England

  Guided Learning Video

1. Land & Property: Get an introduction to the history of land and property in England.
   
   FS—England Land and Property


2. Learn how to find who owned land in England, from 1227-1930.
   
   Land and property ownership


3. Wills and Probate: Get an overview of wills in England.
   
   Wills, Letters of Administration and Inventories


4. Learn about probate and wills in these articles.
   
   BYU—English Ancestors, Probates
   FS—Research in Wills and Probate Records   
   • Online Resources
   • Types of Probate Records
   • General Historical Background
   • Pre-1858 Probate Courts
   • Get Started Finding a Probate Record


5. Learn about wills and probate records in the National Archives.
   
   National Archives: Wills and Probate before 1858
   National Archives: Wills or Administrations after 1858


6. Learn how to access British probate records online.
   
   PR—Accessing England's Probate Records Online


7. Case Study: Follow this case study for using probate records in research.
   
   PR—Using Probate Records to Resolve Conflicting Evidence

  Probate Record Practice  |  

Mary Anna Maria Jones died on 12 June 1848. The probate was recorded in Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom. Use the "BYU—English Ancestors, Probates" article above to help you answer these questions:

1. When was the probate recorded?
2. Who was the beneficiary on the record?
3. Are there any potential connections between Mary and the beneficiary that you might want to check or keep in mind?

Hints  |  

1. In the the "BYU—English Ancestors, Probates" article, in the second paragraph under the "Probates" select the link to "England Probate Records."
2. Select the ninth link down the list - "1858-1957 England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957."
3. On the search page that appears, enter Mary Anna Maria Jones's full name, the year of her death, and the location where the probate was recorded.
4. Choose the record that matches all entered information and read it to answer the questions.

Answers

1. The probate was recorded on 28 Oct 1867.
2. The beneficiaries are Elizabeth Dorothy Jones and James Jones.
3. Considering that both Elizabeth Dorothy and James have the same last name as Mary Anna Maria, there may be a familial connection. We would want to search for records where they appear as parents, children, siblings, etc. to Mary Anna Maria.
   (Contributed by Kaylee Lynn)

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QUIKLinks

• FMP: England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019
• AC: National Probate Calendar: 1858-1966
• MH: England & Wales, Wills and Probate Administrations, 1996-2023
• FMP: Bank Of England Wills Extracts 1717-1845
• FMP: Probate Calendars Of England & Wales 1858-1959
• FMP: England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858
• FMP: Manchester Workhouse Registers 1800-1911

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1. Criminal Records: Learn how to find people in old English criminal records.
   
   FHD—Can You Find Your Ancestors in These Old English Criminal Records? - 2023


2. Learn about criminal records kept by the Old Bailey and Central Criminal Court.
   
   Trials in the Old Bailey (the Central Criminal Court)


3. Explore court records through the ages on the Old Bailey online site.

  Criminal Records Practice  |  


Lydia Arlington was found guilty of picking pockets in London in the year 1681. Use the "Old Bailey online site" link above to find the court record on Lydia's crime and answer these questions:
1. What age was Lydia when she was found guilty?
2. What amount of money did she owe to repay what she took?
3. What genealogical information can we learn about Lydia from this record?


Hints  |  
1. In the search box on the right side of the screen, enter Lydia's full name. Leave all other search boxes as they initially appeared.
2. Select the record that appears, and click "See original" on the right hand side to view the full document.


Answers
1. Lydia was found guilty of her crime when she was 10 years old.
2. Lydia stole money "to the value of six pounds," but the record indicates that after she was found guilty, she was acquitted of punishment.
3. We learn Lydia's first and last name. We learn her age (10 years old) and the year when she was that age. We learn that for whatever reason (whether she was poor, or bored, or didn't have parent supervision, etc.), Lydia felt inclined to pick pockets. This information may come in handy in further research on Lydia Arlington.
   (Contributed by Kaylee Lynn)

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4. Learn about the "calendars of prisoners" and other resources.
   
   GG—Calendars of Prisoners


5. Quarter Sessions: Learn about the England Quarter Sessions, which kept court records on a quarterly basis.
   
   LT—Using England Quarter Session Records for Genealogy
   FS Wiki—England Quarter Session Records


6. Chancery: Learn about Chancery (Court of Equity) records in England.
   
   The Joy of Chancery - 2020
   RT—English Equity Court Records, Part 1 of 3—5:10 -2021
   
   
   


7. Learn more about using court equity records in research.
   
   RT——English Equity Court Records, Part 2 of 3—2:51 - 2021
   
   
   RT——English Equity Court Records, Part 3 of 3—4:06 - 2012
   
   
   
8. Church: Learn how to find and use church court records.
   
   GG—Church/Ecclesiastical Court Records

QUIKLinks

1. FamilySearch: Learn more about taxation records in England.
   
   FS—England Taxation   
   • Online Records
   • Taxation Records of Greatest Value
   • Related Wiki Articles
   
   EG: Checking Taxation Records for Family History Research - 2012


2. Estate Duty: Learn how to use estate duty records in research.
   
   FS—Estate Duty Registers
   FMP—Index To Death Duty Registers 1796-1903 (scroll down to "Learn about these records")


3. Learn about manors, taxes, and land registrations.
   
   FS—England Land and Property, Part 2


4. Hearth Tax: Explore online hearth tax records on the Hearth Tax Digital site.
5. Learn about window and house tax records.
   
   FS Wiki—England House Tax 1696 to 1834, Window Tax 1696 to 1851


6. Tithe Records: Learn about using tithe records to locate rural ancestors in England.
   
   The Joy of Tithes - 2020

Poor, Workhouse, and Debtors

1. Learn about records of the poor in England.
   
   FS—Records of the Poor in England
   EG—Poor Law Records and Tracing Your Family Tree - 2021


2. Get an introduction to English workhouses.
   
   The Workhouse: Introduction


3. Learn about workhouse records for research.
   
   PR—The Workhouse
   PR—The Workhouse, Part Two


4. Learn how to find records of those who were insolvent or debtors.
   
   Bankrupts and insolvent debtors


5. Explore the Kinship and Poverty website from BYU.


6. Orphanages: Find online resources for locating orphanage records.
   
   WDY—How to Find Old Orphanage Records

  Workhouse Records Practice  |  

John Taylor worked in the workhouse in Broadwindsor, England around the year 1718. Use the "Kinship and Poverty" website above to find the record that indicates his association with the workhouse, and then answer these questions:

1. Where was John Taylor born?
2. Who did he marry?
3. Are there any discrepancies in the record or things that might need further clarification?

Hints  |  

1. In the Kinship and Poverty website, click Search and enter John Taylor's full name and the year his record was found, in either the start or end box.
2. Click Search and scroll down to select the record that highlights the year 1718.
3. Read the record to answer the questions.

Answers

1. According to the record, John Taylor was born in Axminster, Devon, England.
2. The record indicates that John married a woman named Sarah.
3. The record indicates that John was born, married, and died all on 24 May, 1718. We would need further information to determine which, if any, of these dates are true to the event they are associated with.
   (Contributed by Kaylee Lynn)

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Exercises

• * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for probate records. Then use the learnings for searches for an ancestor.
• * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.

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QUIKLinks

• FMP: Index To Death Duty Registers 1796-1903
• MH: England and Wales, Hearth Tax, 1662-1674
• FMP: Manchester Rate Books 1706-1900
• FMP: Manchester Workhouse Registers 1800-1911
• FMP: Legacies of British Slavery 1883

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