England, Durham Diocese, Registered Wills - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This article refers to two separate collections of wills from County Durham. The first includes original wills from 1743-1900 which are part of the Durham Consistory Court Papers. Two of the wills are dated to 1743 and 1900; the third is undated, though it appears to have been created in the nineteenth century. These records are linked to an index on the Durham University website.

The second collection contains registered wills from the Consistory Court at Durham for the years 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.

To Browse This Collection
These records are sorted by reference numbers. For assistance with searching, see the section How Do I Search This Collection?.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
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

Sample Image


Will 1766

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * The approximate date of death

Helpful Hint: The records in this collection are linked to an index on Durham University Probate Database website.
 * Fill in as much information as you know and click on Search Database.
 * The results will provide a link back to the images and/or give you the reference number to look within FamilySearch.
 * Note the page numbers in the references, which refer to the number written on the actual image rather than the image number itself. A link may take you to a particular section of the collection. Having a page number(s) can help you browse easily in the section.

View the Images
England, Durham Diocese, Original Will Strays, 1743-1900 This is a small collection and can easily be browsed image by image. View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select University of Durham Library Reference Number to view the images.

England, Durham Diocese, Registered Wills, 1526-1858 This is a much larger collection. See Helpful Hints above for finding a specific reference number. Once you have a reference number, you can view images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select University of Durham Library Reference Number to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

Some of the records in these collections may be written in an old script that can be challenging to read. Refer to BYU’s Script Tutorial for assistance with reading the records.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Save or print a copy of the image if possible
 * If an age is found, calculate and estimated birth year and search for a birth record
 * Use the information to locate the original parish burial record, if possible
 * Use the names of relatives listed to search for families in prior census records
 * Estimate a date of death and look for a death record
 * If the will includes the name of the spouse, search for a marriage record
 * Continue to search the index for people with the same surname to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * While family members do often appear on an individual's will, remember that all the individuals listed might not necessarily be family
 * Check for variants of given names and surnames
 * Simple clerical errors were always possible
 * Spelling was not standardized for much of the period of this collection, so pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation
 * Individuals might also have been listed under a middle name, a nickname, or an abbreviation of their given name
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name, surname, or expand the date range to return a broader list of possible matches
 * Search the records of nearby areas
 * Tyne, Wear, and Northumberland to the north
 * Cumbria to the west
 * North Yorkshire to the south
 * Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible
 * Search probate records

Record Finder
Consult the England Record Finder to find other records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:"England, Durham Diocese, Original Will Strays, 1743-1900." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Special Collections, Palace Green Library, Durham University, Durham.


 * Collection Citation:"England, Durham Diocese, Registered Wills 1526-1858." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Special Collections, Palace Green Library, Durham University, Durham.

Top of Page