Search Durham Baptisms

Each record includes a transcript and original image where available. The information contained in the records varies however you may be able to find out a combination of the following:

• Title
• First name
• Last name
• Birth date
• Baptismal date
• Parish
• Description
• Place
• Denomination
• Residence
• Father’s first name
• Father's last name
• Father other
• Mother’s first name
• Mother's last name
• Mother other

Occupation

• County
• Extended information
• Notes
• Archive
• Register type
• Register year range
• Page
• The occupation of the parent is either listed in the ‘Occupation’ or ‘Father/Mother other’ field. Also, the Description field usually includes the name of the Church in which the baptism took place and ‘Place’ refers to the village of the baptism.

The Durham baptisms were previously published in the Northumberland and Durham Baptisms and the Durham Bishop’s Transcripts Baptisms.

The records were created by the Northumberland and Durham Family History Society, formed in 1975. A number of records were also provided by the College of Arms, the official heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and much of the Commonwealth including Australia and New Zealand.

Bishop’s transcripts are contemporary copies of parish registers and usually contain the same vital details found in parish registers.

The Durham Bishop’s Transcripts are copies of Durham’s original parish registers. In 1598, an act was passed which required all parishes to create a copy of the parish registers and send the copies to the bishop. Some bishop’s transcripts are inferior to the original parish registers and are only abbreviated versions.

The original books are held at the Durham University Library and the images have been captured by Family Search.

A full list of the parishes included is available within the in the Useful links and resources section.