England, Durham Probate, Commissions, Monitions and Citations, 1650-1858

What is in This Collection?

This collection will include probate records from 1650-1858 from the county of Durham. 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.

The records in this collection are linked to an index on Durham University's Probate Database website. Fill in as much information as you know and click on Search Database. The results will provide a link back to the images and/or give you the reference number to look within FamilySearch

1. Reference DPRI/5/1826 indicates the records are from the year 1826
2. Reference DPR/I/1/1826/S13/1-2 indicates the records are from the year 1826; this person is the 13th individual with records in the letter "S"
3. Reference DPR/I/2/37 p703-709 indicates the record is on pages 703 -709. Note the page numbers refer to the number written on the actual image rather than the image number itself.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

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

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  1831 Monition

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  1831 Commission

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  1831 Citation