England, Durham, Probate Commissions, Monitions and Citations - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include probate records from 1650-1857 from the county of Durham 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.

Probate courts deal in the legal administration of wills and estates. Probate agreements guarantee that a person will faithfully perform the tasks assigned to him by a probate court.

Commissions are authorizations to carry out particular acts, usually, in probate cases, to administer an oath to an executor or administrator of an estate.

Monitions are normally general summonses issued to kindred or others with an interest in a will or administration of an estate, or else instructions to do or refrain from doing a specific action.

Citations are summonses issued usually to a named person but sometimes to anyone concerned, ordering them to appear before a court for some specific purpose.

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

Record Content
Probate Records may include:


 * Name of Testator
 * Name of Executor
 * Names of Beneficiaries
 * Place of Residence
 * Witness Name(s)

Search the Collection
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 '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.

When searching:

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.

Using the Information

 * Use the name of the testator, along with the date and place, to locate death records.
 * Use the information given in the probate record to determine wealth and status.
 * Try to locate the names of family members or wards.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name, or variant spellings of the name, before deciding which is correct.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

While probate records are one of the most accurate sources of genealogical evidence, they must be used with caution. They may:
 * Omit the name of the eldest son who received his inheritance according to law; the names of others who had previously received their inheritance; or any deceased family members.
 * Mention children from a spouse’s previous marriage.
 * Mention a spouse who is not the parent of the children named.
 * Give inaccurate relationships of people mentioned in the document.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (Northumberland on the North, Cumbria on the West, North Yorkshire on the South).

Related Websites

 * Durham University- Index of Durham and Northumberland probate records, 1527-1857
 * Gov.uk- Learn about wills, probate, and inheritance
 * Durham Record Office
 * England and Wales Historic Maps
 * England and Wales History Links

Related Wiki Articles

 * Durham Probate Records
 * Introduction to England Probate Records Training Video
 * England, Diocese of Durham Bishops' Transcripts (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England, Durham Diocese, Calendar of Marriage Bonds and Allegations (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England, Durham Diocese, Marriage Bonds and Allegations (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England Beginning Research Series Lesson 1: Getting Started Training Video
 * England Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * England Probate Records
 * Principal Probate Registry

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information (often called citing 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: