Inquisitions Post Mortem (IPMs) were inquiries into the lands held at the time of their deaths by tenants-in-chief of the Crown and to identify the heirs. Although largely drawn from noble and gentry families, such people also included some individuals further down the social scale. The records created by these inquiries usually provide details about witnesses, those serving on juries and the extent and character of the property concerned.
The following sources can help us to get the most out of such records:
- The National Archives provides a detailed overview, including how to consult the original records which are kept there.
- Mapping the Medieval Countryside is a major project that aims to make IPMs available in a digital form with considerably more detail than is found in the printed editions. Currently, it includes IMPs from 1399-1447. Setting its 'Browse for Places' facility to search for the word 'Northamptonshire' generates a total of 528 results.
- Calendars This section of Mapping the Medieval Countryside explains the differing editorial approaches in the calendars of IMPs which have been printed for the periods 1236-1447 and 1483-1509.
- Some of the printed volumes have been digitised without further editorial work. Links to those available online can be found at Some Notes on Medieval English Genealogy.