England, Durham Diocese, Probate Inventories - FamilySearch Historical Records

England Durham

What is in the Collection?
This collection will include Probate Inventory documents from parishes in the counties of Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Yorkshire, and covering the years 1676-1846. These records will be linked to an index on Durham University's website: North East Inheritance database (pre-1858 Durham Probate Records)

Durham is located in the north-east section of England. The name "Durham" comes from the Old English "dun", meaning hill, and the Old Norse "holme", which translates to island.

A probate inventory can provide detailed information. From 1530 to 1782 it was required for every executor of a will or grant to provide an inventory of the deceased’s goods, together with their value. After 1782 it was possible for any interested party to ask for an inventory, but it was no longer required. The main purpose of these inventories was to discover the total value of the dead man’s property. The inventories listed the deceased’s personal property, such as furniture and clothing, cash, shares, debts owing or owed, crops, livestock, tools used by the deceased in his trade or occupation, stock-in-trade, and numbers of slaves. Sometimes there were separate inventories of specific items, such as of leases, mortgages etc.

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Probate Inventories may contain the following information:


 * Name of Deceased
 * Residence
 * Occupation (if tools of the occupation were listed)
 * Stocks
 * Leases
 * Mortgages
 * Benefactors

How Do I Search the Collection?
As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

To search by index:

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse by image:

To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Durham University Reference number" category which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities or parishes (Check parishes in Northumberland, Cumberland and Yorkshire).

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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