The value of Wills and other Probate documents to genealogical searchers is well known, but they are not always easily accessible. Northfiche now has some "Will material" available for the first time.
Most Durham and Northumberland wills prior to 1858 were proved at the Consistory Court in Durham but a sizeable minority were proved at York. This is because the south west Northumberland area known as "Hexhamshire" – the parishes of Allendale, Allenheads or Allendale St Peter, Bingfield St Mary, Carrshields or High West Allen, Hexham, Ninebanks or Low West Allen, St John Lee, St Oswald in Lee, and Whitley Chapel –were in the Diocese of York rather than in the Diocese of Durham. Moreover, if a testator held assets in the Diocese of York as well as in Durham Diocese, his will had to be proved in York.
In the 19th century, Canon James Raine produced a number of volumes which became known as "Raine’s Testamenta Eboracensia (York Wills). Some have been published by the Surtees Society, but those covering the period from the mid 16th century to 1801 were in 12 manuscript volumes which remain unpublished. They were however transcribed in 1926 by H M Wood, and are now reproduced on 12 sets of microfiche by Northfiche.
The content of each volume is detailed below. It is important to realise that the complete wills have NOT been transcribed – there are extracts only, usually giving the "bones" of genealogically valuable detail, and by no means all York wills have been included in most volumes.
Volume I has its own index (included on the fiche). Volumes II to XII are not indexed separately but there is a composite index covering all 11 volumes. This is an index to people making Wills, or having Letters of Administration, or other probate documents; it is NOT an index to all the names mentioned in the will extracts etc (eg beneficiaries).
Interested searchers may want to consider buying the Index first – it costs only £2.50 -- and then buying appropriate fiche of the volumes themselves if a name which interests them is noted in the index, although of course I will be happy to supply the fiche for any of the volumes straightaway if this is wanted! That way, you will not buy a set and then find it is of no interest to you.
Volume I contains extracts from wills, inventories etc from a number of specific families – Apleby (sic), Ascough, Bowmer, Bulmer, Calverley, Chaitor, Danby, Etherington, Feilding (sic), Gale, Gascoyne, Gyll, Ingleby, Mitcalfe, Milbank, Robinson, Rokeby, Shuttleworth, Smithson, Stockburne, Wharlton and Wycliffe – with names of the beneficiaries (mainly family) and what they were to receive. They date from 1554 to 1772. As stated above, there is an index, but it does not include all the beneficiaries. £2.00
Volume II is headed Raine's Hexhamshire, Administrations and Probates 1593-1602 and is an Abstract of a Thin Volume bound in Parchment in the York Court. It seems to relate solely to Hexhamshire, including people from Hexham, St John Lee, Allendale, Acomb, St Oswald etc. There are a few probates included but mainly the entries are quite brief, relating to Administrations and mentioning the deceased and the relatives who were to administer the estate. £2.00
Volume III is titled Admissions – presumably meaning Administrations -- and Probates 1598-1686. There is a heading Extracts from the Prerogative Act Books at York relating to Durham and Northumberland – All. Unlike Volume II, the entries relate to people from all over the two counties --as far north as Berwick -- and consist of anything from quite brief notes on Administrations to more extensive extracts from Wills. £3.75
Volume IV Raine's Hexhamshire Administrations & Probates 1687-1727 £3.75
Volume V Raine's Test Ebor Administrations & Probates 1727-1772 £5.20
Volume VI Raine's Test Ebor Administrations & Probates 1773-1801 £3.75
These three volumes are similar to Volume II, relating to the whole of Durham and Northumberland, despite the varying titles.
Volume VII Raine's Test Ebor, Wills 1705-1721 contains extensive details of wills from all over England, often titled people and including "gentlemen" but also more lowly folk, like a tanner from Hexham. £2.00
Volume VIII Raine's Test Ebor, Wills 1731-1739. Similar to the three previous volumes, with many Northumberland and Durham entries. From Volumes 82 to 86 of the Registers at York £2.00
Volume IX Raine's Test Ebor Wills 1721-1731. Similar to Volume VIII. From Volumes 76 to 81 of the York registers. £2.00
Volume X Raine's Test Ebor, Wills 1740-1750. Similar to the previous three volumes. From volumes 87 to 94 of the York registers. £2.00
Volume XI Raine's Test Ebor, Wills 1751-1770. Similar to previous. £3.75
Volume XII Raine's Test Ebor, Wills from Probate registry Vols 115 to 137, 1771-1793. Similar to previous volumes. £3.75
Index to Raine's Test Ebor Vols II to XII. £2.50
All volumes include pages facing the will etc details, added by the transcriber HM Wood, with details from relevant burial registers.
Please order as "Raine " followed by the volume number(s) eg "Raine Vol II" , or "Raine Index"
24 January, 2002