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West Kent (KEN)

Jurisdictions

It is useful to mentally divide this county into two parts, east and west, before describing the probate jurisdictions. The smaller part is West Kent. If the parish of interest is not listed below under West Kent, then go to the section for East Kent.

  1. The majority of parishes came under (A) the archdeaconry and consistory courts of Rochester. These two courts had concurrent jurisdiction and their records are often mixed so that both courts should be searched at the same time. Nearly 40 parishes came under (B) the Deanery of Shoreham, a peculiar of the Archbishop of Canterbury. One other parish was (C) the peculiar of Cliffe.
Place Court
Addington Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Allington Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Ash near Ridley Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Ashurst Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Aylesford Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Beckenham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Bexley Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Bidborough Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Birling Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Brasted Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Brenchley Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Bromley Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Burham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Capel Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Chalk Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Charlton (Greenwich) Pre-1846, Archdeaconry of Rochester (A) & then Consistory of London (London)
Chatham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Chelsfield Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Chevening Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Chiddingstone Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Chislehurst Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Cliffe Pre-1846, Peculiar of Cliffe (C) & then to (A)
Cobham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Cooling Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Cowden Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Crayford Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Cudham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Cuxton Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Darenth Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Dartford Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Deptford Pre-1846, Archdeaconry of Rochester (A) & then Consistory of London (London)
Ditton Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Downe Deanery of Shoreham (B)
East Barming Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
East Farleigh Deanery of Shoreham (B)
East Malling Deanery of Shoreham (B)
East Peckham Deanery of Shoreham (B)
East Wickham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Edenbridge Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Eltham Pre-1846, Archdeaconry of Rochester (A) & then Consistory of London (London)
Erith Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Eynsford Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Farnborough Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Farningham Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Fawkham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Foots Cray Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Frant Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Frindsbury Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Gillingham Pre-1846, Deanery of Shoreham (B) & then to (A)
Grain Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Gravesend Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Greenwich Pre-1846, Archdeaconry of Rochester (A) & then Consistory of London (London)
Hadlow Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Halling Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Hallstead Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Halling Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Hartley Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Hayes Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Hever Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Higham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
High Halstow Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Hoo Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Horsmonden Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Horton Kirkby Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Hunton Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Ide Hill Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Ifield Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Ightham Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Kemsing Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Keston Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Kidbrook Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Kingsdown Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Knockholt Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Lamberhurst Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Lee Pre-1846, Archdeaconry of Rochester (A) & then Consistory of London (London)
Leigh Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Lewisham Pre-1846, Archdeaconry of Rochester (A) & then Consistory of London (London)
Leybourne Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Lidsing Pre-1846, Deanery of Shoreham (B) & then to (A)
Longfield Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Luddesdown Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Lullingstone Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Meopham Pre-1846, Deanery of Shoreham (B) & then to (A)
Mereworth Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Milton (Gravesend) Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Nettlested Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
North Cray Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Northfleet Pre-1846, Deanery of Shoreham (B) & then to (A)
Nursted Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Offham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Orpington Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Otford Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Pembury Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Penshurst Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Plaxtol Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Plumstead Pre-1846, Archdeaconry of Rochester (A) & then Consistory of London (London)
Ridley Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Rochester Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Ryarsh Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
St Mary Cray Deanery of Shoreham (B)
St Paul's Cray Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Seal Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Sevenoaks Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Shipbourne Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Shoreham Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Shorne Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Snodland Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Southfleet Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Speldhurst Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Stansted Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Stoke Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Stone (Dartford) Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Strood Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Sundridge Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Sutton at Hone Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Swanscombe Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Teston Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Trotterscliffe Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Tudley Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Tunbridge Wells Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Wateringbury Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Westerham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
West Farleigh Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
West Malling Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
West Peckham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
West Wickham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Wilmington Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Woolwich Pre-1846, Archdeaconry of Rochester (A) & then Consistory of London (London)
Wouldham Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)
Wrotham Deanery of Shoreham (B)
Yalding Archdeaconry of Rochester (A)

Decision Table

For those who lived in (A) the archdeaconry and consistory of Rochester, search:

  1. Archdeaconry and Consistory Courts of Rochester
  2. Prerogative Court of Canterbury (London: PCC)
  3. Court of Arches, 1660- (London: Arches)
  4. Court of Delegates, 1636- (London: Delegates)

For those who lived in (B) the Deanery of Shoreham, search:

  1. Deanery of Shoreham
  2. Do 2-4 as in (A) above.

For those who lived in (C) the Peculiar of Cliffe, search:

  1. Peculiar Court of Cliffe
  2. Do 1-4 as in (A) above.

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

  1. Prerogative Court of Canterbury (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. (London: Estate Duty)

Indexes/Calendars for the Probate Courts of West Kent

  1. 1440-1653, Online Index of Wills for West Kent
    This index was compiled by Jean Fox and includes Leland L. Duncan’s printed index (FHL 942.23 B4ka, volume 9) of registered wills and administrations in the Consistory of Rochester, 1440-1561, the card index at the county record office for the same court through 1653, the Deanery of Shoreham through 1653, the printed indexes for the PCC through 1649, and some data from London. To search the index, click on West Kent Wills and Families.
  2. 1440-1858, Calendars of Wills/Administrations for Rochester (FHL 1551205 & 1551178)
    The calendars for both the archdeaconry and the consistory were microfilmed twice. The first filming, which may not be as complete as the second, is at BYU on films 188771-188776. Note the next entry for 1750-1858.
  3. 1750-1858, Index on CD for West Kent
    Dr. David Wright has compiled an index, 1750-1858, to the wills and administrations for all of the courts in West Kent available at the FHL on CD-ROM, no. 3251. The FHL has now added the contents of this CD to their in-house network. To see this index on their computer screens go to FamilySearch and click on "Library Catalog." Select in the search box "Titles" and type in West Kent Probate Index. It is also online at FindMyPast.
  4. 1614-1821, 1841, Calendar of all probate records for the Deaneries of Shoreham and Croydon (FHL and BYU film 189094). You can also access an online index via Kent Genealogy.
    The filmed calendar includes an unproved will for Francis Blakemore of Overton and Stottesden in Shropshire dated 25 April 1708. See London under the Deaneries of Arches and Croydon for a description of a printed index that covers the registered probate records for all three deaneries. Note item 3 above for searches from 1750 onwards.
  5. 1671-1845, Calendar to Wills/Administrations/Inventories of Cliffe (FHL 227286)
    Note item 3 above for searches from 1750 onwards.

Microfilmed Probate Records for the Courts of West Kent

Archdeaconry and Consistory Courts of Rochester: all of the registered copy wills, administration bonds and inventories were microfilmed. See the initial films of 188771 for the wills and 189131 for the administration bonds and act books. There are also separate indexes of the inventories for both courts. The act books (volumes 1-7) for the Consistory were filmed, 1664-1858; and act book entries for 1437-1481 and 1482-1513 were recorded in volumes 1 and 5-6 of the registered copy wills. The original wills for the Consistory were probably filmed from 1660-1857. Apparently, all original wills and act books of the Archdeaconry court were microfilmed. Use the second filming of original wills that begins with film 994318.

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.

All probate records for the Deanery of Shoreham were microfilmed. The original wills and administrations for the Deanery of Shoreham begin in 1614 and are combined with those of the Deanery of Croydon starting with FHL film 189094. The probate records for the Peculiar of Cliffe were filmed, except for the original wills. See the above call number for the calendar and probate records.