England, Durham, Dean and Chapter of Durham's Allerton and Allertonshire Original Wills, Inventories and Bonds - FamilySearch Historical Records

England Durham

What is in the Collection?
This collection will include records from 1666-1845, including original wills, inventories and bonds relating to people whose property was situated in Allerton and Allertonshire in Yorkshire. These records were located in parishes and chapels in Durham.

Durham is in the North East section of England and is bordered by Northumberland, Cumbria and North Yorkshire. The name "Durham" comes from the Old English "dun", meaning hill, and the Old Norse "holme", which translates to island.

A will is a legal document containing instructions as to what should be done with one's money and property after one's death. Inventories include a list of personal belongings and assets. Bonds are loans. A person will loan their money to a company, a city, or the government with the promise to be paid back in full.

These records are linked to an index on Durham University's website: http://familyrecords.dur.ac.uk/nei/data/advanced.php

Sample Images


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
 * Name and Birth Date of Children
 * Name and Address of Beneficiary
 * Name and Address of Executor of the Will

Inventories usually include:


 * Name and Address of Property Owner
 * A list of Personal Assets

Bonds usually include:


 * Surname and Given Name of the Participant
 * Age of Participant
 * Gender of Participant
 * Current Residence and Previous Residences
 * Current Occupation

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 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 '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.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * 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.
 * Search the records of nearby Parishes (Brampton, Diehgton, High Worsall, Kirby Sigston, Northallerton and West Rounton).

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.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: