Dorset (DOR)

Jurisdictions

1. Aside from the exceptions listed in 2 below, the majority of parishes came under (A) the Archdeaconry of Dorset.
2. If research involves one of the places listed below, match the designated letter in parentheses (B-P) with the subsequent heading in the decision table.

Decision Table

For those who lived in (A) the Archdeaconry of Dorset, search:

1. Archdeaconry of Dorset
2. Consistory of Bristol, Dorset Division
3. Prerogative Court of Canterbury (see London: PCC)
4. Court of Arches, 1660- (see London: Arches)
5. Court of Delegates, 1636- (see London: Delegates)

For those who lived in (B) the Peculiar of the Dean of Sarum or Salisbury, search:

1. Peculiar of the Dean of Sarum or Salisbury (see Wiltshire)
2. Do 3-5 above for (A)

For those who lived in (C) the Dean and Chapter of Sarum or Salisbury, search:

1. Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Sarum or Salisbury (see Wiltshire)
2. Do 3-5 above for (A)

For those who lived in (D-I) the Prebendal courts named above, search:

1. The pertinent prebendal court
2. The Dean of Sarum or Salisbury (see Wiltshire)
3. Do 3-5 above for (A)

For those who lived in (J-N) the Royal peculiars named above, search:

1. The pertinent Royal peculiar court
2. Do 3-5 above for (A)

For those who lived in (O) the Manorial Court of Frampton, search:

1. The manor court rolls of Frampton
2. Do all of the steps outlined under (A)

For those who lived in (P) the Peculiar of Milton Abbas, search:

1. Peculiar of Milton Abbas
2. Do all of the steps outlined under (A)

For those who lived anywhere in the county between 1653-1660, search:

1. Prerogative Court of Canterbury (see London: PCC)

For those who lived anywhere in the county between 1812-1857, regardless of what is found in the probate records of any of the above courts, consider searching also the estate duty registers (see London: Estate Duty)

Online Probate Records for Dorset

The collection of probate records at the Dorset Record Office is now online with a few exceptions for the prebendal courts, the Royal Peculiar of Gillingham, and the Manorial Court of Frampton. Start your research with "Dorset, England, Wills and Probates, 1565-1858" on Ancestry.com. This is a subscription site but can be accessed free on the computers at the FHL or in the Family History section of the BYU library or through FamilySearch Partner Access.

Probate Indexes for Dorset

1. 1383-1941, card index at the Dorset Record Office
   This index includes all of the courts located in Dorset and the Prerogative Court of Canterbury for Dorset residents. Unfortunately, the FHL has not microfilmed it. Searches can be made for a fee including via e-mail by contacting the Research Service at the record office.
2. Pre-1792, printed index (FHL 942 B4b) and (BYU CS 434 .B7) volume 22
   Volume 22 was published in 1900 for the Index Library series (BRS). It includes the Consistory of Bristol and the Archdeaconry of Dorset but is likely to be incomplete. There is even an older manuscript calendar on microfilm where you can search a rough index of the wills and administrations of the Archdeaconry of Dorset through 1857. (FHL film 167929)

Microfilmed Records for the Archdeaconry of Dorset and Consistory of Bristol

The original wills, administrations and inventories for the archdeaconry were filmed in 1957 but not the unproved wills and guardianship bonds. The initial film for this series is FHL 167929. It is likely that more records have been discovered since then. Extracts from the administrations appear on FHL and BYU film 167930. All of the probate records for the Consistory of Bristol (Dorset Division) have been microfilmed. Start with FHL film 167896. The original wills through 1807 were filmed twice. The second filming begins with FHL 1470654.

NOTE: Where an initial film number is given, use either version of the FHL catalog to see all of the films in that collection. The previous version at FamilySearch may be a little easier to use for that purpose.

Indexes and Microfilmed Records for the Prebendal Peculiar Courts

(Not Online)

All of the prebendal courts are indexed through 1799 in BRS volume 53. (FHL 942 B4b and at BYU on microfiche only under CS 43 .G46x LH12298) See item 2 above for further details. There may be online indexes for each court.

The original records are on FHL microfilms as follows:

• Chardstock, 1639-1799, film 1067163, items 3-7
• Fordington, 1660-1855, 1067158, items 3-5, plus a stray for 1852 on 1526568, item 25
• Lyme Regis, 1664-1857 (plus a calendar through 1857) on films 1067161, items 5-9 and 1067162, items 1-4
• Netherbury, 1608-1857 on films 1067164, items 6-10 and 1067165
• Preston, 1761-1834 on film 1067166, items 1-2
• Yetminster, 1654-1799 on films 1067167, item 5 and 1067168. The inventories have been published and will be found under FHL 942.33 S2m.

Indexes and Microfilmed Records for the Royal Peculiars

All of the Royal peculiar courts are indexed through 1799, plus Wimborne Minster through 1823, in BRS volumes 22 and 53. See the preceding paragraph and item 2 above for further details. Microfilmed calendars from 1800 through the end of the records for each of the other four courts are on the first roll of film for the original records as outlined below:

• Corfe Castle, wills/administrations only, 1576-1849, on FHL films 167947-167950
• Gillingham, all records, 1660-1858, on FHL films 1067155-1067157 (Not Online)
• Great Canford, wills/administrations only, 1639-1857, on FHL films 167951-167960 (BYU has films 167951, 167954-167956, and 167960.)
• Sturminster Marshall, all records, 1641-1853, on FHL/BYU films 167944-167946
• Wimborne Minster, wills/administrations, 1603-1857 plus the administrators' accounts, 1599-1702, but none of the other records identified in 1969, on FHL films 167961-167968 and 1470757 (BYU has films 167963 and 167967.) The inventories are indexed in BRS volume 53 but are incorrectly assigned to Great Canford.

Indexes and Microfilmed Records for the Manorial Court of Frampton

The index is in Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries, volume 27, pages 229-233. (FHL 942.3 B2n, volume 27) The probate records are on FHL films 1470760, items 3-4, and 1470761, items 1-2. (Not Online)

Indexes and Microfilmed Records for the Peculiar Court of Milton Abbas

A full index is in BRS volume 22, see item 2 above for details, and all of the filmed records are on FHL film 167969.

Miscellaneous Section

1. Abstracts of Administrations for the Archdeaconry of Dorset will be found in volume 6 of the Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries as follows: 1694-1696 on pages 26-31, 1697-1700 on pages 57-61, and 1705-1708 on pages 154-158. (FHL 942.3 B2n)
2. BRS volume 53 outlined above under indexes for the peculiar courts also has on pages 178-179 an index to some Dorset wills, 1559-1572, from the Dean & Chapter of Bristol. Transcripts of these registered copy wills are available in volume 24 of the Somerset and Dorset Notes & Queries. (FHL 942.3 B2n) If an item of interest is found in BRS 53, go to the name index in the back of volume 24 or look under "Dorset Wills."
3. Wills for the borough of Bridport will be found in the borough court records from 1313-1741 on FHL film 1565198, items 27-40. They are listed in BRS volume 53 on pages 179-180. BRS volume 53 also lists wills found in the records of the boroughs of Dorchester, Poole, Shaftesbury, Weymouth, and Lyme Regis.
4. Brief abstracts of administrations for people from Dorset in the PCC, 1559-1725, are scattered through volumes 2-6 of the Somerset and Dorset Notes & Queries. (FHL 942.3 B2n) Consult the index in the back of each volume under "Dorset Administrations" to find them.
5. George S. Fry abstracted a large number of wills and some administrations for Dorset folk from the PCC and a variety of other courts. This collection is available on FHL and BYU films 476212-476215. There may be a pedigree sketched on the page facing the wills. Volumes I-IV on films 476212-476213 for wills numbered 1-1415 are all from the PCC and probably cover 1383-1700 . There is an index at the start of each volume by testators and places. Volume V or wills 1416-1971 on film 476214 are from 16 different courts. Volume VI on film 476215 or wills 1972-3252 are from 8 or more different courts and cover at least the 1500s-1910. Volumes V-VI are indexed like Volumes I-IV. Volume VII on film 476215 or numbers 3253-3694 was also compiled from various courts and includes some administrations. However, volume VII is not indexed.
6. Miriam Scott compiled a modern Surname Index of Dorset PCC Wills and Administrations, 1821-1858. (FHL 942.33 P22s 1999)