England, Durham Diocese, Registered Wills - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This article pertains to two separate collections. The first includes original wills from 1743-1900 which are part of the Durham Consistory Court Papers. The wills are dated 1743, 1900 and one is undated [from the 19th century]. These records are linked to an index on the Durham University website.

The second collection contains registered wills for the Consistory Court at Durham, from 1526 to 1858. It covers individuals who owned property in Durham, Northumberland and part of Cumberland. These records are also linked to an index on the Durham University website.

Durham is a county in North East England near the German Ocean. The name "Durham" comes from the Old English "dun", meaning hill, and the Old Norse "holme", which translates to island. It is about 40 miles in length and 30 miles in width. This county was formerly under the special jurisdiction of the bishop of Durham.

Record Content


Wills usually include:


 * Surname and Given Name of the Participant
 * Age and/or Birthdate of Participant
 * Gender of Participant
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Marital Status
 * Surname and Given Name of Spouse
 * Names and Birthdates of Children
 * Name and Address of Beneficiary
 * Name and Address of Executor of the Will

How to Use the Record
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.

Search the Collection
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 search 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 'University of Durham Library 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.
 * Look for an index.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (Northumberland on the North, Cumbria on the West, Westmorland on the East and North Yorkshire on the South).

Related Websites

 * Durham Archives
 * Durham County Parish Registers
 * Durham Parish Records
 * Durham Marriage Genuki – Durham Genealogy – Joiner Marriage Index

Related Wiki Articles

 * England, Diocese of Durham Bishops' Transcripts (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England, Northumberland, Cumberland, Durham, Miscellaneous Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Durham Probate Records
 * England, Durham Diocese, Calendar of Marriage Bonds and Allegations (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Durham
 * England Church Records

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: Image Citation