England, Durham Diocese, Probate Inventories - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of probate records from County Durham for the years 1687-1846. Certain parishes in the counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Yorkshire are also represented in the collection.

After 1530, every executor of a will was required to provide an inventory of the deceased’s goods, together with their value; after 1782, these inventories could still be produced by request, but they were no longer legally required. The inventories listed the deceased’s personal property, such as furniture and clothing, cash, shares, debts owing or owed, crops, livestock, tools used by the deceased in his trade or occupation, stock-in-trade, and numbers of slaves. Sometimes there were separate inventories of specific items, such as of leases, mortgages etc.

As one of the 39 historic counties of England, County Durham has a long history. From the time of the Norman Conquest, the county was governed by a series of bishops who had been endowed with great secular authority by royal decree, making the city of Durham one of the foremost centers of both religious and political influence in the north of England. This eminence lasted until the nineteenth century when the bishops of Durham were stripped of the bulk of their secular powers.

For a list of parishes which historically made up this county, see the Durham Parishes page.

Collection Content
As noted above, this collection primarily contains probate inventory records, though other probate records may also be present to a very small degree.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
Probate Inventories may contain:
 * Name of Deceased
 * Residence
 * Occupation (if tools of the occupation were listed)
 * Stocks
 * Leases
 * Mortgages
 * Benefactors

How Do I Search These Records?
Before beginning a search in these records, it is best to know the full name of the individual in question, as well as an approximate time range for the desired record. This information provides the quickest, most reliable path to finding the correct person. Of course, other information can be substituted as necessary.

View Images in This Collection by Visiting the Browse Page
⇒ Select Browse through images on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the Durham University Library Reference Number to go to the images. Compare the information found on the images with what is already known determine if a particular record relates to the correct person. This process may require examining multiple records before the correct person is located.

Some of the records in this collection 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.

Search by Name with an Index
These records are linked to an index on Durham University's website: North East Inheritance database (pre-1858 Durham Probate Records)

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page to return a list of possible matches. Compare the individuals on the list with what is already known to find the correct family or person. This step may require examining multiple individuals before a match is located.

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.
 * 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.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities or parishes (Check parishes in Northumberland, Cumberland and Yorkshire).

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.

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