PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION ACT BOOKS

This series contains 16 act books recording the archdeaconry court's acts of grants of probate and administrations often abbreviated as 'admons'. They include calendar lists and some renunciations entries relating to the giving up of the grant by the next-of-kin or creditors of the testator, which was given to enable them to deal with the deceased's estate.

After wills were presented in court for probate the process of legally establishing the validity of a will, they were inscribed with the probate act. A transcript copy of the act naming the testator, the date and names of the executors was entered by the Registrar in the act book when probate was granted.

The church court also granted the next-of-kin or creditors of the testator letters of administration 'admon' when a person died without making a will intestate. This enabled next-of-kin to deal with the deceased's estate. Administrations with the will annexed could be granted in cases where the executors named in the will had died or refused to act.

These records have been arranged chronologically.

These records have been microfilmed. Please use microfilms X74/8-13.