Images of pre-1858 Durham Probate Records online - what's happening ?

[davidft]

Well if that frustrates you imagine how frustrating it was to read an account in the NDFHS journal from several years ago of how the person in charge of the wills in the early\mid 19th century use to use the wills "in his care" to light his cigars. At least the ones you are having to fill the paperwork in for still exist

[hatofthecat]

the person in charge of the wills in the early\mid 19th century use to use the wills "in his care" to light his cigars

 

...I suppose it makes a change from "bombed in the war"

Pete

[Tickettyboo]

I'd quite happily pay the £6 to the LDS for readily downloadable online images of the documents as we do with National Archives 

...filling in the tedious form, scanning it and emailing it to Durham as I type... ho hum... 

Pete

he he, but that was my point, the LDS are not a commercial or funded by our taxes / rates kind of organisation.
 So our choices are (unless we are church members who are involved and have reason/rights  to raise concerns) either:

1 gratefully accept what they share and cross our fingers they will continue to do so
2 take the huff and don't use them :-)

Hope the copy will is all you hope it to be, when it eventually arrives :-)

Boo

[hatofthecat]

Hope the copy will is all you hope it to be, when it eventually arrives :-)

Thanks Boo, last two I had were gold dust    This one should hopefully confirm I have the right family in the right place (that I can't actually find on the map, but thats another thread).

Fingers crossed the project does get completed 

[Tickettyboo]

Hi Pete

The good news is that the Durham University Library have replied to my recent request in about two weeks. They gave me a price and I could pay by card over the phone. I did that this morning and the nice young man I spoke to said he would send the copies out in the post today.
So its not 'quite' as bad as it could be :-)
Fingers crossed I can decipher what the wills say when they arrive !
Though nothing will ever beat the 1947 one I got from the Probate Registry. She was a Great Aunt, went into service when she was about 14 and never married. Her will left bequests to all her siblings, half siblings and assorted nieces and nephews - complete with their postal addresses in 1947. It cleared up a LOT of loose ends.

Hope your request goes as smoothly as mine seems to have done

Boo

[hatofthecat]

Two weeks is good    Mine just scrapped inside the 1 month last time.  Yes they are very good on the phone & payment and the actual copies turned up right away after that 

I've just ordered some wills from West Yorks using their online ordering (bit disjointed though, you have to fill in the online form using the info you've found on another of their pages, no "order this" button.... ho hum...) will see if they are swifter, fingers crossed.

Pete

[Millmoor]

Hi

The wills are now on Family Search ( not only for Durham but also Allertonshire). It does work albeit - maybe just me!- slowly. I found that if I got the code from the Durham Probate Project index I could then scroll to the correct code. I did keep getting a message saying that there was a long running script but did get there eventually.

William

[angelfish58]

Yusss, thank you William. Now where to start 

[JenB]

I can only get wills with the prefix DPRI/1  - so I assume more are waiting to be uploaded. or am I doing something wrong?

Many of mine are prefixed DPRI/2 and 3.