Lancashire and Cheshire Wills and Inventories, from the Ecclesiastical Court, Chester - Chetham Society Vol XXXIII - ISNB 1-84630-137-8

Re-published here on fully-searchable CD-Rom format is volume XXIII of the Chetham Society. Established for the promotion, collection and publication of the 'remains, historical and literary connected with the Palatine counties of Lancaster and Chester', this volume was original published in 1853-4.

Volume XXXIII of the Chetham Society's publications is drawn from the Archives of the Ecclesiastical Court, Chester, and the contents transcribed by the incumbent of Farndon, the Rev. John Piccope, M.A. These wills and inventories, more than fifty in total, formed part of a collection of eminent Lancashire and Cheshire families held at the Registry of the Chester Ecclesiastical Court, which had attracted the paricular attention of the Chanceller of the Diocese, the Rev. Henry Raikes, M.A. With Raikes' permission, the wills and inventories contained in this volume were transcribed.

The majority of the wills and inventories contained in this volume treat on some of the most eminent families of Lancashire and Cheshire in the first half of the 16th century. The wills and inventories transcribed by Piccope are presented almost in their original form, minus a few contractions and repitions and include all legacies and useful biographical noted on the testators throughout.

Volume XXIII of the publications of the Chetham Society should appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of the counties in question.

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Testamenta Eboracensia

A selection of Wills from the Registry at York.

A collection of 232 transcripts of wills at York Registry covering a period of twenty eight years from 1429 to 1467 which will have great appeal to those studying medieval history and genealogy.

Ref: 0931 Price £16.90

Testamenta Vetusta

A collection of 803 wills from the 12th century to the 16th century.

Collected and edited by Nicholas Harris Nicholas and published by Nichols and Son, Parliament Street, London in 1826.

He took his wills from the British Museum, private collections, Dugdale's Baronage, Collins' Peerage, County histories, Memoirs of families etc. Some of the wills are abstracts for genealogical purposes where only the people and their relationships are written.

Nicholas' prime purpose was to illustrate from these wills the manners and customs of their times; additionally he wished to include the descents and possessions of families. For every will he gives some footnotes to determine the person and other relevant information.

For anyone with an interest in medieval times, it is enthralling as an illustration of the manners and customs of the times. These wills describe what people held dear; what better introduction to their lifestyles can you imagine?

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Wills from Doctors' Commons. A Selection of Wills of Eminent Persons proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1495-1695.

Printed and published for the Council of the Camden Society for its 1862-1863 transactions. Edited by John Gough Nichols and John Bruce, the then director of the society. Now published on fully searchable CD rom.

184 pages containing transcripts of thirty two wills and a number of administrations. The importance of these will cannot be questioned as they abound with the manners, customs and laws from 1383 to the date of publication.

All of the wills featured are for eminent personages which include four members of royalty, prelates, nobility, five men who distinguished themselves during the English Civil War, Sir Francis Walsingham, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Thomas Gresham and the mothers of Queen Katherine Parr and Lady Jane Grey.

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Abstracts of PCC Wills 1620 - Soame

Abstracts of all of the wills from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury for 1620. Each entry lists the names of the beneficiaries and their relationship to the deceased, plus some other details. Provides the necessary information to order copies of the originals wills easily. Covers the whole of England

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Abstracts of PCC Wills 1630 - Scroope

Abstracts of all of the wills from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury for 1630. Each entry lists the names of the beneficiaries and their relationship to the deceased, plus some other details. Provides the necessary information to order copies of the originals wills easily. Covers the whole of England

Ref: 0047 Price £16.90

Abstracts of PCC Wills 1658 - Wootton

Abstracts of all of the wills from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury for 1658. Each entry lists the names of the beneficiaries and their relationship to the deceased, plus some other details. Provides the necessary information to order copies of the originals wills easily. Covers the whole of England

Ref: 0187 Price £13.90

Gloucestershire Wills - Vol 1

A Calendar of Wills proved in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Gloucester - Volume 1 - 1541 to 1650

A calendar of wills lists the name and place of each person who left the will, not the full details. An invaluable aid for family historians as most of the wills are preserved at either the Gloucestershire Record Office or the Bristol Record Office from which copies may be ordered. Wills between 1653 and 1660 were proved at London, and therefore not included in these volumes.

These books contain complete name indexes, and also place indexes. In volume 1 there are references to approximately 23,000 wills.

Ref: 0080 Price £13.90

Gloucestershire Wills - Vol 2

A Calendar of Wills proved in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Gloucester - Volume 2 - 1660 to 1800

A calendar of wills lists the name and place of each person who left the will, not the full details. An invaluable aid for family historians as most of the wills are preserved at either the Gloucestershire Record Office or the Bristol Record Office from which copies may be ordered. Wills between 1653 and 1660 were proved at London, and therefore not included in these volumes.

These books contain complete name indexes, and also place indexes.

Ref: 0099 Price £13.90