Wills 1393-1857

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Until 1858 probate (the proving of wills) was carried out by the church authorities in numerous courts across England and Wales.   There were hundreds of different courts where a will could be proven but the general rules were as follows:

• If all the goods and property of the testator lay within one archdeaconry, then the will could be proven in the Archdeaconry Court
• If all the goods and property lay within two archdeaconries within the same diocese, then the will would be proven in the Bishops' Court (also known as the Diocesan Court or Commisary Court)
• If all the goods and property lay within two Diocese within the same Province, then the will would be proven in the Provincial Court (either York or Canterbury)
• If all the goods and property lay within both provinces, then the will was proven at the senior court of Canterbury, known as the Prerogative Court of Canterbury or PCC
• Like all good rules, there are always exceptions:
  • If the parish was a "peculiar", there may be a separate arrangement outside the jurisdiction of local ecclesiastical officials
  • Courts were occasionally in abeyance and wills would be proven in the higher court
  • During the Civil War/Commonwealth period 1640-1660, Oliver Cromwell abolished all the lower courts, so PCC was the only place to get a will proven
  • Wealthier people often went to a higher court than was actually required

I have copies of the vast majority of the wills listed here and many have been fully transcribed. Please email me if you would like details.

NAME	SURNAME	YEAR	PLACE	COURT
Agnes	Foskett	1627	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
Alice	FOSCATT	1598	Charlton	ConsSarum
Alice	Foskett	1637	Milbourne	Wilts
Andrew	Foskett	1679	Melbourne	ArchCamb
Andrew	Foskett	1732	Melbourne	ArchCamb
Ann	Foskett	1614	Malmesbury	Wilts
Ann	Fascutt	1852	Northampton	Nhants
Ann	Foskett	1682	Melbourne	ArchCamb
Anne	Foskett	1660	Grendon Underwood	ArchBucks
Anthony	Fossett	1760	Stoney Stratford	ArchBucks
Benjamin	FOSKETT	1835	Hendon	PCC
Bernard	FOSKETT	1758	Bristol	PCC
Caleb	FOSKETT	1742	Westminster	PCC
Charlotte	FOSKETT	1855	Bath	PCC
Chrystian	FOSCOTE	1545	Finedon	Nhants
Dorothy	Foskett	1627	Middle Claydon	ArchBucks
Ebeneezer	FOSKETT	1743	Tempsford	PCC
Ebeneezer	Foskett	1773	Whitechapel	PCC
Edward	Foskett	1679	Sawtry Moynes	ArchHunts
Elizabeth	FOSCOT	1584	Brinkworth	Wilts
Elizabeth	Foskett	1615	Brinkworth	Wilts
Elizabeth	Foscott	1669	Woodford	Nhants
Elizabeth	Foscutt	1672	Charlton	Wilts
Elizabeth	Foskett	1732	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
Elizabeth	FOSKETT	1753	Hitchin	PCC
Elizabeth	Foskett	1755	Lavendon	ArchBucks
Elizabeth	FOSKETT	1764	Potton	ArchBeds
Elizabeth	Foscutt	1765	Boughton	Nhants
Elizabeth	Fascutt	1821	Lt Billing	Nhants
Elnor	Foscutt	1679	Aldwinkle	Nhants
Everard	Foskett	1735	Eaton	ArchBucks
Francis	FOSKETT	1657	Leighton Buzzard	PCC
Francis	FOSKETT	1758	Potton	ArchBeds
Francis	FOSKETT	1762	Potton	ArchBeds
Francisca	FOSCET	1664		CommLond
Gabriel	Foskett	1779	Wroxten	Oxon
George	FOSCOTT	1589	Singleborough	ArchBucks
George	Faskett	1636	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
George	Foskett	1680	Water Eaton	ArchBucks
George	Foskett	1701	Southwark	PCC
George	Foskett	1749	Loughton	ArchBucks
George	Forskett	1763	HMS Cygnet	PCC
George	Foskett	1789	Rockford	ArchEssex
George	FOSKETT	1849	Lambeth	PCC
George	Foskett	1757	Ivinghoe	ArchBucks
George	Foskett	1796	Swanboune	ArchBucks
Hannah	FOSKETT	1746	North Crawley	PCC
Henry	Foskett	1673	Singleborough	ArchBucks
Henry	FOSKETT	1675	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
Henry	Foscott	1690	Stanwick	Nhants
Henry	Foskett	1716	Singleborough	ArchBucks
Henry	Foscutt	1770	Stanwick	Nhants
Henry	FOSKETT	1854	Weston Super Mare	PCC
Henry	Foscutt	1794	Ringstead	Nhants
Jane	FOSKETT	1804	Moor Place	PCC
Jane	FOSKETT	1815	Croydon	PCC
Joane	FOSCETT	1620	Bedford	ArchBeds
Joane	Foskett	1679	Sawtry Moynes	ArchHunts
Johannis	FOSKETT	1688		CommLond
Johannis	FOSICK	1695		CommLond
John	FOSCOT	1544	Lillingston Lovell	ArchOxon
John	FOSCUTT	1545	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
John	FOSCUE	1552	Christchurch	CommLond
John	FOSKEWE	1588		CommLond
John	FOSKATT	1598	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
John	FOSKETTE	1602	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
John	Foscoate	1602	Twywell	ArchNhants
John	Foscott	1620	Irthlingborough	Nhants
John	Foskett	1637	Milbourne	Wilts
John	Foskett	1640	Grendon Underwood	ArchBucks
John	Foscott	1671	Gt Addington	Nhants
John	Foskett	1678	Northampton	Nhants
John	Foskett	1680	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
John	Foskett	1684	Stewkeley	ArchBucks
John	Foscott	1699	Stanwick	Nhants
John	FOSKETT	1702	Hitchin	PCC
John	Foscoate	1704	Stanion	Nhants
John	Foskett	1714	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
John	FOSKETT	1714	Hitchin	PCC
John	Foskett	1729	Adderbury	Oxon
John	Faskett	1731	Rothwell	Nhants
John	Foskett	1736	North Crawley	PCC
John	FOSKETT	1742	Norwich	PCC
John	FAUSKITT	1743	Whitechapel	CommLond
John	Foskett	1747	Norwich	PCC
John	Fauscott	1763	Stanwick	Nhants
John	Foskett	1771	Grendon Underwood	ArchBucks
John	Fascutt	1803	Boughton	Nhants
John	FOSKETT	1820	London	PCC
John	FOSKETT	1844	Camberwell	PCC
John	Foscotte	1548	Cirencester	?
John	FOSSCOT	1558	Buckingham	Oxon
Joseph	FOSSET	1711	Pertonhall	ArchBeds
Joseph	FOSCUTT	1723	Lavendon	ArchBucks
Joseph	FOSKETT	1730	Hackney	PCC
Joseph	Foskett	1789	St Lukes	PCC
Joseph	FOSKETT	1840	Reigate	PCC
Kezia	Travail formerly Foskett	1810		PCC
Margaret	FOSCUE	1617	Sandy	ArchBeds
Margaret	FOSCOTT	1630	Bedford	ArchBeds
Mary	Foskett	1610	Gt Addington	Peterborough
Mary	Foskett	1747	Hitchen	Herts
Mary	Foskett	1804	St Pancras	PCC
Mary	FOSKETT	1815	St Pancras	PCC
Matthew	FOSCOT	1624	Charlton	PCC
Michael	FOSKETT	1824	Leigh	PCC
Nicholas	FOSKETT	1792	Whitechapel	PCC
Rachel	FOSKETT	1768	Clifton	PCC
Rebecca	Foskett	1797	Prittlewell	ArchEssex
Richard	FOSKETT	1553	Biddenham	ArchBeds
Richard	Foscot	1607	Aldwinkle	Nhants
Richard	Foscoate	1634	Waddenhoe	Nhants
Richard	Foscott	1667	Woodford	Nhants
Richard	Foskett	1842	Bengeo	Herts
Robert	FOSKETT	1614	Bedford	ArchBeds
Robert	Foscott	1669	Heyford Warren	Oxon
Robert	FOSKETT	1708	Potton	ArchBeds
Robert	Fascutt	1744	Boughton	Nhants
Robert	FOSCUTT als FORTESQUE	1745		CommLond
Robert	Foscutt	1806	Ringstead	Nhants
Robert	Fascutt	1821	Boughton	Nhants
Robert	Fascutt	1834	Northampton	Nhants
Samuel	Foskett	1844	Rushden	Nhants
Sarah	Foscutt	1814	Ringstead	Nhants
Sarah	Fascutt	1847	Northampton	Nhants
Sophia Foskett	LLOYD	1855	Clifton	PCC
Stephen	Foskett	1842	Broxbourne, Hrt	ArchEssex
Susanna	Foskett	1747	Clifton	Bristol
Thomas	FOXCOTE	1393	London	ArchLond
Thomas	FOSKETT	1558	Eckton	Nhants
Thomas	Foskett	1607	Great Horwood	ArchBucks
Thomas	Foskett	1609	Gt Addington	Peterborough
Thomas	FOSKETT	1633	Olney	PCC
Thomas	FOSCOTT	1654	Walsoken	PCC
Thomas	FOSKETT	1655	Malmesbury	PCC
Thomas	Foskett	1658	Aldwnkle	Nhants
Thomas	Foscutt	1676	Collingtree	Nhants
Thomas	Foscott	1685	Paulerspury	Nhants
Thomas	FOSKETT	1759	Potton	ArchBeds
Thomas	FOSKETT	1767	Clifton	PCC
Thomas	FOSCUE	1780	Eaton Bray	ArchBeds
Thomas	Fascutt	1791	Boughton	Nhants
Thomas	FOSKETT	1843	Cople	ArchBeds
Thomas Moore	FOSKETT	1828		PCC
Walter	Foskett	1719	Brinkworth	Wilts
William	Foscot	1538	Great Billing	ArchNhants
William	Foskett	1595	North Crawley	ArchBucks
William	FOSCOTT	1598	Woodford	Nhants
William	FOSCOTT	1602	Malmesvury	PCC
William	FOSKETT	1658	North Crawley	PCC
William	Foskett	1716	Middlesex	PCC
William	Foskett	1731	North Crawley	ArchBucks
William	Foscutt	1803	Raunds	Nhants
William	Foskett	1814	Grendon Underwood	ArchBucks
William	FOSKETT	1843	Bath	PCC
William	Foskett	1709	North Crawley	ArchBucks
William Henry	Foskett	1818	Ampthill	PCC

© Sandra J Smith MBE 2007