Durham Bishop's Transcripts: The Howe Manuscript Collection: Difference between revisions

• Transcripts from two ecclesiastical peculiars in Allertonshire in Yorkshire. These were respectively responsibility of the Bishop of Durham and the Dean and Chapter of Durham.<br>• Transcripts from Crayke, a detached part of Durham County until 1844, when it became part of Yorkshire. Part of Durham diocese until 1837 when it became part of York Diocese.<br>• Transcripts from 6 parishes in the diocese of Durham all with initial letters from the same part of the alphabet Denton (Durham County 1756-1757) Elwick Hall, Escomb, Esh and Greatham (Durham County 1709-1710) Elsdon (Northumberland 1720)<br>

= The Mystery of the finds  =

The six Durham discoveries mentioned above are tantalising as they indicate that the main series of surviving parish register transcripts for the diocese from 1760 onwards for chapelries and parishes have been detached from earlier transcripts. Theoretically transcripts can exist from the sixteenth century onwards. The Durham DDR transcripts were placed with Durham University library from 1951 onwards and the fate of earlier transcripts remains a mystery. The Howe MSS strays together with occasional strays which surfaced earlier, suggest that pre 1760 transcripts did exist and one day may be discovered.<br>The Howe MSS also suggest that the 1709-1710 years are particularly strongly represented and that the transcripts had previously been grouped alphabetically and <u>within each year.</u>