1771-1799   1771-1777 book is in mostly good shape with some pages torn/taped/dark at the bottom. 1777-1785 book is in mostly good shape but with many pages taped over at the bottom--especially at the end of the alphabet. 1785-1792 book is mostly legible but with many pages torn/covered/dark at the bottom. 1793-1799 book--front pages are mostly held together with darkened tape--gets better by the C's but continues with many pages dark or covered at the bottom.

0099449 1800-1819   1800-1803 book is in mostly good shape with some pages dark or faded at the bottom. 1804-1809 book is in mostly good shape. 1809-1814 book is in mostly good shape but with many pages covered/torn/dark at the bottom. 1814-1819 book is in mostly good shape but with many pages covered/damaged/dark at the bottom.

0099450 1819-1830   1819-1823 book is in mostly good shape but with many pages dark or covered at the bottom. 1823-1826 book is in mostly good shape but with many pages dark or covered at the bottom. 1827-1830 book is in mostly good shape but with most pages dark at the bottom.

0099451 1830-1842   1830-1834 book is in good condition but with many pages dark or covered at the bottom. 1837-1840 book is dark but mostly legible with many pages too dark or covered at the bottom. 1840-1842 book is in good shape with some pages dark at the bottom.

0099452 1842-1851   1842-1845 book is in good condition with some pages covered at the bottom. 1845-1847 book is in good condition with many pages dark at the bottom. 1847-1849 book is in good condition but with many pages very dark at the bottom. 1849-1851 book is in good condition with some pages dark at the bottom.

0099453 1851 - January 1858   The 1851-1853 book is in nearly perfect condition! The 1853-1855 book is in very good condition with only a few surnames covered. The 1855-1857 book is in almost perfect condition! The 1857-1858 book is in almost perfect condition!

 

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