Monkwearmouth, Durham Genealogy

= Parish History =

St Peter Monkwearmouth is an ancient parish and a church stood on the site for many centuries. It is referred to by the Venerable Bede and the early church was built on the banks of the River Wear as part of a monastic settlement by Benedict. The church was restored in 1875 after earlier removal of thirteenth century architecture.

In 1844 the parish of All Saints Monkwearmouth was created from this ancient parish.

= Parish Records =

"In 1790, the parish registers were destroyed by the fire which broke out in the Hall, then the residence of the minister, excepting the register of Marriages from 16th October 1785, of Baptisms from 2nd September 1779, and of Burials from 3rd January 1768."

[From History, Topography and Directory of Durham, Whellan, London, 1894]

The Parish Registers for the period 1683-1987 are deposited at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL (EP/Mo.SP).

The Parish Registers for the period 1694-1974 are deposited at Durham County Record Office, County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL (EP/CE).

Durham University Library Archives and Special Collections DDR/EA/PBT/2/182 May 1766-1869 Parish Register transcripts are available to search free online at Record Search. In view of the loss of parish material the transcripts are particularly valuable.

The dates of the post-1760 transcripts have been noted in detail and sometimes only cover years. For most parishes in the collection there are gaps in the sequence of transcripts. It is advisable to consult the original parish registers for these years and events.