Durham Diocesan Records: Bishops' Office records

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Introduction

	Administrative background
	Contents
	Arrangement

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Catalogue

• Confirmations
• Clergy files
• Parish and deanery files
• Northumberland parishes
• County Durham parishes (first series)
• Durham parish boundary maps and plans
• Parish files, 1940s-'70s
• Bishopwearmouth parishes, 1970s
• Deanery files
• Parish files, 1970s-'80s
• Parish files, 1980s
• Deanery files
• Parish and deanery files, 1990s
• Parish and deanery files, 2000s
• Canon B12 applications
• Diocesan duties
• General/clergy correspondence
• Durham Cathedral
• Ordinations and ordination examinations
• Rural deanery business and senior clergy meetings
• Printed forms and orders of service
• Senior staff meetings
• Layworkers' files
• Press and communications records
• Diocesan charities, funds and societies
• Miscellaneous diocesan business
• Archdeacons' enquiry forms for vacant benefices
• Extra-diocesan duties
• National/Provincial church bodies
• University of Durham
• Local organisations
• Parliament (House of Lords)
• Personal papers
• Joseph Butler (1750-1752)
• Shute Barrington (1791-1826)
• Edward Maltby (1836-1856)
• Charles Baring (1861-1879)
• Joseph Barber Lightfoot (1879-1889)
• Brooke Foss Westcott (1890-1901)
• Handley Carr Glyn Moule (1901-1920)
• Herbert Hensley Henson (1920-1939)
• Alwyn Terrell Petre Williams (1939-1952)
• Arthur Michael Ramsey (1952-1956)
• Maurice Henry Harland (1956-1966)
• Estate and household
• Maps and plans
• Photographs
• Printed matter
• Printed maps
• Printed acts, bills and parliamentary papers
• Books and pamphlets
• Portraits and topographical prints
• Historical notes
• Bishops of Durham
• Bishops' officials
• Miscellaneous
• Rights and privileges
• Extraneous miscellanea

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Administrative background

Background essays on the administration of the diocese of Durham generally, and on some of the classes of records covered within this catalogue, are in the separate guide, Administrative Histories for the Durham Diocesan Records.

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Contents

Records relating to functions in which the bishop takes a personal interest or is directly involved (including confirmations, confidential clergy files, correspondence with parishes, and records of many diocesan and extra-diocesan committees and groups). Other records originating from the Bishop's Office include the following:

• Miscellaneous historical notes, compiled at various times by antiquarians or bishops' officials (DDR/BP/HIS)

• Household and estate material from Auckland Castle and Park, plus some material from the bishops' other estates within Northumberland and County Durham (DDR/BP/EST)

• A few papers from specific bishops of a more personal nature, or clearly the initiative of the bishop concerned (DDR/BP/PER)

• Photographs, printed items and some extraneous acquisitions (DDR/BP/PHO, DDR/BP/PRI and DDR/BP/MIS)

Some records which originated from the Bishops' Office (and were formerly part of the Auckland Castle Episcopal Records) are listed within other sections of the Durham Diocesan Records. These include:

• Visitation records (specifically Clergy Visitation Returns), within DDR/EV

• A few bishops' registers (strays from the Diocesan Registry), within DDR/EA/ACT

• Some records relating to routine clergy administration, notably ordinations, subscriptions and returns under the Plurality Act, within DDR/EA/CL

• Summaries of church work and finance, within DDR/EA/BEM/3

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Accession details

Except as otherwise specified within the catalogue, all these records were deposited by the Secretary or Chaplain of the Bishop of Durham. The first deposit was made 29 May 1973, with regular deposits made thereafter.

Previous custodial history

These records were until 2011 part of the separate Auckland Castle Episcopal Records collection (code AUC), reflecting their separate provenance from the rest of the Durham Diocesan Records when they were deposited. However, the division of records between the Diocesan Registry and the Bishop's office was in some cases arbitrary (some 18th century bishops' registers had strayed from the Registry into Auckland Castle, for instance), and the Durham Diocesan Records already include records deposited by legally disparate diocesan structures such as the Board of Finance, Board of Education and Diocesan Advisory Committee. The records from the Bishop's Office are therefore now listed as part of the Durham Diocesan Records, though provenance details are included within the catalogues.
Any items previously referenced under their “AUC” codes can be found by doing a search across the catalogues for the relevant reference number (for instance, AUC/1/48). If searching for an incomplete reference number, you may need to append an asterisk (as AUC/3/*).
Alternatively, you can consult the following list to match old (AUC) accession references against their new (DDR) reference numbers. Items not within this table are likely to be still referenced under their “AUC” number and not yet relisted.

Conditions of access

Items under 30 years old may only be produced if a reader has obtained permission to see them from the depositor (most often the Bishop's senior chaplain or her/his representative), except for items in the public domain which are made available with no closure period. Longer closure periods apply for certain classes of documents, e.g. personal files are closed for 100 years from the date of the latest item in the file. Details are given within this catalogue: unless otherwise stated, a 30 year closure applies.

Copyright and copying

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Sub-Librarian, Special Collections (e-mail PG.Library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material

Arrangement

The arrangement is artificial, reflecting the core record series emanating from the Bishop's Office (confirmation returns, clergy and parish files), and dividing up the other records as far as possible according to a pattern that reflects their original creation. The records were previously numbered to reflect their accession details (AUC/1 being used for the first five accessions from 1973-1976, and each accession thereafter given another number in sequence from AUC/2 to AUC/117), with subnumbers used to indicate either items (most of AUC/1 plus AUC/2) or boxes (the rest).

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Other finding aids

Typescript lists of records at Auckland Castle were compiled by the following, and copies of these lists are held at Palace Green library:

• Durham Cathedral chapter clerk, 1 November 1949 (bound volumes only)

• Revd MS Crosse, chaplain to the bishop of Durham, July 1959 (with a supplementary sheet dated December 1962)

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Raine, J., A brief historical account of the episcopal castle, or palace, of Auckland ... (Durham, 1852)

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Catalogue

Confirmations
Reference: DDR/BP/CNF Confirmation programmes are often found with the visitation papers within DDR/EV/VIS/5.

Clergy files
Reference: DDR/BP/CLR
Dates of creation: 1986-present
Extent: 56 boxes
Confidential files on individual clergy (ordained clergy and some deaconesses), arranged in alphabetical order. The files relate primarily to deceased clergy (with some older ones for those who have retired or moved out of the Church of England). They contain a mix of formal records and informal correspondence, and are now kept in accordance with guidance issued by the Church Commissioners and weeded prior to deposit (see administrative histories guide for further background information).
Most of the clergy files deposited so far are currently closed for public access, in order to protect personal information relating to individual clergy. Files can be made publicly available 37 years after the death of the person concerned (see Church Commissioners' guidance at link above). Access by clergy to their own file must be arranged in advance with Palace Green library staff, who will liaise with staff from the Bishop's Office before making an appointment to view the file or supplying copies.

Parish and deanery files
Reference: DDR/BP/PAR
Extent: 16 metres
Miscellaneous correspondence and papers, from incumbents, churchwardens or other parishioners.
30 year closure period applies to all files. Some items within specific files may be closed for a longer period (to protect personal information or identities, relating mainly to appointments of incumbents and readers etc), as indicated on the file covers.

Diocesan duties
Reference: DDR/BP/DIO
Extra-diocesan duties
Reference: DDR/BP/EXT


Personal papers
Reference: DDR/BP/PER
Correspondence and other papers, relating to the personal concerns of specific bishops of Durham, together with some of their sermons and writings. This material overlaps with that within DDR/BP/DIO (especially the general correspondence within DDR/BP/DIO/1), but is generally not (or not purely) diocesan in nature.
See also papers of 2nd and 3rd Earls Grey for letters from:

• Shute Barrington, 1824

• Maltby, 1831-1858

• Van Mildert, 1830-1834

• Baring, 1863-1878

The 4th Earl Grey papers include items relating to Bishop Westcott's interests in social and industrial matters, including a paper on a conference at Auckland Castle about provision for the aged, 1891, and a newspaper report of an address by him on cooperative ideals.
The series of Grey pamphlets includes items by Bishops Lightfoot and Westcott.

Estate and household
Reference: DDR/BP/EST
Extensive series relating to the administration of Auckland Castle and other bishopric estates have been located at Auckland Castle, and deposited either by the bishops of Durham and their staff, or by staff employed by the Church Commissioners. Other than for maps and plans (see list following), this material has generally not yet been listed, but the major groups are summarised below, and can be made available under the 'AUC' or 'Misc' accession references given.

	AUC/1/box 31	Volume of Auckland and Stockton accounts, ca.1730-1748; Volume of Auckland Castle estate accounts, 1901-1903; two volumes of TH Faber's account with bp of Durham, ca.1815-1821 and 1824-1830
	AUC/48/box 2	Account book, T.H. Faber with Bishop, 1815-1825
	AUC/1/box 32	3 cash books, 1814-1833
	AUC/1/box 33	11 volumes of Durham Castle accounts, 1797-1832
	AUC/48/box 2	Durham Castle account, 1832-1833
	AUC/3/box 18	Printed collection of Orders in Council, including Order charging See of Durham with contributions towards smaller Sees, and printed letters relating to grants to benefices by the late Bishop of Durham, 1836-1837
	AUC/1/box 42 (envelope 7, part)	Copy letter with extract from parliamentary notices of motion in relation to question to Ecclesiastical Commissioner about bishopric income and royalty rents, 1892
	AUC/1/box 34	Ledger and cash book, ca.1903-1908; Expenses and petty cash accounts, 1956-1962
	AUC/1/box 35-36 and AUC/111	Four boxes of vouchers from 1790s (temp William Emm)
	AUC/1/box 37	Bedlington vouchers, 1806-1819, 1887 and 1891 (typescript list, with index, available in Palace Green library search room)
	AUC/3/box 8	Vouchers, letters and accounts relating to bills of Shute Barrington, 1793-1808
	AUC/1/box 42 (envelope 3)	Letters marked,“Letters on acceptance of the See etc”: from Dean to Bishop Elect re enthronement arrangements 1901 (1 letter plus enclosure, and re bill for letters patent and conge d'elire), re various bills and expenses 1902 (5 letters), from Henson to “Bishop designate” re finances of the See 1939 (1 letter, with annotation by Michael Ramsey 1956); also extract of OS map showing Auckland Castle and grounds
	Misc.2014/15:14	Letters relating to miscellaneous financial matters and fees, 1890-1921

	AUC/1/box 30	Volume containing inventory and valuation of Auckland Castle, July 1791; three files and two envelopes re Auckland Castle, 19th-20th cent
	AUC/3/box 13, file 22	Unsorted letters, chiefly addressed to various bishops of Durham concerning Auckland Castle and its heirlooms, historical queries etc, ca.1856-1901
	AUC/47/box 5 (part)	File of historic information labelled “Library Castle”, including items re library, paintings (including Zurbarans), chapel, letter or address from Florence Nightingale (2 December 1887) and two letters from Brooke Foss Westcott (1895 and 1898)
	AUC/1/box 42 (envelopes 6,9)	Surveys/schedules and other papers under the dilapidations acts in relation to Auckland Castle, 1901-1920 and 1937
	AUC/2/box 5	Household bills for Mrs Handley Moule, 1908-1909
	AUC/48/box 2 (part)	Correspondence re gift of Barrington portrait, 1945
	AUC/1/box 42 (envelope 4)	Letter re gift of 'seal' of Richard of Bury (apparently a stone carving, presumably based on his seal, as in Greenwell and Blair catalogue number 3133) to the see of Durham, 1953
	AUC/86/1	Photocopies of 1972 Country Life article by John Cornforth, “Auckland Castle, Co Durham, the seat of the bishop of Durham”
	AUC/47 (part)	Eight files relating to Auckland Castle, mainly re paintings, chapel, public visits and furnishings, 1980s-1995 with some material from 1950s-1970s
	AUC/48/box 2	Auckland Castle invitation book, 1884-1917
	AUC/48/box 2	Notebook listing archives, quiz for school visits, letter re library catalogue cards, [mid/late 20th cent.]
	AUC/3/box 35	Correspondence about various 'heirloom' items, given to the See, chiefly 1960s-1970s (with letter re chapel candles, 1892)
	Misc.2011/12:5	Author/title catalogue of [Moule] library at Auckland Castle (7 sheaf binders, boxed, ca.1966, see accession AUC/31/box 57)
	AUC/3/box 40	List of books from [which?] library, [late 19th/early 20th century]
	Misc.2014/15:14	Lists of furniture, plate etc at Auckland, late 19th/early 20th cent. Schedules of furnishings, plate, pictures and heirlooms with correspondence about valuations and dilapidations, 1901
	Misc.2014/15:14	Fire insurance policy, with schedules of buildings and goods, 1901-1903. Papers about fire insurance (1912), war damage insurance (1915-1917) and fire insurance (1921).
	Misc.2014/15:14	Mortgages of episcopal revenues, to fund repairs and improvements at Castle, 1902-1924
	Misc.2014/15:14	Ironmonger's bill for plumbing and kitchen work, 1920
	AUC/31/box 53	Correspondence with Church Commissioners and others, chiefly regarding minor repairs, with some information also on furnishings, 1953-1979 (1 file)
	AUC/31/box 53	Correspondence chiefly with Church Commissioners regarding See Houses Committee reports and future use of Castle, 1961-1971, 1978-1979 and 1984 (2 files)
	AUC/31/box 54	Correspondence between Church Commissioners, architect and bishop, chiefly concerning minor works to fabric and heating etc, but also some mentions of Zurbarans, repair of Barrington portrait, other pictures and Gate House clock, with plans, 1953-1976 (2 files)
	AUC/31/box 54	Correspondence file relating to photography of Auckland Castle and precincts for National Buildings Record (1960) and National Monuments Record (1968-1969), see also DDR/BP/PHO/6/13-30 for photographs formerly kept with this file
	AUC/31/box 55	Plan and brief specification for organ reconstruction by Harrison and Harrison, Durham, 1902-1903, and file relating to routine tuning, repairs etc, 1960-1985
	AUC/31/box 55	Correspondence file relating to work on and use of chapel, including draft and copy of Alexander's history of Chapel and State Rooms, 1961-1985
	AUC/31/box 55	Correspondence file relating to minor repairs, toilets, plumbing etc, 1980-1985
	AUC/31/box 55	Correspondence file relating to future use of Auckland Castle as See house, and to works to accommodate Diocesan Office, 1971-1972 and 1979
	AUC/31/box 56	Correspondence files and inventories relating to furnishings, heirlooms and paintings, 1920-1985 (3 files)
	AUC/31/box 57	Correspondence file re library acquisitions and cataloguing project (as sheaf catalogue at accession Misc.2011/12:5), 1960-1979 (with letters about proposal to transfer records to Prior's Kitchen, 1953)
	AUC/31/box 57	Correspondence file for miscellaneous genealogical and historical enquiries, 1965-1969 and 1976

	AUC/1/box 30	Envelope re Auckland Park, late 1870s to early 1880s; two files re Auckland Castle estate and gardens, late 19th to early 20th cent.
	AUC/47/box 6 (part)	Printed management plan of Auckland Castle Park, including tree survey, 1983
	AUC/86/2	Photocopies of plan of Auckland Castle Park (Joseph Spence, 1754), and of extract from Heritage Lottery Fund bid for work on the Park with reference to Spence and Thomas Wright, 1998. The original 1754 plan is held by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University, and a digital copy is available online.
	Misc.2014/15:14	Letters about request to remove glass houses, 1902
	Misc.2014/15:14	Letters about request that Ecclesiastical Commissioners take over lease of Park Gate House, 1912
	Misc.2014/15:14	Tenancy of 18 Castle Square and Castle Gardens for use as market garden, with correspondence about glass houses and damage from highway works, 1920-1926
	Misc.2014/15:14	File on subsidence under Bowling Green and to south of Castle, 1922-1923
	Misc.2014/15:14	Lease to Bolckow Vaughan and Co of eatage of Inner Park, 1921
	Misc.2014/15:14	File on an incident of digging/theft of coal from the Park, 1925 (see also Henson correspondence under DDR/BP/DIO/1 on same issue)
	AUC/3/box 35	Letter of recommendation for applicant for the charge of proposed clergy house at Castle lodge gates, 1881
	AUC/31/box 57	Correspondence re minor works and repairs within precincts and Castle Square houses, 1957-1984 (2 files)
	AUC/31/box 58	Correspondence relating to gardens, chiefly routine work and equipment but also items relating to maintenance in general and to car parking works near Scotland Wing, 1957-1977 (1 file)
	AUC/31/box 58	Correspondence relating to Auckland Park, including proposals to demolish Deer House and Temple, use of the park by local groups, a management plan and liaison committee meetings with local authority planning department (1981-1983), park-keeper and general maintenance issues, 1921-1977 and 1981-1986 (2 files)

	AUC/1/box 29	Volume containing lists of leases renewed and granted by Bp Egerton, 1771-1786; two sets articles of agreement concerning management of bishopric estates, 1859 and 1879; two envelopes of estate material, ca.1867-1880
	AUC/1/box 42 (envelope 7, part)	Schedule of books and documents transferred from Auckland Castle to the bishop's Exchequer buildings (in relation to bishopric estates), 1885
	AUC/31/box 53	Tenancy agreements with and leases from Church Commissioners of Auckland Castle and precincts to bishop and others, 1954-1971
	Misc.2014/15:14	Letters concerning leases to Bolckow Vaughan and Co: of unspecified land [for use as chapel?] (1893), of Inner Park (1921), and lease to same of minerals and Outer Park (1921)
	Misc.2014/15:14	Agreement with Ecclesiastical Commissioners that the latter's Estate Committee take over management of Bishopric estates, 1901
	AUC/31/box 58	Report and letters concerning excavations and consolidation at Binchester Roman station (Vinovia), 1964-1965

Several schemes made by Order in Council (series DDR/EA/BEP/4) relate to Auckland Castle or estate. See for instance numbers 365, 389, 417, 433, 465, 485 and 495 within that series.
Documents relating to Auckland Castle among the Church Commission deposit of Bishopric estate papers include the following:

	CCB/B212/27	Schedule of furniture and goods, 1750
	CCB/B211/71	Gift of altar plate by Bishop Cosin to chapels at Auckland and Durham
	CCB/B210/42	Inventory of goods left by Bishop Neale, 1628
	CCB/B143/14-19	Disbursements relating to Auckland Castle, 1741-1747
	CCB/B162/2-3	Parliamentary surveys of manor, 1647

Photographs
Reference: DDR/BP/PHO
Extent: 3 planchest drawers + small box
The subjects are chiefly individual bishops and clergymen, late 19th - early 20th centuries, groups of bishops, 1888 and 1908 (mainly those attending the Lambeth Conference and a Pan-Anglican festival at Auckland Castle in 1908), and groups of ordinands and clergy of the diocese of Durham, 1885-1932, most of them also including the bishop of Durham and many depicting the annual St Peter's Day reunions of the “Auckland Students” or “Lightfoot Brethren”, ordinands who had trained at Auckland Castle from the time of Bishop Lightfoot onwards. Other photographs show miscellaneous groups or topographical subjects.
All are black and white photographs and are mounted, except as stated within the list.
Most of these photographs were previously referenced under accession number AUC/38, and deposited by the Church Commissioners in 1995. A few of the topographical photos of Auckland Castle, precincts and Chapel were previously referenced as accession AUC/31/box 54.
The list is arranged thematically as follows, and mainly by date within each section.
Negatives of most photographs are held by Palace Green library (as noted within the list), from which prints may be ordered. Any prints made from these negatives are not to be reproduced or published without the permission of the bishop of Durham. Digital images of the photographs for which negatives are available can be viewed from the detailed list online: they were photographed in 2012 from contact prints of the negatives.

Printed matter
Reference: DDR/BP/PRI
Dates of creation:
Miscellaneous printed items accumulated (predominantly) within the Bishop's Office

Historical notes
Reference: DDR/BP/HIS
A number of items of miscellaneous historic interest have been found at Auckland Castle and deposited by the bishops of Durham or their staff. These typically include a mix of original documents and antiquarian or research notes, and their original provenance is generally unclear.

Extraneous miscellanea
Reference: DDR/BP/MIS
This material has generally not yet been listed, but most earlier items are summarised below, and can be made available under the 'AUC' (accession) reference numbers stated.

	AUC/1/box 41	Parchment roll containing Elizabethan copy of an extent of manors [? Cornwall], temp Edward III and Richard II
	AUC/1/box 39	Transcripts of documents concerning the Fens and Thorney peculiar (Ely diocese), 1589-1752
	AUC/1/141	Gretna Green marriage licence and certificate, 1845
	AUC/1/box 42 (envelope 1)	“Papers found in Bishop Cosin's desk”: includes abstract of title for a house on Elvet Bridge, Durham, 16 Feb 1708/9 (relating to 1684-1690), and a receipt for a promissory note of even date for £20 plus same value in salted cod fish, 4 Dec 1745
	AUC/3/plan 29	Sketch plan of Westminster Abbey and adjoining buildings, showing dates of fabric, by F.R. Durham (undated)
	AUC/48/box 5	Photograph album given by C.G.Davis to Bishop Westcott, with photographs from Rome and Pompeii, late 19th cent.
	AUC/48/box 5	Notes on aspects of church history and other matters
	AUC/1/box 42	Copy of bill found at Wentworth House, relating to work on Catholic chapel and religious statuary (undated)
	AUC/3/box 8	Notes on W.H.D. Longstaffe including printed obituary, 1898. Correspondence re attempts to trace manuscripts of John Dyer (poet, d.1757), 1937-1939
	AUC/3/box 8	MS and typescript verses by John Hall How (1871-1938)
	AUC/3/box 8	Copy of The Morning Chronicle with article on Durham Reform County Meeting, 1831
	Misc.2014/15:14	Baptism card (produced by SPCK), for Mark Errol Glasswell, baptised at XXX St Matthew, 1938