Probate Records

What are they?

There are three main series of records, dealing with a deceased person’s ‘estate’, ie their money and possessions:

Wills: written by the deceased (the ‘testator’) before they die.
administrations (commonly referred to as ‘admons’): documents allowing a named person to act in the absence of a will.
inventories of goods and chattels: drawn up after a person’s death, listing and valuing their possessions room by room.

What dates do they cover?

Wills and admons: occasionally from the 14–16 centuries, common from the 17 century, until the present day.
Inventories: from the 16 century to about 1750. (Since then, the deceased person’s estate has still been valued, but without a detailed inventory).

Where can I see them?

Until January 1858:

For Sheffield and South Yorkshire, the main series are at the Borthwick Institute in York.
For parts of Sheffield and South Yorkshire formerly in Derbyshire, Lichfield Record Office.
Photocopies of wills of parishioners of Beighton, Dore, Mosborough and Norton (all formerly Derbyshire), from Lichfield Record Office, are at Sheffield Archives, ref SY 414D (indexed).
Original wills and copies are occasionally to be found at Sheffield Archives in family and estate collections (see our personal name and subject card indexes).
For testators with estate in the Province of Canterbury: records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC), searchable online at the National Archives.

From January 1858:

Consult the probate registers (a form of index) for 1858-1943 at Sheffield Archives (microfiche), then apply for copies from the Postal Searches and Copies Dept., York Probate Sub-Registry, Castle Chambers, Clifford Street, York YO1 9RG, tel. 01904 666777. For details required, charges, etc, go to Law on the Web website.
For calendars after 1943, visit your nearest Probate Registry or request a search by York Probate Sub-Registry as above
Original wills and copies are occasionally to be found at Sheffield Archives in family and estate collections (see our personal name and subject card indexes).

Why is 1858 important?

Until 10 January 1858, probate was administered by church courts. After that date, probate became a state function, carried out in special civil courts.

For more information:

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