Differing Responses to an Industrialising Economy - eTheses ...

Probate records
Although probate records provide occupational evidence throughout the whole
study period, this source is biased towards richer inhabitants. ‘The church courts were
responsible for overseeing the disposal of deceased persons’ personal estates only, that is
their moveable goods, credits and leasehold property.’ 10
Although church courts dealt
with personal estates worth less than £5, they probably discouraged such dealings, as they
were not allowed to charge a fee. 11 Thus, labourers and poorer craftsmen are less likely to
be mentioned in the probate records. Occupations of females are difficult to trace from
probate documents, as women are usually referred to according to their married status,
even if they were running a business. Nevertheless, much can be gleaned from the
probate records. 12
The majority of probate records from 1660 to 1858 for the nineteen Warwickshire
parishes and the twelve Worcestershire parishes in the study area were consulted at
Worcestershire Record Office, while the probate records for the five ex-Gloucestershire
parishes were viewed at Gloucestershire Record Office. 13
Several hundred wills for
people of the study area which were proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC)
were also consulted in microform at the National Archives at Kew. Those who qualified
for probate at the PCC included people with personal estates worth £5 in more than one
10 T. Arkell, et al, eds., When Death Do Us Part, (Oxford, Leopard’s Head Press, 2000), p.7.
11 Ibid, p. 12. They charged a set fee of 3s. 6d. for personal estates of between £5 and £40 and 5s. for those
over £40.
12 For example, information on literacy, wealth, working practice, status and familial, social and
geographical networks including the occupations of friends and family.
13 At WoRO the main series of probate documents were viewed on microfilm. Extra ‘miscellaneous
probate’ documents at WoRO, (BA3585, ref. 008.7), (available as original documents), were also included
in the data. Other additional probate documents were consulted, including the Greenbank collection at
WoRO, but these were sometimes found to be earlier wills of deceased persons or copies of wills used at
probate and so to avoid duplication were not used in the spreadsheet analysis. Only wills up to 1858 were
consulted. (From 1858 probate was dealt with by the state, and documents are held in London.) At
GlosRO some probate records were available in microform, others, (including 12 items listed as ‘additional
probate’), were available as original documents.
11