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WILLS PROVED IN THE PREROGATIVE COURT OF CANTERBURY (PCC)

Transcribed and donated to the Dorset OPC Project by Kim Parker

Until 1858 all wills had to be proved (formally approved) by church and other courts. The Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC), the most important of these courts, dealt with the relatively wealthy individuals living mainly in the south of England and most of Wales (what was originally the ecclesiastical province of Canterbury). However, since the PCC enjoyed a reputation for greater efficiency than other courts, the wills of the moderately wealthy began to be proved there to. Wills of less wealthy individuals may have been proved in a number of other ecclesiastical courts, including the Archdeaconry Court of Exeter (pre-1843); the Archdeaconry Court of Dorset (post-1843); the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Exeter (pre-1843); or the Royal Peculiar of Sarum. From 1858 all wills were indexed centrally and this index is widely available at Record Offices, Probate Registries and the LDS Church.

The lists below provide details of wills of Sixpenny Handley residents, but may not be exhaustive. They are arranged according to the Gregorian Calendar, with the Julian year indicated to the left of the forward slash (/) in those years when the Julian Calendar, which ran from March 25th to March 24th, was in use (i.e. prior to 1752, 1751 being the transition year).

WILLS PROVED IN THE PCC

The following wills proven in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury can be downloaded from the National Archives Discovery site for a small fee.
 

WILLS PROVED IN THE PCC

The Wills and Grants of Administration (Admons) in Table II. can be freely consulted at the Dorset History Centre or online at ancestry.co.uk (for which a subscription is needed).
 

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