Court of the Bishop of Durham (Episcopal Consistory)

England  Durham   Durham Probate Records,Cumberland Probate Records

For a general explanation about probate records in England, click here.

Getting Started: Step by Step
1. First search each index (see below) to help you more quickly find the will, writing down each detail cited in the indexed entry.&lt;br&gt;

2. Proceed to the "Probate Records Held in This Archive" (below) to determine what original probate records exist for this court. Also see "Probate Records of This Court in The Family History Library".&lt;br&gt;

3. Contact or visit the&amp;nbsp;Durham County Record Office or,&amp;nbsp;hire a professional record searcher to view these records on your behalf. Officials may send upon request a list of record searchers.&lt;br&gt;

4. Visit The Family History Library, or, one of its 4,500 satellite family history centers worldwide and search indexes to probate records;&amp;nbsp;then with the information obtained from the index[es] you can search more quickly the&amp;nbsp;original wills and admons also&amp;nbsp;on microfilm via any&amp;nbsp;centers&amp;nbsp;near you.&lt;br&gt;

Indexes
Researching British Probates, 1354-1858: A Guide to the Microfilm Collection of The Family History Library

The Family History Library has film copies of the following.


 * Indexes, 1540-1858.
 * Index of wills, etc., in the Probate registery, Durham, and from other sources, 1540-1599
 * Index to Durham wills in the probate registry 1540-1812
 * Index and complete transcriptions of wills and Inventories pre-1649
 * Personal names in wills proved at Durham 1787-1803
 * Durham Wills
 * Index to Durham wills from 1540 to about 1800
 * Index or extracts from the act books of th Consistory Court of wills and administrations of Durham and Northumberlabd 1576-1735,

Archive Location
Durham County Record Office County Hall Durham County Durham DH1 5UL England

E-mail: record.​office@​durham.​gov.​uk Telephone: 0191 ​383 ​3253

Family History Library Records
The Family History Library has film copies of original wills, inventories and administrations, 1540-1858. They can be viewed in the library or in one of the family history centers worldwide.

Jurisdiction
This court had jurisdiction over the entire county.