Northamptonshire & Rutland

There are three British Record Society publications included in this collection:

• Northamptonshire & Rutland Wills 1510-1652 (BRS vol. 1)
• Northamptonshire Administrations 1677-1710 (BRS vol. 70)
• Northamptonshire Administrations Part II 1711-1800 (BRS vol. 92)

Below we have included descriptions of the publications and details about where to access the original documents.

Northamptonshire & Rutland Wills 1510-1652

British Record Society volume 1

Published 1888

Read the Original Introduction of BRS Volume 1 from 1888.

Locating the original documents

Where are the originals held?

The original wills are held at Northamptonshire Record Office. To obtain copies of an original will you need to contact The Northamptonshire Record Office by letter, fax or e-mail, giving full details (including source ie BRS and which court etc) and references. They will then send you a quote of the full costs. You then need to complete an order form (which is downloadable from their website) and return it to the record office (with payment).

What information from the document do I need to locate the original?

• Testator's name
• Place
• Year of will or admon
• Folio

About the index

This volume is an index to the Wills Registered between 1510 and 1652 in the Northampton Archdeaconry Court. The Archdeaconry Court of Northampton covered the major southern part of the county of Northampton. From 1541 Northamptonshire and Rutland were in the Diocese of Peterborough. Prior to then, the two counties of Northampton and Rutland formed part of the great see of Lincoln.

Please note that no Administration Bonds for Northamptonshire survive prior to 1660.

Notes and Abbreviations used in the index

As several of the calendars overlap each other the following table has been prepared so that the reader may be able at a glance to learn in what book or books the wills of any given period may be found. It will be observed that for the years 1595 and 1596 no wills appear to be extant at Northampton.

* The Third Series, which is lettered A, B, C, includes wills from 1603 to 1652, and the Second Series, A to V, extends from 1610 to 1652.

Northamptonshire Administrations 1677-1710

British Record Society volume 70

Published 1947

Read the Original introduction of BRS Volume 70 from 1947.

Locating the original documents

Where are the originals held?

The original wills are held at Northamptonshire Record Office. To obtain copies of an original will you need to contact The Northamptonshire Record Office by letter, fax or e-mail, giving full details (including source ie BRS and which court etc) and references. They will then send you a quote of the full costs. You then need to complete an order form (which is downloadable from their website) and return it to the record office (with payment).

What information from the document do I need to locate the original?

• Testator's name
• Place
• Year of will or admon
• Folio

About the index

This volume is an index to administrations plus some inventories registered in the Archdeaconry court of Northampton 1677–1710.

The Inventories were only included when it was believed there was no corresponding administration remaining on record.

Notes and Abbreviations used in the index

The number of the administration in the yearly bundle in each case has been inserted, and this has been placed in round brackets, which also indicate editorial comments.

Northamptonshire Administrations and Inventories Part II 1711-1800

British Record Society volume 92

Published 1980

Read the Original Introduction of BRS Volume 92.

Locating the original documents

Where are the originals held?

The original wills are held at Northamptonshire Record Office. To obtain copies of an original will you need to contact The Northamptonshire Record Office by letter, fax or e-mail, giving full details (including source ie BRS and which court etc) and references. They will then send you a quote of the full costs. You then need to complete an order form (which is downloadable from their website) and return it to the record office (with payment).

What information from the document do I need to locate the original?

• Testator's name
• Place
• Year of will or admon
• Folio

About the index

This volume is an index to administrations and inventories registered in the Archdeaconry court of Northampton 1711-1800.

In detail the material covered by the present volume covers:

• Administrations from 1711 to 1724 inclusive, including also the inventories, wills, accounts and letters of guardianship.
• Administrations from 1725 to 1800 inclusive, including related inventories, accounts and letters of guardianship, excerpted by Mr. Isham Longden.
• Inventories from 1711 to 1797
• Administrators' Accounts from 1665 to 1685

The Archdeaconry Court of Northampton had jurisdiction over the southern part of Northamptonshire except for those Northampton parishes in the Peculiar of Banbury (Kings Sutton and Grimsbury)

Notes and Abbreviations used in the index

• Administration

  From 1711 to 1725 the references are to the year bundle of administrations and to the document numbers within the bundles. After 1725 the references are to the combined year bundles of wills and administrations, followed by the day and month.

• Inventory without administration

  The entry will specify 'Inv. Only'. If the inventory is in the bundle of some four hundred separate inventories the reference gives the year followed by the document number. Ask for the inventory bundle 1700-97 and give the document number. If the inventory is to be found in the administration bundles, the reference is to the year bundle, followed, up to 1725, by the document number and the letter A. Ask for the administration bundle for the year and give the document number: After 1725, if in the mixed bundles, the reference is in the same form as for administrations, the year bundle followed by day and month.

• Letters of guardianship

  These are normally found with other probate documents under the name of the deceased but are also indexed under the names of the child or children.

• Administrators' Accounts

  These cover the period from 1665 to 1685 and have been separated from their letters of administration, many of which will be found in Volume 70. The entry makes clear that only an account is involved, and the reference is to the year followed by the document number. Ask for the accounts bundle for 1665—85 and give the document number.

Abbreviations