The Parish Churches and Religious Houses of Northamptonshire: Their Dedications, Altars, Images and Lights

Of the many fields of research, open to the student of ecclesiology, few are more interesting, or produce more valuable results than do the wills of our mediaeval forefathers. It is no exaggeration to say that no parochial history, worthy of the name, can be compiled without a careful study of the old wills. It is true, of course, that in certain parishes no old wills are forthcoming, but this is only a rare occurrence, and is often accounted for by the fact that the wills of that particular parish were proved in a" peculiar," or more rarely in a manorial court, the early records of which have been lost.