Archdeaconry of Richmond Probate Records
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The following source list was originally available only on paper in one of the West Yorkshire Archive Service offices. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. It was designed to act as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject, but may relate only to one West Yorkshire district, or be an incomplete list of sources available. Please feel free to add or update with any additional information. |
Within the probate section of the Ripon Diocesan Collection (RDAP) held at WYAS:Leeds are a collection of wills dating from the 16th-19th centuries.
From 1541 to 1836 ecclesiastical powers were exercised in the Richmond area by the Commisary of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, under the Bishop of Chester and subsequently the Bishop of Ripon. Within these periods the functions of the authority concerned have been divided threefold: Judicial Functions in Consistory Court (RD/A), Visitation and Correction Court (RD/C) and Registry Functions (RD/R)
The probate section contains
- RD/AP1 Wills and Inventories
- RD/AP2 Probate Act Books
- RD/AP3 Accounts, declared
- RD/AP4 Renunciation of Administration
- RD/AP5 Commissions for Admin. Oaths
- RD/AP6 Letters of Curation and Tuition
- RD/AP7 Executory Bonds
Pre 1700 wills indexes are transcribed from a card index at WYAS:Leeds.
For post 1700 wills the indexes are derived from a list made in the 19th century. It may therefore include documents which were not deposited at WYAS: Leeds or have subsequently been transferred to other record offices. The records of the Western Deaneries (Amounderness, Lonsdale, Kendall, Furness with Cartmell and Copeland) were transferred to Lancashire Record Officein 1955, to rejoin records of like nature already deposited there from Lancaster, Carlisle and Chester. Subsequent records were also transferred in 1968. Where it is known that documents have been transferred to Lancashire Record Office this is indicated in the index.
Also included in these indexes are the names of testators whose wills do not survive although the existance of a will is indicated in the post 1700 index. In some cases document wrappers may survive although the contents were lost sometime in the past prior to documents being deposited with the archive. Where no collection reference is given no documents are deposited with WYAS: Leeds.
Indexes to Richmond Wills are available here
Pre 1700 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y
Post 1700 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y
For a glossary of terms found in wills and probate documents see Wills and probate glossary
For further details on wills please see Collections Guide 4: Wills