Find your ancestors in Lancashire Wills & Probate 1457-1858

Reveal if your ancestor’s probate papers have survived through the centuries. The index will give you details about the type of material available, the probate year, and your ancestor’s occupation and residence.

The records in this collection have been created by Findmypast from the original records held at the Lancashire Record Office. There is also a small collection of records which were created by the Lancashire and Cheshire Records Society. These records include an image of the index books published by the society.

The detail in each record will vary, but most will include a combination of the following facts:

Transcript

• Name
• Status or occupation
• Event date
• Place
• Deanery
• County
• Volume number
• Volume description
• Archive and reference
• Document ordering link

Discover more about these records

Until 1857, the Church of England was responsible for administering wills and probate cases. These wills would have been proved in ecclesiastic courts. The records cover Amounderness, Copeland, Furness, Kendal, and Lonsdale deaneries. This collection has been created by both Findmypast, which transcribed original records from the Lancashire Record Office, and the Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society, which provided index work.

The majority of the original wills are held at Lancashire Record Office, and many of the transcripts will provide you with an archival reference as well as a link to order the original document.