From the 14th century until 1858, wills were granted probate by ecclesiastical courts. The value of the will and the location of the property bequeathed determined which court would prove the will.

If the property was

• all within one archdeaconry, the will would have been proved in an Archdeacon's court.
  
• in more than one archdeaconry but within one diocese it would have been proved in a Bishop's diocesan court.
  
• in more than one diocese it would have been proved by an Archbishop's prerogative court.

There were two Archbishops' courts responsible for proving wills, covering different parts of the country: The Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of York.

The Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury covered the South of England and Wales. The Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of York covered York, Durham, Northumberland, Westmorland, Cumberland, Lancashire, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire and the Isle of Man. Only wills bequeathing land or property over the value of