Essex (ESS)

Jurisdictions

1. Most of the 405 parishes in this county came under one or more of four major courts: the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division) [98 parishes], the Archdeaconry of Colchester [102 parishes], the Archdeaconry of Essex [139 parishes], and the Archdeaconry of Middlesex (Essex & Herts. Division) [37 parishes]. The Commissary and Consistory courts of London also exercised concurrent jurisdiction in the archdeaconries. Use the county map in the Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers (FHL Ref 942 E7pa 2003 and BYU Religion/Family History Reference CS 434 .H85x) to determine the archdeaconry to which a parish belonged or search online at FamilySearch Maps. Exceptions for the 2 Commissary courts are listed below with the parishes that came under the peculiar courts.
2. If research involves one of the places listed below, match the designated letter in parentheses (A-G) with the subsequent heading in the decision table.

Decision Table

For those who lived in (A) the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Divison) or any of the three archdeaconries, Search:

1. This commissary court and any of the respective archdeaconries
2. Consistory of London (see London)
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 Commissary of London, London Division, Search:

1. Commissary of London, London Division (see London)
2. Do 1-5 above for the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division)

For those who lived in (C) the peculiars of the Deanery of Bocking, Writtle with Roxwell, and the Liberty of the Sokens, Search:

1. The respective peculiar court
2. Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. 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 (D) the Peculiar of Good Easter, Search:

1. Peculiar of Good Easter
2. Royal Peculiar of the Dean & Chapter of Westminster (see London)
3. Do 2-5 as outlined under (C)

For those who lived in (E) the Peculiar of Hornchurch, Search:

1. Peculiar of Hornchurch (The existing records for this court are mainly for 1766-1839 and are at the Library of New College, Oxford. They are not on film at the FHL.)
2. Do 2-5 as outlined under (C)

For those who lived in (F) the Peculiar of the Dean & Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral, Search:

1. Peculiar of the Dean & Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral (see London)
2. Also do the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division)

For those who lived in (G) the Royal Peculiar of the Dean & Chapter of Westminister, Search:

1. Peculiar of the Dean & Chapter of Westminister (see London)
2. Also do the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division)

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 Index of the Essex Record Office

Start with this index at Essex Archives. Type just the surname plus will in the box labeled "Search Criteria." If a colored box appears before the date of probate for the person of interest, you can click on it to see an image of the actual document. If this fails, proceed as follows.

Printed Indexes/Microfilmed Calendars for the County of Essex

1. 1400-1619, (FHL 942 B4b) and (BYU CS 434 .B7) volume 78
   Volumes 78-79 and 84 are part of the Index Library series (BRS). They include the 4 major courts and 4 peculiar courts described in (A), (C), and (D) above. The courts are designated as follows: B = Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division), C = Archdeaconry of Colchester, E = Archdeaconry of Essex, M = Archdeaconry of Middlesex (Essex & Herts. Division), A = Peculiar of the Deanery of Bocking, GE = Peculiar of Good Easter, W = Peculiar of Writtle with Roxwell, and S = Peculiar of the Liberty of the Sokens. They do not index administrations. The place indexes in all three volumes include a number of entries for the counties of Cambridge, London/Middlesex, and Suffolk.
   
   1620-1720, (FHL 942 B4b) and (BYU CS 434 .B7) volume 79
   See the preceding entry for volume 78.
   
   1721-1858, (FHL 942 B4b) volume 84
   See the above entry for volume 78. Volume 84 concentrates on registered copy wills.
2. The microfilmed calendars will be of value in finding administrations and act books in any time period, and original wills for the period of 1721-1858. See the following films at both the FHL and BYU: 94217-94218 and 94484 (index to act books) for the Commissary court; 91231 for the Archdeaconry of Colchester; 91211 for the Archdeaconry of Essex, and 94737, items 2-4 for the Archdeaconry of Middlesex.

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.

Microfilmed Records for the Four Major Courts in Essex

All of the registered copy wills and act books were filmed. The original wills were filmed from the earliest dates through the mid-seventeenth century. No administration bonds were filmed but the act books can be used as a substitute record. The initial film for the probate records of the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division) is 94219; for the Archdeaconry of Colchester 91232; and for the Archdeaconry of Essex 91212. The FHL catalog mixes the entries for the Archdeaconry of Middlesex (London Division) with the Archdeaconry of Middlesex (Essex & Herts. Division). The films for the registered copy wills of the Archdeaconry of Middlesex (Essex & Herts. Division) begin with 94729, the original wills with 94765, and the act books are on films 94784-94785.

Microfilmed Calendars/Records for the 4 Peculiar Courts in Essex

The calendar for the Peculiar Deanery of Bocking is on FHL and BYU film 91273. The registered copy wills and administration bonds/inventories were all filmed. The original wills were filmed only through 1726.

The calendar for the Peculiar of Good Easter is on FHL and BYU film 91229. The original wills, administrations and some inventories were filmed only through 1650.

The calendar for the Peculiar of Writtle with Roxwell is on FHL and BYU film 91229 right after that of Good Easter. The registered wills were all filmed and include administrations, plus there are act book entries for 1661-1699. The original wills were filmed only through 1662. The inventories for Writtle, 1635-1749, were compiled by Francis W. Steer and published as No. 8 of the Essex Record Office Publications. (FHL and BYU 599505, item 4)

There is only the printed index for the Peculiar of the Liberty of the Sokens in BRS volumes 79 and 84; however, over a third of the entries appear in a supplemental index in volume 79 on pages vii-viii. Only the original wills were filmed and then just through 1793. They are on FHL film 174917.

Essex Record Office

It may be necessary to contact the record office for any probate records that were not filmed. However, first search the Miscellaneous Section below for abstracts of many wills. The current address of the record office can be obtained from the GENUKI web site for Essex under the subject of Archives.

Miscellaneous Section

1. 1558-1603, Abstracts (FHL 942.67 P2e) volumes 1-12
   These are abstracts of nearly all wills of "the middle and lower classes" proven in the 4 major courts and published by the Essex Record Office. Each volume contains an every name index. Volumes 1-7 are for the three archdeacons' courts and 8-11 for the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division).
2. 1558-1603, Abstracts (FHL 942.67 B4e) Nos. 71 & 75 (BYU DA670 .E7 A17) No. 75
   These are abstracts of the wills of the gentry and some of the yeomen from the four major courts, published by the Essex Records Office as number 75 of their Elizabethan Life series. Number 71 has abstracts for wills of the gentry and merchants proven in the PCC. There is an online index to all 5 volumes of this series. To access it, call up the Essex page of GENUKI and click on the subject of "Names, Personal." At the bottom of the next page, click on 'Name Indexes to Emmison's 5 volume Elizabethan Life."
3. 1725-1858, Abstracts (FHL microfilms)
   These are abstracts of all of the registered copy wills for 1725-1858 in the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division). The abstracts were typed onto printed forms by a group of volunteers under the direction of Donna Patterson. There is an every name index by year. Choose the "Film/Fiche Search" box from the menu of the FHL catalog and type in 1145992 for further details.
4. The will of James Kenet of North Fambridge proven in the Commissary of London (Essex & Herts. Division) in 1431 is mislabeled as 1531 in the printed index and will be found on FHL & BYU film 94372. The next will on that film is also for 1431 but is out of place in the Ks and does not appear in the printed index. It is for John Maldon of St. Osyth. The following was noted in the act books for 1620 of the same court on FHL film 94408: Frances Grube, wife of Rowland Grube of Roydon in Essex, was the god-daughter of William Moude of Hunsdon in Hertford.
5. The original wills for the Archdeaconry of Colchester contain a nuncupative will dated 1606 on FHL film 91256 not found in the printed index. It is for Mary Saunders, single woman of Widdington, and is document 204 on that film.
6. Volume 23 of the act books for the Archdeaconry of Essex on FHL & BYU film 91303 actually starts with marriage allegations for 1691-1697 on 12 pages. The names of the groom and bride also appear in the left margin. The following three entries indicate connections with areas outside of Essex:
• 12 Jul 1692 Benjamin Cole of Haverhill, Suffolk, widower to Hanna Gent of Steeple Bumpstead, 22, single and daughter of George Gent, Esq.
• 27 Oct 1692 John Whithead of St. James in Westminster in Middlesex, 32, widower to Rebecca Mills, single woman of Hatfield Peveral.
• 11 Jan 1697 Richard Burgesse of Mucking, widower to Mary Lane of Gravesend, Kent.
7. William Gilbert compiled "A Digest of Essex Wills, with Particular Reference to Names of Importance in the American Colonies" published between 1909-1911 in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (FHL 974.7 B2n, volumes 40-42 and on fiche only at BYU CS43 .G46x GS 1) This material was reprinted in 1991 in Henry B. Hoff's English Origins of American Colonists published by the Genealogical Publishing Co. (FHL 973 P2ho)