Question: My great-grandfather corresponded with a professional genealogist in England in 1898. In the letter it refers to a missing probate file from the 1630's for a relative. The genealogist simply says "the P.C.Y. file for him is no longer surviving" - any idea what he was referencing?
Answer: The P.C.Y. is the abbreviation for the Prerogative Court of York. This court handled the probate for southern England from the 14th century until 1858.