Of the dozen or so books included on this Family Archive CD, the majority
deal with wills and administrations of people who either died in America leaving
property in England or who are mentioned in a will that was proved in an English
court--often the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC), which had jurisdiction
in most matters affecting the personal estates of English subjects dying
overseas. During the colonial period, in particular, thousands of Englishmen who
had emigrated to America died while still in possession of assets in England.
While several other books included on this CD deal with church records, ships'
passenger lists, and other source records, those books treating wills and
administrations showing American connections are paramount in English
genealogical research, as they establish proof of family connections between
England and America, closing the gap between generations and continents.
Authors of the books included on this CD, in particular Henry F. Waters (Genealogical
Gleanings in England), Lothrop Withington (Virginia Gleanings in England),
and Peter Coldham (American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative
Court of Canterbury, English Estates of American Colonists, etc.),
are known to be among the most meticulous researchers in all of American
genealogy, renowned for the thoroughness of their documentation and the accuracy
of their facts. In the preparation of their various books, entries from the PCC
were abstracted only when it was possible to establish unambiguously that the
deceased or his relatives had some connection with mainland America. In general,
the books detailing the results of their research in English court and probate
records establish some or all of the following facts:
-Name of deceased
-Names of his heirs and issue
-Names and relationships of other family members
-Marital status
-Facts pertaining to emigration from England
-Place of residence; place of death
-Date of probate or administration
-Names of executors, administrators, and witnesses
The following books are included on this CD:
*American Wills Proved in London, 1611-1775
*American Wills and Administrations in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury,
1610-1857
*English Estates of American Colonists, 1610-1699
*English Estates of American Colonists, 1700-1799
*English Estates of American Settlers, 1800-1858
*Genealogical Gleanings in England (2 vols.)
*Virginia Gleanings in England
*American Colonists in English Records
*English Origins of American Colonists from The New York Genealogical and
Biographical Record
*Topographical Dictionary of 2,885 English Emigrants to New England
*Result of Some Researches Among the British Archives . . . Relative to . .
.New England
