About British Record Society Probate Collection
Wills at Salisbury, 1464-1858
British Record Society Volumes 122 & 123
Published 2009
About the index
This is index to the various courts of the Diocese of Salisbury.
The main courts were:
- Bishop's Consistory Court
- The two Archdeaconry courts (the Archdeaconry of Wiltshire in the north; the Archdeaconry of Sarum in the south of the county)
- The Sub-Dean's Court covering Salisbury and Stratford sub Castle, and the Dean's Court.
- Additionally, there were several small jurisdictions covering either a single parish or group of parishes, attached to various lay or clerical dignitaries.
As a result, there are records for 29 different jurisdictions at Wiltshire and Swindon Archives, covering the whole of Wiltshire, parts of Dorset, Hampshire and Berkshire and the Devon parish of Uffculme.
Probate Jurisdictions in the Diocese of Salisbury
Locating the original documents
Where are the originals held?
The original wills are held at Wiltshire and Swindon Archives
This British Record Society (BRS) index was produced as part of the Wiltshire Wills Project, being a collaboration between Wiltshire and Swindon Archives and the BRS.
Wiltshire and Swindon Archives are now making available copies of all of these wills to purchase online but please note that this is an ongoing process so not all of the wills are yet available online. The reference provided here is the same full reference as required by the Archives. To locate an image online history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/
Where an image is not yet available online please contact Wiltshire and Swindon Archives by e-mail, phone, fax or letter complete with full details including references. Full details including current costs can be found at history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/.
Alternatively you can visit Wiltshire and Swindon Archives personally, details of opening hours etc can be found on their website.
Additionally FamilySearch www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog has filmed the majority of these probate documents, a microfilm copy of which can be ordered and viewed via your local FamilySearch Family History Center. www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp
What information from the document do I need to locate the original?
- Testator's name
- Abode
- Year
- References
Understanding the index
Which court or courts are included?
This is index to the probate material of the various courts of the Diocese of Salisbury.
Which diocese is involved?
Wiltshire was in the Diocese of Salisbury
What does the index include?
All names and places appearing in the will plus incidental information such as occupation where found in the original documents are included in the index.
Names are arranged alphabetically. This means some name variants may not appear clustered together. Names in the index are according to the spelling used in the documents, usually based on the signaturee of the testator.
Dates of pre 1752 wills are given in 'Old Style' or Julian Calendar.
The folio number identifies the group of pages, anywhere from 2 to 16, within which the will's first page appears.
Abbreviations in the index
| Abbreviation |
Meaning |
| A |
| AB |
administration bond |
| a/c |
account |
| admon |
administration |
| aff |
affidavit |
| alleg |
allegation |
| All C. |
All Cannings |
| Alton B. |
Alton Barnes |
| Alton P. |
Alton Pancras |
| Alton Pr. |
Alton Priors |
| Amesb. |
Amesbury |
| And. |
Andrew |
| Anth. |
Anthony |
| Ashton G. |
Ashton Giffard |
| Ashton K. |
Ashton Keynes |
| Aston U. |
Aston Upthorpe |
| B |
| Barford St M. |
Barford St Martin |
| Beam. |
Beaminster |
| Benj. |
Benjamin |
| Bere R. |
Bere Regis |
| Berks. |
Berkshire |
| Berwick B. |
Berwick Bassett |
| Bower C. |
Bower Chalke |
| Bps. C. |
Bishops Cannings |
| Bradford A. |
Bradford on Avon |
| Brinkw. |
Brinkworth |
| Brixton D. |
Brixton Deverill |
| Broad B. |
Broad Blunsdon |
| Broad C. |
Broad Chalke |
| Broad H. |
Broad Hinton |
| Brokenb. |
Brokenborough |
| Broughlon G. |
Broughton Gilford |
| Bulk. |
Bulkington |
| C |
| Calstone W. |
Calstone Wellington |
| Castle C. |
Castle Combe |
| Cath. |
Catherine |
| Chards. |
Chardstock |
| Charl. nr. P. |
Charlton near Pewsey |
| Chas. |
Charles |
| Chilton F. |
Chilton Foliat |
| Chipp. |
Chippenham |
| Chitterne AS |
Chitterne All Saints |
| Chris. |
Christopher |
| Chr. M. |
Christian Malford |
| clothw. |
clothworker |
| Clyffe P. |
Clyffe Pypard |
| Codf. |
Codford |
| Collingboume D. |
Collingbourne Ducis |
| Collingboume K. |
Collingbourne Kingston |
| Compton B. |
Compton Bassett |
| Compton C. |
Compton Chamberlayne |
| Coombe B. |
Coombe Bissett |
| Crick. |
Cricklade |
| Crick. St S. |
Cricklade St Sampson |
| D |
| D |
deposition |
| Dan. |
Daniel |
| Dilton M. |
Dilton Marsh |
| Donhead St A. |
Donhead St Andrew |
| Draycot C. |
Draycot Cerne |
| E |
| E. |
East |
| Edmd. |
Edmund |
| Edwd. |
Edward |
| Eliz. |
Elizabeth |
| F |
| Figh. |
Figheldean |
| Fisherton A. |
Fisherton Anger |
| Fisherton D. |
Fisherton Delamere |
| Fonthill B. |
Fonthill Bishop |
| Fonthili G. |
Fonthill Gifford |
| Fugg. |
Fugglestone |
| G |
| Geo. |
George |
| Geoff. |
Geoffrey |
| Gilbt. |
Gilbert |
| Grn |
Green |
| Gt. |
Great |
| GVD |
Granted at the Metropolitan Visitation to Dorchester |
| GVS |
Granted at the Metropolitan Visitation to Salisbury |
| H |
| Hampstead N. |
Hampstead Norris |
| Hanging L. |
Hanging Langford |
| Hants. |
Hampshire |
| Heyles. |
Heylesbury |
| Highworth |
Highw. |
| Hill D. |
Hill Deverill |
| Hilp. |
Hilperton |
| Hy. |
Henry |
| I |
| I |
inventory |
| inty |
interrogatory |
| J |
| Jas. |
James |
| Jn. |
John |
| Jos. |
Joseph |
| K |
| Kingston D. |
Kingston Deverill |
| Kington L. |
Kington Langley |
| Kington St M. |
Kington St Michael |
| L |
| L |
letter |
| LA |
letters of admon |
| Lawr. |
Lawrence |
| Littleton P. |
Littleton Pannell |
| Lt. |
Little |
| Longbridge D. |
Longbridge Deverill |
| Ludg. |
Ludgershall |
| Lydiard M. |
Lydiard Millicent |
| Lydiard T. |
Lydiard Tregoze |
| Lyme R. |
Lyme Regis |
| M |
| Maiden B |
Maiden Bradley |
| Malm. |
Malmesbury |
| Manningford A. |
Manningford Abbots |
| Marl. |
Marlborough |
| Mart. |
Martin |
| Melk. |
Melksham |
| Mgt. |
Margaret |
| Milton L. |
Milton Lilborne |
| Mkt. L. |
Market Lavington |
| Monkton D. |
Monkton Deverill |
| Monkton F. |
Monkton Farleigh |
| Motc. |
Motcombe |
| My. |
Mary |
| N |
| N. |
North |
| NBI |
Place suggested by National Burial Index |
| NEP |
No evidence of probate |
| Netherb. |
Netherbury |
| Nether C. |
Nether Compton |
| Netherh. |
Netherhampton |
| Newton T. |
Newton Tony |
| Nich. |
Nicholas |
| Norton B. |
Norton Bavant |
| nr |
near |
| NW |
nuncupative will |
| O |
| O |
oath |
| Ogbourne St A. |
Ogbourne St Andrew |
| Over C. |
Over Compton |
| P |
| PCC |
Prerogative Court of Canterbury |
| Pott. |
Potterne |
| Q |
| Quidh. |
Quidhampton |
| R |
| Rams. |
Ramsbury |
| Rd. |
Richard |
| ren |
renunciation |
| req |
requisition |
| Robt. |
Robert |
| Rodbourne C. |
Rodbourne Cheney |
| Ryme I. |
Ryme Intrinsica |
| S |
| S. |
South |
| Sal. |
Salisbury |
| Sam. |
Samuel |
| Sherb. |
Sherborne |
| Somerford K. |
Somerford Keynes |
| Stanton St B. |
Stanton St Bernard |
| Stanton St Q. |
Stanton St Quintin |
| Steeple A. |
Steeple Ashlon |
| Steeple L. |
Steeple Langford |
| Steph. |
Stephen |
| Stoke F. |
Stoke Farthing |
| Stratfield M. |
Stratfield Mortimer |
| Stratford sub C. |
Stratford sub Castle |
| Sutton B. |
Sutton Benger |
| Sutton C. |
Sutton Courtenay |
| Sutton M. |
Sutton Mandeville |
| Sutton V. |
Sutton Veny |
| T |
| T |
tuition bond |
| Teffont E. |
Teffont Evias |
| Teffont M. |
Teffont Magna |
| Thos. |
Thomas |
| Tilsh. |
Tilshead |
| Tinh. |
Tinhead |
| Tisb. |
Tisbury |
| Trowb. |
Trowbridge |
| Tytherton L. |
Tytherton Lucas |
| U |
| Uffc. |
Uffculme |
| Upton L. |
Upton Lovell |
| Upton S. |
Upton Scudamore |
| Urchf. |
Urchfont |
| V |
| vict. |
victualler |
| W |
| W |
will |
| W. |
West |
| Wanb. |
Wanborough |
| Warm |
Warminster |
| Wedh. |
Wedhampton |
| Westb. |
Westbury |
| Westb. L. |
Westbury Leigh |
| Whitep. |
Whiteparish |
| Winterborne K. |
Winterborne Kingston |
| Winterborne M. |
Winterborne Muston |
| Winterbourne D. |
Winterbourne Dauntsey |
| Winterbourne E. |
Winterbourne Earls |
| Winterbourne G. |
Winterbourne Gunner |
| Winterbourne M. |
Winterbourne Monkton |
| Winterbourne S. |
Winterbourne Stoke |
| Wm. |
William |
| Wokm. |
Wokingham |
| Woodb. |
Woodborough |
| Wootton B. |
Wootton Bassett |
| Wootton R. |
Wootton Rivers |
| Wr |
wrapper |
| Wrou. |
Wroughton |
| Y |
| Yetm. |
Yetminster |
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