County Resources
Durham
Shelf Mark: DU
For an explanation of this information, please consult the Introduction and the list of Abbreviations. Recent additions to the Society's Library are listed in the Genealogists' Magazine. The staff of the Society are able to make limited searches in these County Sources for a standard fee. Shelf marks used in the library are given in square brackets at the very end of each title.
County-wide sources:
- General Registers
- Marriage Licences
- Monumental Inscriptions
- Censuses
- Directories & Poll Books
- Periodicals
- Wills
- Parishes: A-E | F-P | Q-Z
County wide sources for Christenings, Marriages and Burials include:
County sources at the Society of Genealogists: Cumberland, Durham, Northumberland [&] Westmorland parish registers, nonconformist registers, marriage licences. London: SoG, 2000 [ML enquiry counter] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.
National index of parish registers, vol. 11, part 1: Durham & Northumberland. Rev. ed. London: SoG, 1984. [TB/PR] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.
Durham diocesan records: Bishops' transcripts of parish registers: summary list of outside dates of transcripts [Typescript.] [Shelf 9 (DU/REG)]
List of parochial & non-parochial registers relating to the counties of Durham & Northumberland: Durham tracts, vol. 1 [DU/G 2]
List of transcripts, partly in manuscript, of the parish registers of Northumberland & Durham in the Public Library, Newcastle upon Tyne: in A volume of miscellanea: Publications of the Newcastle upon Tyne Records Committee, vol. 9 [NU/PER]
Boyd’s marriage index 1538-c.1837 [Typescript]. [UK/REG] Most of this marriage index is also available on the Origins Network.
International Genealogical Index & addendum [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff] & available on-line at Family Search
British Vital Records Index [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff]
National Burial Index. 2nd edn. [CD-ROM] [Apply to staff]
Out of area collection 1, 1975-76 [UK/REG]
RG 7 Fleet marriage register indexes [parishes, brides & grooms] [SP/REG]
Stray baptisms, vol. 1: in Northumberland registers, vol. 4 [Photocopy.] [NU/R 59]
Durham [County] marriages 1798-1812 (Selected registers not on Boyd's Marriage index) [Microfiche.] [Apply to staff]
Durham [County] marriage index 1813-37 [Microfiche.] [Apply to staff]
Durham County burials index (Strays) 1798-1812: Cornucopia, vol 5 [containing miscellaneous indexes to sources in Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland & Yorkshire] [Microfiche.] [Shelf mark ?]
Durham [County] burials index 1813-37 (Anglican) [Microfiche.] [Apply to staff]
Northumberland burials index 1813-37 [Microfiche.] [Apply to staff]
Quaker digest registers of births, marriages & burials - Durham Quarterly Meeting: Z 1613-1840, 1657-1816, 1588-1840, M 1644-1839, 1659-1759, 1653-1836, B 1655-1840, 1657-1779, 1657-1841 [Microfilm.] [Mf 3382]
Miscellaneous strays for Northumberland & Durham: Northumberland registers, vol. 4 [Photocopy.] [NU/R 59]
Stray burials, vol. 1: Northumberland registers, vol. 4 [Photocopy.] [NU/R 59]
Marriage licences: abstracts & indexes in the Library of the Society of Genealogists. London: SoG, 1991. 4th edn. [ML enquiry counter] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.
Faculty Office marriage licences index 1701-1850 [Typescript.] [ML/FO] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at the Origins Network
Vicar-General marriage licences surname index 1694-1850 [Typescript.] [ML/VG] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at the Origins Network
Diocese of Durham marriage bonds 1594-1815, 1821, 1831, 1901 [Microfiche.] [Apply to staff]
Diocese of Durham marriage bonds (miscellanea) 1594-1782 [Microfiche.] [Apply to staff]
Diocese of York marriage licences (Paver's) for the Diocese of Durham 1590-1643, 1661-1713 [Microfiche.] [Apply to staff]
Durham marriage bonds, 1662-86; index of women, vols 1 & 2 [Typescript.] [ML/DUR]
Durham marriage bonds 1664-74 [ML/DUR]
Rough index of marriages wanted for Durham marriage bonds [Photocopy.] [DU/R 99]
Testamenta Eboracensia: a selection of wills from the Registry at York, part 3 [abstracts 1395-1491, with a list of marriage licences & dispensations together with widows' vows of chastity 1374-1531]: Surtees Society publications, vol. 45 [DU/PER]
Testamenta Eboracensia: a selection of wills from the Registry at York, part 4 [abstracts 1420-1509, with a list of marriage licences, dispensations, etc., 1308-1556]: Surtees Society publications, vol. 53 [DU/PER]
County wide sources for tombstone inscriptions (MIs) include:
DURHAM (Civilian war dead roll of honour): MIs: Index to the civilian war dead roll of honour for Northumberland, Durham & Middlesborough [Microfiche.] [NU/MI/79184/1 (missing 5/01)]
The monumental brasses of County Durham: Monumental Brass Society county series, vol. 11 [DU/M 21]
Northern counties monumental inscriptions: Yorkshire monumental inscriptions, vol. 23 [YK/M 60]
In addition to free access from within the library to census returns and indexes on various subscription web sites, the Society holds many locally produced indexes. The latter are essential where an Internet index has mis-transcribed a name which you are looking for and for surviving pre-1841 censuses and census substitutes.
Search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:
DURHAM - CENSUSES
Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term for the required census.
The Society’s collection is of national importance and includes county and local directories of residents and businesses and poll books and other lists of voters in parliamentary and local elections. Details, correct as of 1995, are published in:
Directories & poll books, including almanacs & electoral rolls, in the Library of the Society of Genealogists. SoG, 1995. 6th edn. [ML enquiry counters] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.
Or search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:
DURHAM - DIRECTORIES
or DURHAM - POLL BOOKS
Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term required.
The Society holds the journals of most English-speaking family history societies world-wide, the publications of county record societies and many national and local history societies past and present.
Search the on-line catalogue for the Title required
The Library contains film copies of indexes to wills proved 1858-1930 and indexes, calendars and many abstracts of wills proved by individual church courts before 1858. Details, correct as of 1996, are published in:
Will indexes & other probate material in the library of the Society of Genealogists. London: SoG, 1996 [WILLS/GEN] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop.
Other major sources include:
An index to the wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1750-1800 [WILLS/PCC] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at the Origins Network. An index to all PCC wills 1384-1858 is available on-line at the National Archives
Estate Duty will indexes 1796-1857 (IR 27/1-323) [Microfilm] [Wills film cabinets] The Death Duty registers 1796-1903 are also on-line at findmypast.com
An index to the Bank of England will extracts 1807-45 [WILLS/GEN] Buy this book from the SoG on-line bookshop or search it on-line at the Origins Network
For the most up-to-date list of will material in the library, do a Subject search on the on-line catalogue for the name of the church court e.g. Biggleswade Peculiar Court
Or if you do not know the name of the church court:
Search the on-line catalogue for the following Subject phrase:
DURHAM - GENERAL:WILLS
Click on the green Go button and then on the subject term required.
SOGCAT On-line
CatalogueThe Society has material on the following and other places in County Durham. For details please click on the link to the on-line catalogue and do a Subject search for the place name.
Auckland Deanery | Auckland St Andrew | Auckland St Helen | Aycliffe | Barnard Castle | Beamish | Bearpark | Belmont | Billingham | Birtley | Bishop Auckland | Bishop Middleham | Bishopton | Bishopwearmouth | Boldon | Bournemoor | Brancepeth | Brandon | Brandon Colliery | Burnmoor | Burnopfield | Castle Eden | Castleside | Chester le Street | Chester le Street Deanery | Chopwell | Cockfield | Coniscliffe | Cornforth | Croxdale | Dalton le Dale | Darlington | Darlington Deanery | Denton | Dinsdale | Durham | Durham Deanery | Easington | Easington Deanery | Eastgate | Ebchester | Edmundbyers | Egglescliffe | Egglestone | Eighton Banks | Elton | Elwick Hall | Embleton | Escomb | Esh | Etherley
The Society has material on the following and other places in County Durham. For details please click on the link to the on-line catalogue and do a Subject search for the place name.
Fir Tree | Forest & Frith | Gainford | Gateshead | Gateshead Deanery | Gateshead Fell | Greatham | Greenside | Grindon | Haggerston Castle | Hamsterley | Hardwick | Hart | Hartlepool Deanery | Hartlepool | Hartlepool, West | Harton | Heathery Cleugh | Hedworth | Heighington | Hetton le Hole & Hetton, South | Heworth | Houghton le Spring | Hunstanworth | Hurworth on Tees | Hylton, South | Ingleton | Ireshopeburn | Jarrow | Jarrow Docks | Jarrow Grange | Kelloe | Kirk Merrington | Lamesley | Lanchester Deanery | Lanchester | Lumley | Lumley, Great | Medomsley | Merrington | Middleton in Teesdale | Middleton St George | Monk Hesledon | Monkwearmouth | Muggleswick | Newton, Long | Painshaw | Penshaw | Pittington
The Society has material on the following and other places in County Durham. For details please click on the link to the on-line catalogue and do a Subject search for the place name.
Rainton, West | Redmarshall | Roker | Rookhope | Rowley | Ryton | Sacriston | Sadberge | Satley | Seaham | Sedgefield Deanery | Sedgefield | Sherburn Hospital | Shields, South | Shildon | Shincliffe | Sockburn | Spen, High | Staindrop | Stainton, Great | Stanhope Deanery | Stanhope | Stella | Stockton Deanery | Stockton on Tees | Stranton | Sunderland | Swalwell | Tanfield | Teesdale | Trimdon | Usworth | Washington | Weardale | Whickham | Whitburn | Whitworth | Whorlton | Winlaton | Winston | Witton Gilbert | Witton le Wear | Witton Park | Wolsingham | Wolviston
