Wills & Admons prior to 1858 

Before 10th January 1858 Wills were proved in various church courts, usually Archdeaconry or Consistory Courts. Most Yorkshire wills were proved in the Courts of the Archbishop of York, and are now held at the Borthwick Institute in York. Indexes for the wills have been published by the Yorkshire Archaelogical Society and indexes are available at some libraries (pre-1689) or at the Borthwick Institute (1689-1858: see their website http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/bihr/bihr.html for details of costs, etc). If a testator left property in more than one Court's jurisdiction, or died overseas, then the Will is likely to be in the records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC). These records are held in London at the Public Record Office with copies at the Family Record Centre in Islington.

Before the Married Women's Property Act of 1882 only unmarried women and widows could make wills.

The following are extracts from various will indexes - some of which are hand-written and very difficult to read!. If you know of any corrections - or additions - please let me know!!

Note: Comments in square brackets [ ] are my own observations, and were not derived from the Indexes

Wills in the York registry (Prerogative Courts of York), 1514-1568
1514-1544: [no Ellerton wills]
1545: September 19th - Richard Ellerton, Thorgonbie, Aug 23rd
1546-1568: [no Ellerton wills]

Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (incomplete list, pre-1801
1670 Samuell Ellerton, Whitenmaker of Lambeth, Surrey
1775 Matthew Ellerton, Supervisor of Excise of Bishopwearmouth, Durham
1782 Giles Ellerton, brandy merchant of west Smithfield, City of London
1791 Edward Ellerton, yeoman of West Witton, Yorkshire
1798 George Ellerton, clothworker of St Saviour, Southwark, Surrey
1800 Sarah Ellerton, widow of St Saviour, Southwark, Surrey

Wills proved in the "PCC and Country Courts", 1812-1857

Year	Testator/Residence	Executors, etc.	Court	Reg/Folio
1813	Thomas Ellerton, silver chaiser of Clerkenwell, Middlesex
1813	James Ellerton	John ----, Newcastle upon Tyne	Durham	4-734
1815	Robert Ellerton	Christ Ellerton, Scotton York, & another	Richmond	1-115
1815	John Ellerton	Cath. Ellerton, Ulverstone, Lancaster	London	3-612
1818	Richard Ellerton, mercer of Richmond	Edwd? Ellerton, Richmond [aged 44; MI list]	York	2-367
1819	John Ellerton	Eliz. Ellerton, Ellesmere, Salop	Ellesmere	3-645
1824	Joseph T. Ellerton	Rev. Jos. Ellerton, Weeping Croft, Berkswich, Staffs.	Lichfield	2-479
1824	Benj'n? Ellerton	Hanh [?] Ellerton, Sculcoates, Yorks.	York	3-563
1824	Thomas Ellerton, yeoman of West Derby, near Liverpool	Richard Ellerton, W.Derby, nr Liverpool	Chester	4-1017
1825	Elizabeth Ellerton [72; MI list]	Elizabeth Simpson, W.Witton, York	Richmond	4-893
1825	Benjamin Ellerton	Robert Ellerton, Hull	York	4-997
1827	Matthew Ellerton	Geo. Ripley, Stainton, Yorks.	Richmond	2-358
1833	Richard Ellerton [tax collector, L'pool]	Thos. Ellerton, 34 Gill St., Liverpool	Chester	4-830
1835	Geo Ellerton, Aiskew, Bedale	G. Morton?, Whitby [aged 77; MI list]	Richmond	3-595
1836	Jos. Ellerton, Weeping Cross, Staffs	J. ----, Stafford	Lichfield	3-532
1837	Francis Ellerton, Halifax, Yks.	W.H.Kitchen?, ----	PCG?	2-249
1837	Cath. Ellerton, Ulverston, Lanc.	G. Ellerton, Goughley? Fleet?	Lancs.	4-577?
1839	Christopher Ellerton, Downholme	Ann Ellerton, same place [aged 61; MI list]	PCY	3-433
1844	George Ellerton, Ulverston, Lanc.	Jamima F. Ellerton, same place	Lancs	3-432
1844	Elizabeth Ellerton, spinster of Weeping Cross, Staffs.	Rev'd E.Price, Drentter[?]	PC	4-551?
1846	Honor Ellerton?, Forsington?, Dorset	Eleanor Elliott, Dorchester	PC	3-551
1849	Elizabeth Ellerton, widow of Baswich, Staffs.	Stephen Stephenson, Ulverston	PC	2-234
1849	Ann Ellerton, Downholme	William Lodge, Middleham [see MI list]	Richmond	2-350
1851	James Ellerton, 9 Arlington St.--- [Clerkenwell?]	Jas. King, 28 Barth. Terrace, King Sq. ---	London	4-699
1852	Edward Ellerton, Theale, Berks.	Rev Chas Townsend, Thorpe, Notts [MI list]	PC	1-35
1852	William Ellerton, Longton, Staffs	Mary Ellerton, same place.	Lichfield	3-419
1854	Emmanuel Ellerton, Golden Hill, Staffs.	Emmanuel? Ellerton, same place	Lichfield	3-464?
1856	Frederick Ellerton, Wavertree, Liverpool	W. Ellerton, Birkenhead	Chester	3-902?
1857	John Ellerton, Topcliffe	D. Ellerton, same place [Dorothy, his wife]	----	2-470

Admons - various Courts, 1800-1857

Intestate		Administrator/Administratrix	Court	Vol./Folio
1805	Elizabeth Ellerton	[Scotton, York - Admons]	Richmond Archdeaconry
1805	Bridget Ellerton, Ulverston, spinster		[Furness Deanery, L'pool]
1808	Mary Ellerton	[St. Sidwell, Exeter]	Exeter Principal Registry
1812	William Ellerton	Ann Ellerton, Cottingham, Yks.	Exch. & Prerog, York	2-133
1819	Ann Ellerton	Benj. Ellerton, Hull	Exch. & Prerog, York	1-148
1823	Revd. Edward Ellerton	Elizabeth Ellerton, Colton, Lancaster	Con. Lancaster	1-298
1826	Hannah Ellerton	Benjamin Rands[?], Sculcoates	Exch. & Prerog, York	1-227
1829	Joseph Ellerton	Elizabeth Ellerton, Parlington	Exch. & Prerog, York	1-110
1842	Elizabeth Ellerton	Tho. Ellerton, 25 Brownlow St., Liverpool	C. Chester	1-8
1845	Mary Ellerston[/]	--- C.Ellerston, Camden Town	C. London
1845	Rev'd[?] Geo. Ellerton	John Ellerton, Abberford	PC York	1-125

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Page last updated: August 2008