You are here: Home > Search the archives > DocumentsOnline > Research tools > About the wills

Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (1384 - 1858)

You can search and download the complete collection of PCC wills on DocumentsOnline. This brief overview should help you understand more about the wills: Use the links below to jump to the topics you are interested in.

Introduction

PROB 11 copy book

The PCC Wills (catalogue reference PROB 11) cover the period from 1384 to 1858. Until 12 January 1858 all wills had to be proved by the church and other courts. The Prerogative Court of Canterbury was the most important of these courts dealing with relatively wealthy individuals living mainly in the south of England and most of Wales (what was originally the ecclesiastical province of Canterbury).

The PCC wills on DocumentsOnline are all registered copy wills, meaning they are copies of original probates written into volumes, by clerks at the church courts. Over the years, styles of handwriting changed, and you will find that many of the earlier wills are written in Latin. You can look at samples of typical wills from across the centuries on our sample wills page.

You can search the wills using first and last names, place, occupation and date of probate. For more general help on searching, please see the search tips.

Structure of a will

Top of page 

Wills are on average a page long, although they can range from a mere five lines to more than twenty pages.

Your will might not be at the start of the image you ordered; the PCC clerk did not usually begin a new will on a new page but began copying it immediately after the preceding will. The wills of Jane Austen and Susanna Smith on the sample wills page illustrate the structure of a will. You should also bear in mind the following points:

What language are these wills written in?

Top of page 

The majority of the probate wills are written in English; by the 17th century, wills written in Latin were rare. Wills written in French, Dutch or other European languages have an authenticated translation in the PCC registered copies. But this time only the probate clause on occasions was still written in Latin.

Before 1733, texts, sentences and probates clauses were written in Latin (with the exception of those from the Interregnum, which are in English). Generally the wills follow a standard format.

If you want to learn how to read old handwriting, you can try our online palaeography tutorial, which will correct your transcriptions line by line and offer helpful hints.

You can also try our beginners' online Latin tutorial, which covers the period 1086 - 1733, when official documents were written in Latin. There is also a step-by-step online tutorial to teach advanced Latin.

The National Archives and DocumentsOnline are unable to provide a transcription or translation service. If you have any problems reading a will, or need a translation of a Latin will, our website contains a list of independent researchers who can be contacted. We also have a list of specialists for the transcription and translation of records in Latin.

What could a will help me to discover?

Top of page 

Wills are an important resource for historians, helping to build a picture of an ancestor's wealth and social status, land and property, as well as their likes and dislikes. The wills indicate economic habits and trends and changes in society. Obviously there is no guarantee of finding the same information in every will but if you are lucky, you may discover some of the following:

Some other facts you may might find surprising:

The court system before 1858

Top of page 

Before 1858 there was no single system or place in which wills were proved. Instead there was a hierarchical ecclesiastical court system. The country at this time was divided into two provinces - York and Canterbury - and each was presided over by an archbishop. These provinces were split into a number of dioceses (each with at least two bishops), which were in turn, divided into several archdeaconries, which were then split into rural deaneries. On 12 January 1858 these courts ceased, and jurisdiction for the granting of probate was passed to the new secular Court of Probate.

The Prerogative Courts of Canterbury and York covered roughly the geographic areas below:

 

Factors determining where a will would be proved

Top of page 

There were three main factors determining in which court a will would be proved:

 

Of course, there were exceptions to these general rules:

 

The Prerogative Court of Canterbury (based in London) was the most senior church court. It would be overly broad to suggest that only those wills of sufficient wealth were proved there. In the early years most people would not have met the minimum £5 bequest required for a will to be proved in the PCC. But over the years this amount did not increase and gradually it extended to all ranks of society. It is estimated that by the 1830s, a third of all wills made in England and Wales were proved by the PCC.

 

Research guides and further information

Top of page 

Many of the terms used are specific to the PCC wills and there are explanations and definitions in our glossary page which you may find useful.

You can view samples of typical wills from across the centuries on our sample wills page.

DocumentsOnline holds a collection of original wills of famous people.

DocumentsOnline also holds Royal Naval seamen's wills. These are original wills of Warrant officers and seamen who joined the Royal Navy between 1786 and 1882.

Use the National Archives online currency converter to get an idea of what the amounts might be worth in today's money.

If you have a transcribed will to share with other researchers, see Your Archives, The National Archives' online community of records users.

Research Guides

There are several research guides available that provide general information on probate records, including PCC wills. You can also browse the full A to Z of research guides:

For more information on wills and testaments throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, see the FamilyRecords.gov.uk website.

Books

Wills and Other Probate Records, Karen Grannum and Nigel Taylor (The National Archives 2004).

When Death Do Us Part: Understanding and interpreting the probate records of early modern England, Evans, Arkell and Goose (Local Population Studies, 2000).

Words from Wills and other Probate Records, Stuart A Raymond. This book provides definitions for archaic words commonly found in early modern probate records.

Tracing Your Ancestors in The National Archives: The Website and Beyond, Amanda Bevan (The National Archives 2006).

Latin for Local and Family Historians, A Beginner's Guide, Denis Stuart, (Phillimore, 2006).

FAQ

Top of page 

I know when my ancestor died, but I can't find their will listed under this date. Why?

The date given is the date on which probate was granted, not the death date. In some cases this could be several years later.

I know my ancestor's will was proved before 1858. Why can't I find it?

In general, simpler wills bequeathing smaller properties were usually dealt with in a lower level court (either archdeacon's court or bishop's court). More complex wills, with a greater amount of property dispersal, would be proved at a higher level (for example, the diocesan court). Firstly, check that they lived in one of the geographic regions covered by the court. If they fall into the correct area, where the person died, then you need to consider how they dispersed their goods, and how much they were valued at. If the value of the goods were less than £5, then the will would not be proved at one of the central courts. If the goods were dispersed within a small geographic region, such as within one archdeaconry or diocese, then the probate would have been granted in a lower level court. To read more, look at What determined where a will was proved?

Does the PCC only cover the wills of rich people?

The Prerogative Court of Canterbury (based in London) was the most senior church court, but it would be overly broad to suggest that only those wills of sufficient wealth were proved there.
In the early years of its jurisdiction the minimum £5 bequest for a will to be proved in the PCC was difficult for most to meet. Over the years, this set value did not increase, but the relative wealth of ordinary individuals did, so the PCC was more open to all ranks of society. It has been estimated that by the 1830s, a third of all wills made in England and Wales were proved by PCC.
During the interregnum (1553-1560) all wills were proved in London. If your ancestor left property in both courts, their will would be held in PCC.
If your ancestor was out of the country (for instance a sailor, soldier, migrant) and bequeathed property held anywhere in England or Wales, their will would have been proved in the PCC.

I know my ancestor's will was proved during 1858. Why can't I find it?

On 12 January 1858 the ecclesiastical courts ceased, and jurisdiction for the granting of probate was passed to the new secular Court of Probate. Therefore a majority of the wills proved in 1858 will not fall under either of these courts.

Where are the wills after 1858 held?

In 1858 a secular Court of Probate was created and the proving of wills was no longer under the jurisdiction of the church. There is information on the Court Service website about wills after 1858, including a guide to obtaining copies of probate records.

Top of page