Durham Probate Records

For an explanation of probate records in England, click here.

Durham Probate Courts
The following probate courts had some jurisdiction over County Durham before 1858:


 * Court of the Bishop of Durham (Episcopal Consistory)
 * Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York
 * Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of York
 * Chancery Court of the Archbishop of York
 * Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Court Jurisdictions
Here is a list of Durham parishes beginning with A through C and the pre-1858 ecclesiastical courts that had jurisdiction over them. Also go to the lists for parishes D-E, F-J, K-R, S, and T-Z.

Post-1857 Probate Records
Beginning in 1858, the government took over the settlement of estates and all wills are now probated through the Principal Probate Registry system. The system consists of 11 district registry offices and 18 sub-district registries, located throughout England and Wales, and the principal registry office located in London. The records are available through the office of Her Majesty's Courts Service. To learn more, go to the HMCS website.

A country-wide surname index to the records is available, so it is much easier to look for post-1857 wills. The indexes for 1858-1957 and the records for 1858-1925 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.