England, Durham, Probate Commissions, Monitions and Citations - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include probate records from 1650-1858 from the county of Durham. These records are linked to an index on Durham University's website: http://familyrecords.dur.ac.uk/nei/data/advanced.php

Probate courts deal in the legal administration of wills and estates. Probate agreements guarantee that a person will faithfully perform the tasks assigned to him by a probate court.

Commissions are authorizations to carry out particular acts, usually, in probate cases, to administer an oath to an executor or administrator of an estate.

Monitions are normally general summonses issued to kindred or others with an interest in a will or administration of an estate, or else instructions to do or refrain from doing a specific action.

Citations are summonses issued usually to a named person but sometimes to anyone concerned, ordering them to appear before a court for some specific purpose.

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?
Probate Records may include:


 * Name of Testator
 * Name of Executor
 * Names of Beneficiaries
 * Place of Residence
 * Witness Name(s)

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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select 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.

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

 * Use the name of the testator, along with the date and place, to locate death records
 * Use the information given in the probate record to determine wealth and status
 * Try to locate the names of family members or wards
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community

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

 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * Search the records of nearby localities (Northumberland on the North, Cumbria on the West, North Yorkshire on the South)
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur
 * Probate records sometimes omit the name of the eldest son who received his inheritance according to law; the names of others who had previously received their inheritance; or any deceased family members
 * Realize that some of the mentioned children may be from a spouse’s previous marriage
 * The records may also mention a spouse who is not the parent of the children named or give inaccurate relationships of people mentioned in the document

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.

“England, Durham Probate Commissions, Monitions and Citations, 1650-1858.” Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Special Collections, Palace Green Library, Durham University, Durham.
 * Collection Citation:

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