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ancestor-search.info > National Centres of Information > Probate Registry
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NATIONAL CENTRES OF INFORMATION Probate Registry
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PROBATE
REGISTRY |
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OVERVIEW |
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| Since 11 January 1858 the jurisdiction of proving wills in England and Wales has been the responsibility of the state (before then wills were proved in the ecclesiastical courts of the Anglican Church). The Probate Registry within the Court Service maintains a National Probate Index which indexes all wills and letters of administration proved in England and Wales from 1858 to the present day. The complete index can only be viewed at the Principal Registry Office (see below). However, most local District Probate Registries (see below) have indexes covering at least the last fifty years. Copies of the grant of probate together with the associated will (if any) can be obtained in person from the Principal Registry Office (see below), from a local registry office (see below) or through the post from the Postal Searches Office (see below) |
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| POSTAL SEARCHES OFFICE | ||||
| Address | The Postal Searches and Copies Department, The Probate Registry, Castle Chambers, Clifford Street, York, YO1 9RG | |||
| Telephone | (01904) 666777 for general enquiries only - search/copy requests must be submitted by post | |||
| Search Fees | the standard fee for searching for the will of a named deceased is £5 - this covers a 4 year search period and includes a single copy of the grant of probate together with the will (if any) - extending the search period costs an additional £3 for each 4 year extension | |||
| Copy Fees | £5 for single copy of grant of probate together with the will (if any) | |||
| Application | download the PDF document Application for Probate Search from the Court Service's website | |||
| Response Time | the Probate Service aims to supply copies of the grant of probate together with the will (if any) within 21 working days of your application | |||
| PRINCIPAL REGISTRY OFFICE | ||||
| Address | Probate Department, Principal Registry of the Family Division, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP | |||
| Telephone | (020) 7947 7000 | |||
| Opening Hours | see the Principal Registry Office page within the Court Service's website | |||
| Directions | see the street map within the Court Service's website - the location of the Principal Registry Office is also shown on this website's Central London Archives Map | |||
| Self Search | the Principal Registry Office is the only place where members of the public can search the complete National Probate Index dating right back to 1858 | |||
| Copy Fees | £5 for single copy of grant of probate together with the will (if any) | |||
| Response Time | in some cases you may be able to obtain a copy of the grant of probate and associated will 'on the spot' - otherwise the Probate Service aims to supply copies of the grant of probate together with the will (if any) within 21 working days of your application | |||
| Nearby Hotels | see list of nearby hotels | |||
| Nearby Hostel | YHA St Pauls - former choir boys school for St Paul's cathedral - accommodation includes 1, 2 and 3 bed rooms in addition to dormitory type rooms - 0.8 miles from the Principal Registry Office | |||
| University Accom | London School of Economics - accommodation available during Christmas and Summer vacations at Rosebery Hall - 1 mile from the Principal Registry Office | |||
| LOCAL REGISTRY OFFICES | ||||
| District Offices | Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Ipswich, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, Winchester | |||
| Sub-Registries | Bangor, Bodmin, Carlise, Carmarthen, Exeter, Gloucester, Lancaster, Leicester, Lincoln, Maidstone, Middlesborough, Norwich, Nottingham, Peterborough, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, York | |||
| Contact | for telephone numbers, opening hours and addresses click above on the office you wish to visit | |||
| Self Search | if you intend to visit a local registry office to search its probate indexes you are strongly recommended to contact the registry office beforehand to check what is available (note the Principal Registry Office is the only place where members of the public can search the complete National Probate Index ) | |||
| Copy Fees | £5 for single copy of grant of probate together with the will (if any) | |||
| Response Time | in some cases you may be able to obtain a copy of the grant of probate and associated will 'on the spot' - otherwise the Probate Service aims to supply copies of the grant of probate together with the will (if any) within 21 working days of your application | |||
| COURT SERVICES WEB SITE | ||||
| Access | Home Page of the wills and probate section of the Court Service's vast website | |||
| Useful Pages |
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This
page last updated: 30 March 2008 |
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