The marriage bonds and allegations and wills which are contained
within London Signatures are now available in our databases
on Ancestry.co.uk. The London Metropolitan
Archives databases on Ancestry are free to use if you visit us or
by subscription if you wish to use the databases at home.
Please note that London Signatures will be withdrawn from these
webpages this summer.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Tell me more about Church Courts!
Before 1858 the proving of wills and related testamentary matters
came within the jurisdiction of courts administered by the church.
There were many such courts operating at different levels. The
court with overriding jurisdiction in England and Wales was the
Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC). It was largely but not
exclusively used by the wealthy.
Each diocese had its bishop’s - or Consistory - court which had
jurisdiction throughout the whole diocese. Below that were courts
administered by bishop’s Commissaries (deputies) which might have
jurisdiction over one or more archdeaconries. Finally there were
courts administered by archdeacons whose jurisdiction was limited
to their respective Archdeaconries or parts of them.
From 11 January 1858 church courts were replaced by a centralised
system of civil probate registries. Please visit
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ for
more information about wills from 1858.
Q. What area was
covered by the Archdeaconry Court of Middlesex?
This division of the court had jurisdiction over the following
Middlesex parishes:
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Bedfont |
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Littleton |
|
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Chelsea |
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St Anne Soho (Westminster) |
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Cranford |
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St Clement Danes
(Westminster) |
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Feltham |
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St George Hanover Square
(Westminster) |
|
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Hampton |
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St James Piccadilly
(Westminster) |
|
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Hanwell with New Brentford |
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St Martin-in-the-Fields
(Westminster) |
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Harlington |
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St Mary-le-Strand
(Westminster) |
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Harmondsworth |
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St Paul Covent Garden
(Westminster) |
|
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Heston with Hounslow |
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Shepperton |
|
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Hillingdon with Uxbridge |
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Staines with Ashford |
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Isleworth |
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Stanwell |
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Kensington |
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Sunbury |
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Laleham |
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Twickenham |
Wills for other parishes in the ancient county of Middlesex not in
this list may have been proven in different courts. Please download
and read our leaflet
Wills in LMA and Elsewhere (141kb) for
more information.
Q. What area was covered by the
Commissary for the Archdeaconry of Surrey?
The jurisdiction of the Commissionary Court of the Bishop of
Winchester in the Archdeaconry of Surrey covered the whole of the
ancient county of Surrey with a small number of exceptions (know as
peculiars). In the present day, parishes of the ancient county of
Surrey are now in the modern day dioceses of Guildford and
Southwark.
Q. What does AM/PW
mean?
This is the archive reference number for the Archdeaconry Court of
Middlesex collection of wills held at LMA. It is simply:
Archdeaconry
Middlesex
Probate Records
Wills
Q. Is the AM / PW collection
complete?
No. We have wills from a period starting in 1608 and finishing in
1810. There are gaps:
LMA holds original AM / PW wills 1608-1611, then 1662-1810. The
probate business of the Archdeaconry Court of Middlesex virtually
ceased in the 1780s, so there are relatively few wills between
approximately 1780 and 1810. A few of the wills in the AM / PW
collection are largely illegible and for this reason they have not
been included in the project.
Q. What does DW/MB and
DW/MP mean?
This is the archive reference number for the Archdeaconry of surrey
collection of marriage bonds and allegations held at LMA:
Diocese of
Winchester
Marriage Bonds
Book
Diocese of
Winchester
Marriage Bonds
Papers
Q. What information
does a will contain?
The information found on wills can vary considerably. However, as a
rough guide, the following elements often appear:
Name
Parish (occasionally a more specific address is given)
Occupation
Description of bequests, naming individuals concerned
Names of executors
Date of will
Signatures of witnesses
Q. What information
does a marriage bond contain?
The information found
on marriage bonds is more standardised than that found on wills.
You can expect to find the following elements:
Name of the bride or groom
Name of the spouse
Date of the bond and allegation
The bride's parish
The groom's parish
Additional information may also be contained in the document,
such as:
The approximate age of the bride and groom
The marital status of both parties (eg bachelor, widower, spinster,
widow)
The occupation of the groom
Where the bride or groom was a minor, written consent of a the
parent or guardian was required
Q. What is the ‘Call number’
in the database?
The ‘Call number’ is the original document reference number which
is included for our reference in this context. If you visit us to
view the documents in this database, you will actually be using
microfilm copies of the original documents. Appropriate microfilm
references can be obtained at LMA if you choose to visit.
Q. What does ‘admin’ mean?
An ‘admin’ is a letter of administration. When a person died
without making a will (intestate) the court would grant the
next-of-kin, or creditors, letters of administration (admin or
admon) enabling them to deal with the deceased’s estate.
Q. Where can I find out more about
wills?
Please download and read our leaflet
Wills in LMA and Elsewhere (141kb)
You should also visit
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk// for
more information about wills.
The website http://www.scottishdocuments.com/ is an
excellent source for facts about wills in general, and Scotland in
particular.
Q. How do I receive my
copy of a will or marriage bond I have
purchased?
You need to register as a site user. This will allow you to log on
and pay through a secure online facility. After paying, you will be
sent an email with a link to a specific URL, where you will be able
to download your chosen document.
Q. Will the number of
images be the same as the number of pages?
Yes, you will receive a separate JPEG for each page of the will.
The majority of the wills are just one page, but may have two or
more (although one has fifteen pages!). The majority of marriage
bonds are either one or two pages.
Q. What am I actually
buying?
A black and white JPEG image file of the will that you choose. You
will receive one JPEG for each page of the will or marriage bond.
You will be able to view the file with most viewing or editing
software.
Q. What might a will or marriage
bond look like?
These sample wills give you
examples of handwriting used at the start, middle and near the end
of the period covered by London Signatures.
Click on the following to
download:
Sample 1 - AMPW/1609/015 - Richard Nellam
(1609) (251kb)
Sample 2 - AM/PW/1730/009 - William Stratford
(1729) (801kb)
Sample 3 - DWMP/229/075 - William Gibbs
(1832) (587kb)
Q. How much does a copy of
each document cost?
Each copy of a document costs 4GBP (around 6.30 US dollars),
regardless of the number of pages.
Q. Can I download
an image more than once after I have paid for it?
Once you have received the email from LMA Wills you can download
the file as many times as you like from the link given in the
email.
Q. I can’t read the
will / marriage bond I have purchased, what do I do
next?
LMA can only offer a limited transcription service. Please contact
our enquiry services to find out more. We recommend that you
contact The Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives
(AGRA) www.agra.org.uk which maintains a list of
professional researchers who may be better able to help you.
Q. How can I
obtain a copy of a will or marriage bond held by LMA which is not
yet available online?
Please download and read our leaflet
Wills in LMA and Elsewhere (141kb) for
information about the wills which are available at LMA.
If you are unable to visit us, you may wish to use our
Family History Research Service .