UK Probate Records: How to Search & Research Wills
We're not a law firm — we help you find the right legal support. For advice on your situation, speak to a legal adviser or find a solicitor.
Probate records are one of the richest sources of family history material available in England and Wales. They capture moments when estates changed hands, debts were settled, and family relationships were formally recorded. For anyone tracing ancestors, understanding how to find and interpret these documents can unlock details that no census return or parish register will reveal.
This guide walks you through what probate records contain, where they are held, and how to use them for genealogical research. Whether you are looking for a will written last year or a probate grant from the Victorian era, the system for accessing these records is more approachable than many people expect.
I've written this as a practical starting point, covering both the modern online search tools and the older archives that hold records from before the centralised system began in 1858.
Overview
Probate is the formal process by which a deceased person's estate is wound up. Executors named in the will (or administrators appointed by the court if there is no will) take responsibility for gathering assets, settling outstanding debts and tax liabilities, and passing what remains to the people entitled to inherit.
The court issues a document confirming their authority: a grant of probate where there is a valid will, or letters of administration where there is not. Probate records are the paper trail this process leaves behind. They typically include a copy of the will itself, details of the grant, and information about the estate's value.
In England and Wales, a central system for probate has been in place since January 1858. Before that date, probate was handled by a patchwork of church courts, with the Prerogative Court of Canterbury being the most senior. The records from both systems survive in large numbers and are accessible to the public, making them a genuinely useful resource for family historians.
Key steps
- Start with what you know. Gather the full name of the person you are researching, an approximate date of death, and the county or town where they lived. Even a rough window of a decade can be enough to begin searching, because probate indexes are organised chronologically and alphabetically, and small details help you distinguish between people sharing common names.
- Search the post-1858 probate calendar. Use the government's Find a Will service to search the national probate calendar for deaths from 1858 onwards. The calendar entry itself often contains useful information including the date of death, the address, the executors, and the gross value of the estate, which can be enough to confirm you have found the right person before you order a copy.
- Order a copy of the will or grant. If you find a relevant entry, you can order a copy of the will and grant online for a small fee. Check gov.uk for the current amount. The copy is usually delivered as a PDF within a few weeks, though processing times vary, and older handwritten wills may need careful reading to decipher the script.
- For pre-1858 records, turn to The National Archives. Before 1858, wills were proved in ecclesiastical courts, and the most valuable estates went through the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Its records are held at The National Archives in Kew and many have been digitised. Wills proved in lesser courts may be held by county record offices or diocesan archives.
- Cross-reference with other genealogical sources. A will rarely tells the whole story on its own. Combine what you find with census returns, parish registers, newspaper announcements, and land records. A bequest to a named nephew, for example, can open up a whole new branch of a family tree, and witness names sometimes reveal neighbours or close friends worth investigating further.
Common questions
Q How far back do UK probate records go?
Probate records in England and Wales survive from the medieval period onwards, though coverage and quality vary. The modern centralised system began in January 1858, and searching records from that date is relatively straightforward online. Earlier records, held by ecclesiastical courts before 1858, are scattered across The National Archives and local record offices, and searching them requires more patience and sometimes knowledge of Latin.
Q Can anyone view someone else's will?
Yes. Once a will has been admitted to probate in England and Wales, it becomes a public document. Anyone can search the probate calendar and order a copy, regardless of whether they are a relative or beneficiary. This public nature is what makes probate records so useful for family historians and researchers, although wills that have not yet been proved remain private.
Q What is the difference between a will and letters of administration?
A grant of probate is issued when the deceased left a valid will, authorising the named executors to administer the estate. Letters of administration are issued when there is no will, or when the will did not appoint an executor able or willing to act. In either case, the court record confirms who has legal authority to deal with the estate's assets and debts.
Q Are all wills preserved forever?
Wills that have been proved through the probate system are generally preserved as permanent public records. Copies held by solicitors or family members may be lost over time, but the official court copy survives in the national archive of probate records. For pre-1858 wills, survival depends on the particular court and its archival history, and some records have been damaged or destroyed over the centuries.
Q Do probate records include the value of every asset?
Post-1858 probate calendar entries record the gross and net value of the estate, but they do not usually itemise individual assets. The will itself may name specific bequests such as property, jewellery, or named sums of money. For more detailed inventories, you may need to look at earlier ecclesiastical records, which sometimes include itemised lists of possessions.
Q Can I research probate records from Scotland or Northern Ireland the same way?
No. Scotland has its own separate system, with records held by the National Records of Scotland and searchable through ScotlandsPeople. Northern Ireland's probate records are held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. The gov.uk Find a Will service covers only England and Wales, so you will need to use the relevant regional service for other parts of the UK.
Q What should I do if I cannot find a record I expect to exist?
Not everyone's estate went through probate, particularly if the person had few assets. Try varying the spelling of the name, widen your date range, and check whether the estate might have been handled somewhere other than where the person lived. If the deceased died abroad but held UK assets, a resealed grant may have been issued. Local record offices can also help with pre-1858 searches.
Sources
This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.
- Guidance · UK GovFind a Will (gov.uk)gov.uk
- Guidance · UK GovThe National Archives – Wills and Probatenationalarchives.gov.uk
- Guidance · UK GovHM Courts and Tribunals Service – Probategov.uk
Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.