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

Ordering copies of probate documents

Digital images of most of the Durham Probate Records have been made available online by the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU), and linked into our catalogue entries. See separate online images page. These images provide the easiest (and cheapest) method for you to obtain copies of most pre-1858 probate records.

However, until we have finished checking the image data that is available, we are still able to provide photocopies of probate documents, subject to the condition of the originals and levels of demand. If you want to order photocopies, please see our webpage on Photocopying and Photographic Charges.

Interpreting probate document references in the catalogue

The catalogue lists every probate document that survives within our core series for each deceased person: see the introductory page for details of the records included. Each of these documents includes a reference, beginning 'DPR/I/'. These notes and the example below explain what you should put on the photocopying form when ordering copies. The series are as follows:

DPR/I/1 (original wills and inventories etc)

These references consist of a year, followed by a folder reference (initial A-Z and a number, for instance B4 or S12), followed by an individual piece reference (such as /1, or /2-4 to indicate 3 pieces). For ordering copies of these documents, you should ignore these piece references on the photocopying order form, and we will copy the full folder for you (subject to any fragile or sealed documents).

DPR/I/2 (registered copies of wills)

These cannot be photocopied.

DPR/I/3 (probate bonds)

These are generally individual bonds (and some other documents), not stored within folders. You should quote the full reference for each document that you want photocopied. Note however that most bonds (particularly 'will bonds') are unlikely to contain additional useful information for family history purposes, so you will probably not want to order copies of these documents. And see notes on the images page regarding the earlier bonds.

DPR/I/6 (Dean and Chapter Allertonshire probate records)

These relate to the cathedral's jurisdiction over certain parishes in North Yorkshire (see our page on probate jurisdictions for further explanation). They are referenced with a year and folder reference as for the DPR/I/1 series, but in addition there are two subseries. DPR/I/6/T is used for the main series of wills and associated documents, and DPR/I/6/B for administration bonds (including inventories etc where these survive). You should specify the full reference for the folder(s) you are interested in, as for DPR/I/1 omitting any final piece references.

An example of a probate catalogue record

Here is an imaginary example of two probate records, as reported by a search of the database:

To order copies of the above probate documents, you would specify the following on the application for copies form:

• DPR/I/1/1836/S1 (Henry Sadler)
• DPR/I/3/1836/T3 (Henry Sadler)
• DPR/I/6/T/1702/S1 (Cuthbert Surbutt)

Note that the registered copy (DPR/I/2/46 p761-762) cannot be photocopied, and you would probably want to omit Henry Sadler's will bond (DPR/I/3/1836/T3) as the main information within it has been noted within the listing.