Catalogue

"A trewe rentall of the balywicke of Byshoppmiddlehame written June 28 1595" The manor of Bishop Middleham was the property of the Bishops of Durham and was the bishop's principal residence from the 12th to 14th centuries

25 September 1721; copy made post 1795 (1) John Mountague, Doctor of Divinity, Dean of Durham; Sir John Dolben, baronet, Doctor of Divinity, prebendary of the Cathedral Church at Durham; John Morley, Doctor of Divinity, Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford; William Lupton, Doctor of Divinity, and Thomas Eden, Doctor of Laws, prebendaries of the Cathedral Church of Durham, trustees of the estates of the Right Reverend Father in God the Right Honourable Nathaniel Lord Crewe, late Lord Bishop of Durham (2) [ ] Wilkinson, clerk, curate of Hartlepool Copy appointment that the curacy of Hartlepool shall be accounted one of the 12 poor livings of the Diocese of Durham to be augmented by £10 p.a.

20 July 1727 (1) Guise Hall of Lincolns Inn, Middlesex, esq. (2) The Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne; Richard Werge, vicar of the parish of Hart, clerk; Robert Weemes of Hartlepool, gent.; John Crookes, Cuthbert Rafton, Anthony Johnson, John Greveson and John Wilson of Hartlepool , merchants (3) Richard Werge, clerk, curate of Hartlepool Copy agreement that (1) shall surrender Island Farm (boundaries given) in the Manor of Bishops Middleham, comprising the corn field to the west of the barn (19a. 1r.), the little Pasture Hall (5a. 1r. 20p.), the west side of the Islands (7a. 1r.), the west side of the Carrs (11a. 23p.), in all 43a. 3p., and one half of the barn and the stable, and one half of the stack yard, fold garth and hembles, and 1/2a. for a passage, and a way leave, all for augmenting the curacy of Hartlepool Consideration: £400

Copy, made after 1795, of the presentation of Benjamin Pye, Batchelor of Laws, to the vicarage of Hart cum Hartlepoole, 29 August 1770

Copies of the nomination and licence of William Harrison, clerk, as a stipendiary curate of the parish of Hart cum Hartlepool, and of the draft of the intended nomination of the Rev. Benjamin Lumley, as the younger clerk, as a perpetual curate of the chapel of Hartlepool, 13 - 28 March 1776, 1798

Letter from W. Harrison, the curate of Hartlepool, to the Bishop of Durham, complaining of poverty and the 'negligence and inattention' of Doctor Pye, with reply, 12 - 20 March 1786

Correspondence between Archdeacon Benjamin Pye, Archdeacon of Durham (1791 - 1808) and Vicar of Hart cum Hartlepool (1770 - 1808), Easington, and the Bishop of Durham, concerning a dispute between himself and William Harrison, Curate of Hartlepool (1776 - 1798), over the nature and stipend of that curacy, 8 August - 25 September 1798

Instructions for a case respecting the curacy of Hartlepool in the parish of Hart, 1798

Copy authorisation from John Mountagu, Dean of Durham Cathedral, to Sir George Wheler, prebendary of Durham Cathedral, to visit certain churches in order 'to correct, reform and punish the crimes, excesses and defects' of the clergy and laity, 14 November 1705

Copy authorisation from Spencer Cowper, Dean of Durham Cathedral, to Thomas Sharp, prebendary of Durham Cathedral, to visit certain churches in order 'to correct, reform and punish the crimes, excesses and defects' of the clergy and laity, 9 August 1754

Extracts from the Registry of the Dean and Chapter of Durham concerning mandates from the Archbishops of York to enthrone the Bishop of Durham, n.d. [after 2 December 1721]

List of reasons to exempt the County Palatine of Durham from the jurisdiction of the temporal courts to be established at York, n.d. [after 1721]

Statement made in the Chancery Court at Durham by John Mann of Durham, gent., Deputy Register, concerning certain sums of money paid into the Court, 11 April 1738

Letters from Edmund Keene of Stanhope and Durham, and John Dover of Stanhope, to [the Bishop of Durham], concerning the tithe on lead ore, the amounts mined, and the sale of ore, 15 July 1742 - 13 July 1744

27 February 1761 (1) John Widdrington and John Richmond, solicitors for Henry Lambton, esq. (2) Henry Wilkinson, solicitor for the Bishop of Durham, Walter Smythe, esq., and others Copy agreement concerning viva voce and written evidence to be presented in certain causes in Chancery

12 April 1780 (1) John, Bishop of Durham (2) Christopher Chrishop of Durham, gent. Copy grant by letters patent of the office of gaol delivery, for life

Draft letter from the Bishop of Durham, Durham Castle, to the clergymen of the diocese, requesting them to make an account of the number of papists in their parish, 11 August 1780 Enclosed: copies of letters from Lord Viscount Stormont, Secretary of State, the Archbishop of York, and the House of Lords, ordering such returns of papists to be made, 3 July - 8 August 1780

Letter from the Bishop of Durham to those preparing a mission to the parishes of Bishop Auckland, 26 October 1886

25 March 1683 (1) John Hutchinson, deputy steward (2) William Cornforth of Neesham Warrant to fell six oak trees for necessary repairs on houses and tenements at Newton Cap

15 May 1691 (1) William Cornforth of Oakes Row, yeoman (2) Richard Cornforth of High Oakes Row, smith Bargain and sale with feoffment of the tithes on half of one close of meadow called Broad Meadow or Westfield in Newton Capp in the parish of St. Andrew, Auckland

24 March 1698/1699 (1) Bryan Atkinson of Sunderland near the Sea, mariner (2) William Cornforth of Oakes Row, yeoman Release of title to lands at Oakes Row Consideration: £33 2s. 8d.

26 December 1704 (1) Thomas Taylor, Anthony Greenswell, John Pickering and William Cornforth (2) John Snavedon of Byres Greene Memorandum of lease of Wallessfield and the house and garth belonging to it in Byresgreene for 1 year, with instructions for liming the same Rent: £6 p.a.

11 February 1740 (1) Thomas Cornforth of Barford, Yorkshire, gent (2) William Cornforth of Aikhouse in the township of Newton Cap, yeoman Bond of obligation from (1) to (2) in £160 Endorsement: receipt of payment, 5 July 1760

11 February 1740 (1) William Cornforth (2) Thomas Cornforth, gent. Copy of surrenders of Aikhouse and Broad Meadows in Newton Cap

Copy of the will of Margaret Wilson of Bishop Auckland, widow, devising a freehold house in Bishop Auckland and a freehold close in the township of Bishop Auckland and £20 p.a. to her grandson, Ralph Bowser, for the life of her daughter, Dorothy Bowser; and devising her freehold lands called Snailes Croft, her 3 leasehold closes called Whinney Leazes near Bishop Auckland, a close called Coundon Moors, lands called the Marble Way in the church leazes near Bishop Auckland, and a ridge of land in the town fields of Coundon, to her grandson, Bartholomew Bowser; and devising a freehold house near the market place in Bishop Auckland and the two garths lying behind it and two shops in the market place to her grandson, the Rev. Richard Bowser; with remainders as specified, 6 December 1760

Letter from Stephen Robinson, London, to Ralph Spencer, the Master Attendance Office, Calcutta, Bengal; commenting "I observe how valuable Houses are with you, and the hight you are arrived at in luxury; such extravagances I am told is in a great measure confined to the Europeans and that the natives are a very miserable set; but indeed as to excess in Eating and Drinking the predominacy of Vice of every Species I need not go further than this Metropolis to draw a proper picture thereof"; concerning sending out wine to gentlemen in India; concerning women, one of whom "is a fine Girl and would Grace a Nabob" and "would have no objection to wair a Silk Gound of your sending" while "thy poor Molly has lived in hopes of injoying the promises you made her" until this "idle notion" was removed "by telling her you was married"; commenting - "my little Sally has got a husband; you may judge what sort of a wife she makes, her qualities are in taking Snuff drinking Ginn and cuckolding her Spouse which she does without any remorse"; commenting that "your friend Mr Innes and we are parted"; and adding that the father of Mr Mallocks, who is ill,"is very much surprised that he has not received one line from him since he last left England", 23 December 1774

Letter from Stephen Robinson, London, to Ralph Spencer, Master Attendants Office, Calcutta, Bengal; commenting "With respect to your Situation it may be pleasant, and the prospect beautifull but was it equal to Paradise, you would quit with pleasure to return to your old native country where you and your Rupees will meet with a kind welcome"; commenting on "how luxery and extravagance privail'd among all Ranks of People here, the women are become quite odious in their Dress"; commenting that in "our part of the Country" Mr. Jackson has ceased the management of the collieries and gone to live with a younger brother at Sunderland; and commenting "We are now engaged in a very unnatural war with our own american Collonies", which will be a little advantageous to our house" and saying that he will find that the Scots are against the Americans while the English are more moderate, 19 March 1776

Letter from Stephen Robinson, London, to Ralph Spencer, Calcutta, East Indies, saying that he has been unwell and, after being "advised by the Faculty to get a little way into the Country they have just been able to prevail on me to leave Tower Hill and to keep at Islington, which I have done for about 10 nights" and that "it pleases me, your disposition to visit strangers in strange Countrys, is to be in the Character of the good Samaritan, rather than an Alexander", and commenting "oh poor old England - she is now engaged in a war with the americans and french and daily expected to be with spain and but very few reall honest men in the Kingdom", 12 May 1779

Letter from M. Hutchinson, Stockton, to Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland, with news of visits and mutual acquaintances, 18 June 1808 (1 paper

Letter from C. B. Hutchinson, Whitton, to Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland, with news of mutual acquaintances, 17 August 1811

Letter from Mrs. [E.] Bainbridge, "Broad Street", to Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland, concerning her husband's illness and mutual acquaintances, 11 February 1817

Letter from Ann Mary Rippon, Durham and The Hill, Burton in Lonsdale, Settle, Yorkshire, to Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland, explaining that she will not be able to come to Helmington Hall, 29 December 1817

Letter from Harriet Lister, Whickon House, to Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland, commenting on the portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Spencer that she has seen at "Ramsay's room of paintings", 30 December 1817

Letter from Eliza Baronnean, New Lodge, Berkshire, to [Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland], hoping that she is "enjoying all the benefits deriv'd from the use of Harrogate waters", commenting on the hay harvest and the price of meat, that "the church is almost robbed of its comforts for I go almost with the conviction of hearing dangerous if not false doctrine", and that her brother Thomas has been chosen as a member of Parliament for the City of London, 18 July 1818

Letter from Eliza Baronnean, New Lodge, Berkshire, to Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland, concerning her brother's ill health, how she has had to clean the canal, and a report that the Spencers are to leave Helmington Hall, 25 September 1819

Letter from Elizabeth Gurley, Scarborough, Yorkshire, to Mrs. Spencer, [Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland], concerning her daughter's recovery from influenza, and hoping that Mr. Spencer "will derive his accustomed benefit from the water" at Chatham House, 13 July 1819

Letter from Mr. Travis, Durham, to Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, [Bishop Auckland], concerning an order of "Candied Eringe Root", 18 September 1819

Letter from [Dora Milligan], Hanover Street, [Darlington], to Mrs. Spencer, Helmington Hall, Bishop Auckland, concerning a dispute regarding the Bishop of Durham and the Durham Justices, 6 October 1809

List of the persons to whom the Commission of Pleas is directed, 1787

List of the persons to whom the Commission of General Gaol Delivery is directed, 1787

List of the persons to whom the Commission of the Peace is directed, 1788

List of the persons to whom the Commission for the Court of Pleas is directed, 1788

The names of the justices for the Commission of the Peace, 1789

The names of the justices for the Commission of the Peace, n.d. [1800]

Letter from Joseph Tarr of Hull, Yorkshire, to Mr. Trotter, attorney at law, of Bishop Auckland, concerning the payment of rent by his tenants and the repair of houses, 6 September 1827

Letter from Joseph Tarr of Hull to Mr. Trotter, attorney at law, of Bishop Auckland, concerning the payment of arrears of rent by tenants and the repair of houses, 4 December 1827

Copy order made by George Fielding, clerk, J.P., to Thomas Walters of West Chilton, to pay outstanding wages to Thomas Linsley, late of Rushyford, sinker, 4 April 1833

Copy warrant, made by George Fielding to the Constable of Bishop Auckland and Chilton, concerning the Linsley versus Walters wages dispute, ordering him to seize goods of Christopher Mason equal to the disputed sum, 29 April 1833

Opinion of George H. Wilkinson concerning the legal case of Christopher Mason, esq., concerning unpaid wages, 15 May 1833

Notice, and draft, served on the Rev. George Fielding, clerk, J.P., by William Trotter of Bishop Auckland, attorney for Christopher Mason, coal owner, informing that he will be summonsed for unlawfully issuing a warrant to the Constable of Bishop Auckland and Chilton concerning the non-payment of wages, 23 August 1833

Letters from C. Mason, esq., to William Trotter, esq., Bishop Auckland, concerning the colliery wages dispute, 1833

Letters from J. E. Northover of 13 Lower Islington Terrace, Upper Islington, [London], and 14 Salisbury Square, [London]; and Leon Willan of Lancaster, solicitor; to William Trotter, esq., of Bishop Auckland, solicitor; concerning the Dobinson Trust and the mortgage of the Northfield Estate, 27 June - 14 December 1833

Letter from John Tiplady, the Town Clerk of Durham, to R. A. D. Gresley of Bishop Auckland, enquiring under what conditions the Bishop will sell to Durham Municipal Council the reversion of certain properties, 20 November 1851

Letter from John Abbs of Ryhope to R. A. D. Gresley of Bishop Auckland, concerning the enfranchisement of his land at Ryhope, 7 September 1853

31 January 1568/1569 (1) Charles, Earl of Westmorland (2) Jerrerd Salven, senior, of Croxdale, esq. Bond of obligation in £80 by (1) to (2) for the performance of covenants contained in a pair of indentures of even date

Letters patent of Elizabeth I leasing a house and barn to Ambrose Rowlandson (at the rent of 11s. 4d. p.a.); a tenement to William Ullock (at the rent of 13s. 1d. p.a.); houses (at the rent of 25s. p.a.) and 2½a. of meadow in Shawclose (at the rent of 8s. 10½d. p.a.) to Richard Wharton; a tenement to John Dowthwayte (at the rent of 14s. p.a.); a house and 2a. of meadow to Christopher Newbye (at the rent of 7s. p.a.); and half a tenement and half of 2a. in Shawclose to Ralph Messenger (at the rent of 5s. 6½d. p.a.), all in Westwick; and granting a cottage to Thomas Shawe (at the rent of 6s. p.a.); another cottage to William Wilson (at the rent of 12d. p.a.); another cottage or burgage to George Holme (at the rent of 10d. p.a.); a burgage to Edward Harryson (at the rent of 2s. 6d. p.a.); another burgage to Ambrose Tyndall (at the rent of 4d. p.a.); and another burgage to Alice Bedell (at the rent of 4s. p.a.); all in Barnard Castle; for 40 years at the rents as specified, and excepting mature trees, woods, minerals and quarries, 24 May 1577 Fine: £4 18s. 6d.

15 August 1752 (1) John Cumins of Bishop Auckland, house carpenter, executor of the will of William Apedaile late of Bishop Auckland, shoemaker, deceased, who was brother and executor of the will of Cuthbert Apedaile late of Bishop Auckland, shoemaker, deceased (2) Bartholomew Jefferson of Bishop Auckland, malster Assignment of a bond of obligation from Anthony Cumins, late of Bishop Auckland , white smith, deceased, to Cuthbert Apedaile Consideration: £20

11 May 1768 (1) Rev. Richard Bowser of Bishop Auckland, clerk (2) Henry Thorpe of Bishop Auckland, esq. Lease and release (release missing) of a messuage with garth in Silver Street, Bishop Auckland (boundaries given)

1 May 1782 (1) Andrew Wilkinson, Philip Gill and James Wilkinson (2) Joseph Outram of Alfreton, Derbyshire, gent. Letter of attorney to receive possession

1790 (1) Rev. Thomas Capstick, clerk, curate of St. Andrew Auckland (2) John Elliott of Bishop Auckland, brewer Copy agreement to lease all tithes of corn in the parish of St. Andrew, Auckland, for 3 years at £13 p.a.

Schedule of deeds, from 15 May 1667 to 27 May 1834, relating to the title of an estate at [Lintzgarth] in Rookhope in Weardale belonging to Mr. John Todd, 14 June 1834

Extracts from the charters of Hartlepool, 1230 - 21 Richard II (1397 - 1398), concering 'a case about buildings', 9 June 1724

Lists of churchwardens in Easington Deanery, Chester Deanery, Darlington Deanery and Stockton Deanery, 1758

Letter from Thomas Winchley of Middle Temple, London, to Mr. Hugall, attorney at Durham, concerning the records of the case of 'Bowick against Whitfield and wife', 12 April 1766

Extracts from the enclosure award concerning Crook and Billy Row in the parish of Brancepeth, 23 March 1769; extracts made, 26 February 1845

Letter from [William] Hoar, Durham, to George Allan, Darlington, concerning the early rectors and vicars of Seaham, 11 July 1785

Cross-section of the overhanging tower at Boulogne, and remarks on the north front wall of Durham Castle, n.d. [mid 18th c.]

Picture of R. S. Surtees, n.d. [1864]