Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury Wills (PCC Wills)

If the estate comprised goods in two or more dioceses within the same province, probate was granted in either of the two provincial courts of the Archbishop of York and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of York (PCY) administered the northern province (the northern dioceses of England which included the southern detachment of Flint), while the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury (PCC) covered the southern province (the southern English dioceses and Wales). If the deceased had held goods in both provinces, probate was undertaken by PCC which had over-riding jurisdiction throughout England and Wales.

In general PCC and PCY proved the wills of persons of wealth and substance, while the lower courts dealt mostly with the estates of ordinary people; but this was not always the case. If the will of a person of modest means cannot be found in the records of the local courts a search of the higher courts should not be ruled out, especially in the 19th century. PCC also had jurisdiction of the English and Welsh estates of persons who died abroad and at sea. During the Commonwealth, 1653-60, a court of civil commission was established in London which had sole jurisdiction in England and Wales.

The records of PCC are held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. You can search the complete series of PCC wills (1354-1858) through Documentsonline on The National Archives' website. The National Library of Wales holds microfilm copies of the PCC wills from 1701 to 1858 on open access in the South Reading Room. Records of PCY are at the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research, York.