ARCHDEACONRY OF MIDDLESEX

DL/AM

ARCHDEACONRY OF MIDDLESEX

1608 - 1956

Surviving records of the probate court include: original wills 1608-1611, 1662-1810; registers of wills 1664-1677, 1718-1779; probate and administration act books 1660-1810 with gaps and probate inventories 1667-1758.

The probate court records are arranged as follows:

Calendar of Wills DL/AM/PCAL

Registers of Wills DL/AM/PBR

Caveat Books DL/AM/PBC

Probate and Administration Act Books DL/AM/PBA

Original Wills DL/AM/PW

Probate Inventories and Indexes DL/AM/PI

Mixed Probate and non-testamentary DL/AM/PP

Renunciations DL/AM/PPR

Warrants DL/AM/PPW

Administration Bonds DL/AM/PPB

English

20 series

OPEN ACCESS: A LARGE PART OF THE COLLECTION RELATING TO THE NON-PROBATE BUSINESS OF THE ARCHDEACONRY IS CURRENTLY UNCATALOGUED AS OF APRIL 2003. PLEASE CONTACT THE LONDON METROPOLITAN ARCHIVES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

ACC/1221, ACC/0561, ACC/1472, ACC/1452

The Archdeaconry of Middlesex was in existence before 1103 and its jurisdiction may have originally covered northern Essex but the formation of the Archdeaconry of Colchester left the Archdeacon of Middlesex with the deaneries of Dunmow, Harlow and Hedingham in Essex, the deanery of Braughing in Hertfordshire and the deanery of Middlesex.

Between 1540 and 1550, the archdeacon was exempted from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London on the formation of the diocese of Westminster, and became a dignitary of Saint Peter's Cathedral, seat of the Bishop of Westminster. On the resignation of the Bishop of Westminster, the bishopric reverted to London and the Archdeaconry of Middlesex resumed its jurisdiction under the diocese of London.

In 1834, the Essex and Hertfordshire deaneries were removed from the archdeaconry, and from 1846 certain parishes in the ancient counties of Kent and Surrey were added to the archdeaconry before their removal to the diocese of Rochester in 1878. The archdeaconry of Middlesex reduced in size with the formation of the Archdeaconries of Hampstead in 1912 and Hackney in 1951.

The Archdeaconry had its own Court for the hearing of judicial and testamentary matters. Before 1858 the proving of wills and related testamentary business came under the jurisdiction of courts administered by the church. The court with over-riding jurisdiction in England and Wales was the Prerogative Court of Canterbury PCC. Each diocese had its bishop's or consistory court which had jurisdiction throughout the whole diocese. Archdeacon's courts were limited to the boundaries of the Archdeaconry and jurisdiction was often suspended for part of the year during visitations visits made by the Archdeacon or his official to persons and places in the Archdeaconry with a view of maintaining faith and discipline when business was transferred to the bishop's or his commissary's court.

The Archdeaconry Court of Middlesex had jurisdiction over the following parishes: Bedfont, Chelsea, Cranford, Feltham, Hampton, Hanwell with New Brentford, Harlington, Harmondsworth, Heston with Hounslow, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Isleworth, Kensington, Laleham, Littleton, Saint Anne's Soho, Saint Clement Danes, Saint George's Hanover Square, Saint James Piccadilly, Saint Martin in the Fields, Saint Mary Le Strand, Saint Paul's Covent Garden, Shepperton, Staines with Ashford, Stanwell, Sunbury, Twickenham.

By the 1780s the probate business of this court had virtually ceased. There are no wills for Middlesex proved at this court after this date.

Some records have been microfilmed. Please use microfilm where available.