THE BCH ARCHIVE
LOCAL HISTORY FOR
BIRTSMORTON
CASTLEMORTON
HOLLYBUSH
And The Surrounding District
Wills Guide
This is a guide to early Wills Birtsmorton and Castlemorton. Before 1857, Wills were proved in cathedral city in the County where the deceased owned property – in this case Worcester.
If property was owned in more than one County, the Will was proved at either the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) or the Prerogative Court of York (PCY).
After 1857, Wills were proved in any regional Probate Office, or in the Principal Probate Office in London.
This index covers Birtsmorton and Castlemorton Wills proved at Worcester from the earliest Will to 1855, and those from 1973-1995 proved anywhere. It also includes all Worcestershire Peculiars. Volumes in The Hive contain lists of all Worcestershire Wills up to 1928, so the index could be extended to 1928 by abstracting in formation from these.
It also covers all Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills and also Prerogative & Exchequer Courts of York 1688-1857.
From 1857-1972, Birtsmorton and Castlemorton were not used as searchable terms in the on-line index to Wills, and therefore the index does not cover that period.
The index also includes some other Birtsmorton and Castlemorton Wills from 1857-1973, identified from newspaper articles.
Findmypast have an index to all Worcestershire Wills from 1660-1855, which includes images of the originals.
Abbreviations
A Administration
I Inventory
P Probate
MB Marriage Bond – these were included in the index to Wills in The Hive, Worcester.
Original Documents
The Hive in Worcester holds the originals of all the early Worcestershire documents.
Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills can be read at The National Archives at Kew and printed for the cost of a photocopy. Alternatively, copies can be downloaded on line, for a fee.
There were no entries in the Prerogative Court of York index.