West Sussex, England, Wills and Probate, 1482-1858

Source Information

Ancestry.com. West Sussex, England, Wills and Probate, 1482-1858 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2023.
Original data: Anglican Parish Registers. Chichester, England: West Sussex Record Office.

About West Sussex, England, Wills and Probate, 1482-1858

General collection information

This collection includes wills and probate records from West Sussex, England, dated between 1482 and 1858. A will is a document that specifies how a person's property should be distributed after their death. Probate records include other documents, including property inventories, petitions to begin the probate process, guardianship and orphans' court records, and estate bonds that ensure that the estate handler will follow the wishes expressed in the deceased's will. The collection includes images of the original documents.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

  • Name
  • Place of residence
  • Probate date
  • Will date
  • Marriage date and place
  • Death date
  • Spouse's name
  • Father's name
  • Spouse's father's name
  • Court name
  • Event type

    • Wills and probate records can help you confirm important dates regarding your ancestor’s death and their financial status at the time they died. Probate records also include names of other family members that you can add to your family tree.

    Collection in context

    Wills and probate documents were created by officials working in the church courts of Sussex. The documents are primary historical sources that may have unique information about your ancestor. The original documents are held by the West Sussex Record Office.

    Until 1858, probate records were processed by the church courts in Sussex. The local courts typically handled the records of farmers, tradesmen, and the low gentry, while the wealthy and aristocratic class had their probate records processed in London in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Although poor people seldom had possessions to include, filing a will with a church was a common practice–even for people who didn't have property. Many clergymen saw it as part of their duty to make sure that their parishioners had settled their earthly affairs before dying.

    Bibliography

    Ancestry.com. "Finding Your Family in Wills and Probate Records." Accessed 22 February, 2023. https://www.ancestry.com/c/family-history-learning-hub/wills-and-probates.

    West Sussex County Council. "Wills and other probate records." Last modified 10 January, 2022. https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure-recreation-and-community/history-and-heritage/west-sussex-record-office/record-office-sources-and-collections/wills-and-other-probate-records-record-office-collection/.