Search Ireland, Diocese of Dublin wills and grants, 1270-1858

These records are taken from index books published in the 1890s that covered all wills, and grants of probate or administrations recorded by the Anglican (Episcopalian) Diocese of Dublin. You will find the following information:

• Name & address: contains name, address and sometimes occupation of those named in the record.
• Year: The year in which the record was registered.
• Nature of record: This is an acronym of the original record, e.g. M L= marriage licence; W = will, etc.
• Page = this was the reference to the actual page number in the original grant books. But these were destroyed in the 1922 destruction of the Public Records Office of Ireland.

Since the destruction of the PROI resulted in the loss of the vast majority of the original documents indexed here, this publication remains the only evidence that survives.

These indexes are to the grant books and original wills dealt with by the consistorial court of the Diocese of Dublin. Prior to 1858 responsibility for all testamentary matters was held by the established church (the Church of Ireland) and all wills, irrespective of the religion of the deceased, were proved or probated by the appropriate Diocesan consistorial court. Furthermore, the consistorial court registered marriage licences/allegations and bonds, as well as other matters.

The Diocese of Dublin is quite large and covers far more than the modern county of Dublin. It also includes most of County Wicklow, large parts of southern and eastern County Kildare, and smaller portions of Counties Carlow, Laois (Queen’s County) and Wexford. Consequently, the Diocese’s Consistorial Court covers this expansive area too.

The indexes presented here were published in two volumes of the Public Record Office of Ireland’s regular reports, as well as a portion of a third volume (vol. 31) given over the corrections and omissions in the pre-1800 material. These reports were published by the Deputy Keeper of the PROI and are full of extensive information about record transfers to the repository and catalogues of its holdings.

The acronyms can be complication. The full lists appears below.

The formal title of these indexes is “Index to the Act or Grant Books, and to Original Wills, of the Diocese of Dublin 1272-1858”, and they were published as part of the 26th, 30th and 31st Reports of Deputy Keeper of Public Record Office of Ireland published between 1894 and 1899.

Contractions & Explanation

Abs. - Absolution

Admin. - Administration

A.P.L. - Administration Pendente Lite

Apos. - Apostles

App. - Appeal

Assign. Admor. - Assignment Administrator

Cav. - Caveat

Cav. M.L. - Caveat Marriage Licence

Cert. - Certificate

Ch. Ch. - Christ Church Deed

Cit. - Citation

Com. - Commission

D. - Diocesan Book

D.C.I. - Dublin Chancery Inquisition

D.C.R. - Dublin Corporation Records

D.E.I. - Dublin Exchequer Inquisitions

Dec. - Decree

Den. - Denunciation

Dep. - Deputation

Dep. & Sus. - Deprivation and Suspension

Disch. - Discharge

Dispn. - Dispensation

Div. - Divorce

Exc. - Excommunication

Exem. - Exemplification

I. - Intestacy

Ind. - Induction

Inh. - Inhibition

Inst. - Institution

Intimn. - Intimation of Appeal

Inv. - Inventory

K.C.I. - Kildare Chancery Inquisition

K.E.I - Kildare Exchequer Inquisition

L.A. or Acq. - Letters of Acquittance

L.Ap. - Letters of Appeal

L.C. - Letters to Collect

L.Exmp. - Letters Exemplificatory

L.Ref. - Letters Refutatory

L.R. or L.Rev. - Letters Reverential

L.S. or L.Sig. - Letters Significatory

L.T. - Letters of Tutelage

L.Test. - Letters Testimonial

Lic. - Licence

M.L . - Marriage Licence

M.L.B. - Marriage Licence Bond

M.L.C. - Marriage Licence Caveat

Mid. - Midwifery Licence

Mon. - Monition

O.W. - Original Will (unentered in Will and Grant Books)

Par. - Pardon

P.A. - Power of Attorney

Purg. - Purgation

Q.E. - Quietus Est

Rel. of Seq. - Relaxation of Sequestration

Ren. - Renunciation

Req. - Requisition

Revoc. - Revocation

Seq. - Sequestration

Sign. - Significamus

S.A. - Special Administration

S.P. - Special Probate

Sur. Lic. - Surgeons Licence

Suspen. - Suspension

W. - Will, Probate or Grant connected with Will

W.C.I. - Wicklow Chancery Inquisition

W.E.I. - Wicklow Exchequer Inquisition

- Will and Grant Book

• - Will Book