Devon Names in the Calendars of the

Prerogative Court of Canterbury Administrations

Extracted by Jean E. Harris

Explanatory Note

PCC Administrations 1559-1580

PCC Administrations 1581-1595

PCC Administrations 1596-1608

PCC Administrations 1609-1619

PCC Administrations 1620-1630

PCC Administrations 1631-1648

PCC Administrations 1649-1654

PCC Administrations 1655-1660

Explanatory Note

When a person owning any kind of property dies without having made a will during his/her lifetime, then that person is said to have died intestate. The law then provides for such an event by the granting Letters of Administration to the next-of-kin or some other person who has to apply for these in order to administer the estate of the deceased. The law also provides for exactly how this estate is to be distributed amongst the next-of-kin or others and the Administrator has to do all of this in accordance with the current Administration of Estates Act.

If there is no next-of-kin or even if there is one, that person may not be willing to administer the estate. In that event then some other person, perhaps another relative or a creditor, has to apply for Letters of Administration in exactly the same way in order to settle the affairs of the deceased person. The Letters of Administration (Admins) granted by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury are very useful given the loss of all of the old Devon probates when Exeter was bombed in 1942. These identify not only the deceased but also their administrators with their relationship to the deceased be it widow (relict), child, friend or others.

The original PCC Admon Act Books 1559-1660 are held at the National Archives, Kew, London. The Latter Day Saints (Mormons) have filmed all of these and their film numbers are 093245 - 093261.