This morning Find my Past announced a new dataset with the title, "Staffordshire, Dioceses of Lichfield and Coventry Wills and Probate, 1521-1860" but the title fails to divulge the most important point for those of us in or with Shropshire interests.
The Diocese of Lichfield includes the parishes in the northern half of Shropshire. This map on Ancestry shows them within the red border. (You may need a subscription to view it.)
This new dataset allows you to search by name and/or place (parish name) and county. Salop and Shropshire appear to have been standardised as Shropshire. Entries for Shrewsbury may only give the name of the town but some have the addition of the actual parish name.
The information available on Find my Past is a modern copy of the original indexes (or Calendars as they were known) allowing you to search for any possible wills. Scroll down on a transcription page for more information. Remember that many people had little or nothing to leave so didn't leave a will but at the other end of the social scale the richer people may have chosen to have their will proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (often referred to as the PCC) so won't appear in this index.
You cannot see the actual will on the web site, that will need to be ordered from Lichfield.
Mike
Hello Jackie
Thank you for that. I had just discovered the same thing. Where there are two entries for one individual the first appears to be from the index and the second has the image(s) of the actual documents.
At the moment there is some doubt whether probates from Peculiar Courts are included or not. If anyone has previously found a probate in a Peculiar Court will they please see if it can be found in this new index and let us know the result.
Mike
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Correction
You can read the actual will/admon/inventory - they all appear to be there. Wonderful resource.
Jackie