Darlington Tudor Names Notes

TUDOR DARLINGTON NAME INDEX

 

Darlington St Cuthbert’s parish registers are patchy and confused circa 1595, so other sources are always useful. In 1974 and 1976, the late Norman Sunderland, former head of history at Darlington Queen Elizabeth, published two booklets entitled ‘Tudor Darlington’. These provide a vivid account of Darlington and its associated townships, Bondgate, Cockerton and Blackwell, and portray the everyday lives of many named inhabitants. It is a pity that Norman Sunderland did not include footnotes, references, or an index, although the extensive bibliography shows that he used many primary sources besides parish records and Quarter Sessions Rolls; an edited selection of these is given below.

 

Unfortunately, it was just a small number of these booklets that were printed for sale in the 1970s and these are now only available by special request at Darlington Local Studies Library or may be found in some other Durham libraries.

 

This index has been compiled of all the people mentioned in both volumes, including occupations where mentioned, place or places associated with each person, the date or dates cited in the text plus page references. Hopefully, this will be of interest to those researching local or family history  in the Darlington area during this time.

Contributed by Christine Jemmeson, Member 3109

 

Sources:

Durham County Record Office

  • Darlington Parish Registers beginning 1580 but fragmentary for the early period
  • Quarter Sessions Rolls beginning 1596

 

Department of Palaeography, Durham University

  • Halmote Court Books from 1519. (Those in The National Archives, London begin in 1348. These contain details of the manorial businesses of Bondgate, Blackwell and Cockerton).
  • Several groups of the Bishop’s financial & administrative records which are often chance survivals rather than complete series. The most useful: –

 

  1. Accounts of the Borough Bailiffs & the Collectors of Bondgate, Blackwell & Cockerton
  2. Receiver General’s Accounts
  3. Coroners’ & Sheriff Eschaetor’s Accounts
  4. Clerk of Works’ Accounts

 

  • Records of the Bishop’s Consistory Court dealing mainly with church discipline, moral offences & wills: –

 

  1. Deposition Books & Act Books – transcripts of evidence, records of presentments, cases & verdicts
  2. Visitation Books – inspection of parishes by Chancellor or Archdeacon

 

  • Wills & Inventories – 120 for period 1545-1610

 

Darlington Reference Library

  1. Borough Books 1612-33 – similar to the Halmote records. Various early deeds.
  2. Bishop Hatfield’s Survey – a Record of the Possessions of the See of Durham 1380. (Durham, Surtees Society Publication Vol XXXII 1856)
  3. History & Antiquities of the Parish of Darlington – W H D Longstaffe
  4. Durham Surtees Society Publications Vol XXV 1852 – Buke Boldon
  5. Other items of interest available on request.