North East Inheritance database (pre-1858 Durham Probate Records)

Downloading lists of probate records for family history enquiries

The downloadable files below include all the documents which are catalogued within our probate database, arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the deceased. They are provided for the convenience of family historians, though anybody is welcome to use them as an alternative to repeated searches within the database. For any non-surname based enquiries, however, you should find that the advanced search provides more useful results.

These lists record the data in an abbreviated format, notably omitting the following details which are only available via a search of the database:

• exact abode of the deceased as stated in the document (the parish and county details are noted within the lists);
• full details of the documents available (an abbreviated summary of the key document types is given for each person);
• exact dates of probate or death, where these are noted in the originals
• epithets and additional information for many of the deceased; and
• brief background notes on some of the documents.

Downloadable files (PDF format)

Please read the introductory notes included at the start of each of the downloadable lists below. And please note that these lists may be out of date: the most up to date information is always held within the database. (Each list is date stamped at bottom left of each page, and the scope page includes the date when the database was last updated.

The files listed here are approximately half to 1.2 Mb in size. They are all in the PDF format , so require a PDF reader such as Adobe Reader to view.

The above lists are all copyright (©) Durham University 2010, but may be freely reproduced or shared with others for non-commercial study or research purposes, as long as the introductory matter and copyright notice are kept intact, and the 'watermarking' within the pages is retained.