the textual evidence...
In terms of needing to research our own local history, being based in Durham City has proven extremely fortunate as our own surviving textual records have been described as
an embarrassment of riches. We can readily access two main repositories of archives, the:
Archives and Special Collections of Durham University's Palace Green
Library (accesssed through the Barker Research Library), an archive of early printed books and other special collections; and, the
archives and special collections of the
County Durham Records Office and their
archive collections which spans almost 900 years, from about 1122 to the present day.
In addition, we have access to Durham University Library's
North East Inheritance project, a
catalogue of over 150,000 wills and related archives from across County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. These documents provide an
invaluable insight into north-eastern people and communities, their family relationships, trades and lifestyles.
