Durham Probate Records: Difference between revisions

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Probate Records

Getting Started

Probate is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. Probate records include wills and administrations. This article is about probate records in Durham. See England Probate Records for a general description of probate records in England.

1858 to the Present

Beginning in 1858, the Principal Probate Registry had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.

Online Records

1858-1957 England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
1858-1995 England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 at Ancestry($); index
1858-2019 England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019 at Findmypast($); index

Before 1858

Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Durham, follow these steps:

Step 1. Search Indexes

Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Durham. Search these indexes first:

Durham and Northumberland probate records, 1527-1857. Index is wonderful!
- North East Inheritance database (pre-1858 Durham Probate Records). To learn more about the project and search the index.
Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills 1383-1858
Sunderland Wills and Invetories Transcribed 1601-1650 with 90 probate records

Did you find a reference to a probate record?

If yes, go to Step 4 below.
If no, go to Step 2 below.

Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died

Determine when your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.

Determine where your ancestor died. It is easier to find a probate record if you know whether the place where your ancestor lived or died is a parish. To learn whether it is a parish, look it up in a gazetteer. Here is a link to the 1872 Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales online:

Vision of Britain

The gazetteer will either tell you:

A place is a parish, or
What parish it is a part of, or
What place it is near.

If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.

Once you have identified the parish, go to Step 3.

Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish

Once you have identified the parish where your ancestor lived or died, learn which courts had jurisdiction over it then search indexes for those courts. Every town and parish in Durham fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. Click on a link below for the letter the parish begins with.

The whole of the county of Durham was under the primary jurisdiction of the Court of the Bishop of Durham (Episcopal Consistory). This court should be searched first when looking for the probate of a deceased person who lived or owned property in Durham. Additional courts listed below also had jurisdiction over Durham. If you do not find a probate in the Court of the Bishop of Durham, search those additional courts.

Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record

Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:

Durham England Probate Records(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - some images may only be available at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.
Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection.

Durham Probate Courts

The following court had jurisdiction over county Durham before 1858.

Durham Probate Collections

The following collections contain various records relating to probate from County Durham.

Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts of Durham

The earliest original wills for Durham date from 1540, but there are some registered copy wills for 1526-1534. There are earlier records filed with the superior courts, some dating back to 1311, in the bishop's general serices of act books. There are gaps in the records for early periods; others in poor condition.

Inventories were prevalent from the earliest period through th efirst quarter of the 18th century. They may be filed with the administration bonds as well as with the original wills. Registered copies are usually indexed and arranged chronologically. Page numbers appear in the upper right corner and testators' names are frequently written in the margins. There may be an inventory written at the end of the copy will and almost always there will be a probate act in Latin indicating when the will was proven.

Other On-line Information

Durham University Special Collection Durham Probate Records

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-''[[England]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[County Durham|Durham]]''
+{{Durham-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[England Genealogy|England]]
+| link2=[[Durham, England Genealogy|Durham]]
+| link3=
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Durham_Probate_Records|Probate Records]]
+}}
+== Getting Started  ==
+''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. Probate records include [[W genealogical glossary terms|wills]] and [[A genealogical glossary terms|administrations]]. This article is about probate records in Durham. See [[England Probate Records]] for a general description of probate records in England.
+=== 1858 to the Present  ===
+Beginning in 1858, the [[Principal Probate Registry|Principal Probate Registry]] had the authority for probating estates. Click on the link to learn more.
+==== Online Records ====
+* '''1858-1957''' [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2451051 England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957] at FamilySearch - [[England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index & images
+* '''1858-1995''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1904 England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995] at Ancestry($); index
+* '''1858-2019''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/england-and-wales-government-probate-death-index-1858-2019 England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019] at Findmypast($); index
-The following article is about probate records in the county of Durham. To read general information about English probate records click [[England Probate Records|here]].
+=== Before 1858  ===
-== Getting Started  ==
+Before 1858, Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process. To search for a pre-1858 probate record in Durham, follow these steps:
+==== Step 1. Search Indexes  ====
-''Probate'' is the legal court process by which the estate of a deceased person is distributed to his or her heirs. The Church of England ecclesiastical courts had authority for this process until to 1858. Beginning in 1858, authority over probate matters was taken from ecclesiastical courts and put under the civil authority of the Principal Probate Registry. The Post-1857 Probate Records section below contains links to additional information about the records of this court.
+Here are some online indexes to probate records that include individuals who lived in Durham. Search these indexes first:
-To look for a probate record before 1858:<br>
+*[http://familyrecords.dur.ac.uk/nei/ Durham and Northumberland probate records, 1527-1857]. Index is wonderful!
+**[http://familyrecords.dur.ac.uk/nei/data/intro.php North East Inheritance database (pre-1858 Durham Probate Records)]. To learn more about the project and search the index.
+*[https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12122 Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills 1383-1858]
+*{{FSC|1928667|item|disp=Sunderland Wills and Invetories Transcribed 1601-1650 with 90 probate records}}
-#Discover when and where your ancestor died. If you don’t know, use the approximate date and place where they lived. <br>
+<br>Did you find a reference to a probate record?
-#Go to [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Durham_Probate_Records#Court_Jurisdictions Court Jurisdictions] section below.<br>
-#Click a letter or span of letters for your place name. This opens a jurisdictions table.<br>
-#Follow the instructions on the jurisdictions table page.<br>
-== Durham Probate Courts  ==
+*If ''yes'', go to '''Step 4''' below.
+*If ''no'', go to '''Step 2''' below.
-The following single probate court had jurisdiction over County Durham before 1858:
+==== Step 2. Identify when and where your ancestor died  ====
-*[[Court of the Bishop of Durham (Episcopal Consistory)]]<br>
+Determine ''when'' your ancestor died. If you aren't sure, use an approximate date.
-If a will is not found in this court, search these additional courts.<br>
+Determine ''where'' your ancestor died. It is easier to find a probate record if you know whether the place where your ancestor lived or died is a [[P genealogical glossary terms|parish]]. To learn whether it is a parish, look it up in a gazetteer. Here is a link to the 1872 ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' online:
-*[[Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York]]
+*[https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/ Vision of Britain]
-*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of York]]
-*[[Chancery Court of the Archbishop of York]]
-The [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]] had jurisdiction over the whole of England. Wealthier individuals, people who owned property in more than one county or lower court's jurisdiction, and Naval personnel often had their estates proven through the Archbishop's court. Search the records of this court after all of the others have been searched.<br>
+The gazetteer will either tell you:
-==== Appeals Courts  ====
+*A place is a parish, or
+*What parish it is a part of, or
+*What place it is near.
-Any probate that was disputed and could not be settled by the county courts could be sent to these higher appeals courts:
+If the latter, look that place up in the gazetteer and see if it is a parish.
-*[[Court of Arches]]
+Once you have identified the parish, go to '''Step 3'''.
-*[[High Court of Delegates]]
-*[[Prerogative Court of Canterbury]]
-== Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts of Durham  ==
+==== Step 3. Identify court jurisdictions by parish  ====
-The earliest original wills for Durham date from 1540, but there are some registered copy wills for 1526-1534. There are earlier records filed with the superior courts, some dating back to 1311, in the bishop's general serices of act books. There are gaps in the records for early periods; others in poor condition.
+Once you have identified the parish where your ancestor lived or died, learn which courts had jurisdiction over it then search indexes for those courts. Every town and parish in Durham fell under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. Click on a link below for the letter the parish begins with.
-Inventories were prevalent from the earliest period through th efirst quarter of the 18th century. They may be filed with the administration bonds as well as with the original wills. Registered copies are usually indexed and arranged chronologically. Page numbers appear in the upper right corner and testators' names are frequently written in the margins. There may be an inventory written at the end of the copy will and almost always there will be a probate act in Latin indicating when the will was proven.
+<br>The whole of the county of Durham was under the primary jurisdiction of the [[Court of the Bishop of Durham (Episcopal Consistory)|Court of the Bishop of Durham (Episcopal Consistory)]]. This court should be searched first when looking for the probate of a deceased person who lived or owned property in Durham. Additional courts listed below also had jurisdiction over Durham. If you do not find a probate in the Court of the Bishop of Durham, search those additional courts.<br>
-== Durham Parishes and Their Probate Jurisdictions<br>  ==
+==== Step 4. Obtain a copy of the probate record  ====
-Before 1858, every town and parish in Kent was under the probate jurisdiction of a primary court and several secondary courts. To find the will of your ancestor who lived or owned property in Kent, see a list of Kent parishes with the pre-1858 courts that had probate jurisdiction over each. To see a list of parishes in the county click [[Durhamshire Parishes|here]]. <br><br>If you do not know where in Durham your ancestor lived or owned property, search the indexes for the court. If not found, search the index to the [[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]. Be aware that not every person left a will.<br>
+Once you have found an index reference to a probate, obtain a copy of the record. Do so by one of these methods:
-== Court Jurisdictions  ==
+*{{FSC|372968|subject_id|disp=Durham England Probate Records}}(*) at FamilySearch Catalog - some images may only be available at a [https://www.familysearch.org/centers/locations/ FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.]<br>
+*Visit or contact the record office that has the original records in its collection.
-The whole of the county of Durham was under the primary jurisdiction of the Court of the Bishop of Durham also known as the Episcopal Consistory Court of Durham (see above). This court should be searched first when looking for the probate of a deceased person who lived or owned property in County Durham. <br>
+== Durham Probate Courts  ==
-The other courts listed above had secondary jurisdiction over County Durham.&nbsp; If you do not find a probate listed in the indexes to the Court of the Bishop of Durham, then you should try the secondary courts.&nbsp;
+The following court had jurisdiction over county Durham before 1858.
-The last courts to search would be the&nbsp;appeals courts (see the main [[England Probate Records|England Probate Records]] page for an explanation of the appeals courts).
+*[[Court of the Bishop of Durham (Episcopal Consistory)]]<br>
+*[[Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York]]
+*[[Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of York]]
+*[[Chancery Court of the Archbishop of York]]
+*[[Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury]]
-&nbsp;
+== Durham Probate Collections ==
+The following collections contain various records relating to probate from County Durham.
+*[[England, Durham Diocese, Allertonshire Peculiar Administration Bonds and Inventories - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[England, Durham Diocese, Allertonshire Peculiar Stray Probate Bonds - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[England, Durham Diocese, Probate Inventories - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[England, Durham Diocese, Registered Wills - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[England, Durham Diocese, Renunciations - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[England, Durham Probate Bonds - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[England, Durham, Dean and Chapter of Durham's Allerton and Allertonshire Original Wills, Inventories and Bonds - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[England, Durham, Diocese of Durham Original Wills - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[England, Durham, Probate Commissions, Monitions and Citations - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
-== Probate Indexes Online  ==
+== Some Explanatory Notes on the Courts of Durham  ==
-[http://familyrecords.dur.ac.uk/nei/ Durham and Northumberland probate records, 1527-1857]. The planned completion date is summer 2009.
+The earliest original wills for Durham date from 1540, but there are some registered copy wills for 1526-1534. There are earlier records filed with the superior courts, some dating back to 1311, in the bishop's general serices of act books. There are gaps in the records for early periods; others in poor condition.
-== Estate Duty Records<br>  ==
+Inventories were prevalent from the earliest period through th efirst quarter of the 18th century. They may be filed with the administration bonds as well as with the original wills. Registered copies are usually indexed and arranged chronologically. Page numbers appear in the upper right corner and testators' names are frequently written in the margins. There may be an inventory written at the end of the copy will and almost always there will be a probate act in Latin indicating when the will was proven.<br>
-Starting in 1796, a tax or death duty was payable on estates over a certain value. Estate duty abstracts may add considerable information not found elsewhere. Between 1813-1858 estate duty indexes may help locate a will. For more information, go to [[Estate Duty Records]].<br>
+== Other On-line Information ==
+*[https://www.dur.ac.uk/library/asc/ Durham University Special Collection] Durham Probate Records
-== Post-1857 Probate Records  ==
-Beginning in 1858, the government took over the&nbsp;settlement of estates and all&nbsp;wills are now probated through the Principal Probate Registry system. For more information, go to [[Principal Probate Registry]].<br>
+{{Place|Durham|Probate Records}}
+{{England Probate Records}}
-<br>
+{{Template:Pros-NEE}}
-[[Category:England]] [[Category:Durham]]
+[[Category:Durham Probate Records|Probate]]