Surtees Raine Manuscripts

Scope and Content

The collection includes: 9 volumes of Robert Surtees' working notes for his History; a volume of Robert Surtees' poems; several 17th-century vols. of armorials and pedigrees, including copies of Durham and Northumberland heraldic visitations; legal notes compiled by Sir Richard Musgrave (1635-1687) of Hartley Castle, Cumberland; Grand Jury lists for Co. Durham 1701-1828 (with some gaps), compiled by Sir Cuthbert Sharp; the diary of Jacob Bee (1636-1711) of Durham; a copy of the journal of Newby Lawson (ca.1775-1853) of Witton-le-Wear about his continental tour in 1816; a journal of George Surtees (1738-1800) while serving as a midshipman 1757-1759. Also included are several vols. given to Bertram Surtees Raine by Miss Alice Edleston of Gainford, including materials gathered by J.R. Walbran for his Antiquities of Gainford (Ripon, 1846). Finally there are 4 notebooks compiled by Bertram Surtees Raine himself about the inter-related Raine, Sherwood and Surtees families, each of which produced antiquaries and historians of note.

Administrative / Biographical History

Most of these volumes came to Bertram Surtees Raine from the library of his friend and distant relative, Sir Herbert Conyers Surtees (1858-1933). Many had belonged to Robert Surtees (1779-1834) of Mainsforth, the historian of Co. Durham, but had been dispersed. They were reassembled and others added by Sir Herbert, himself the author of a number of histories of Durham parishes.

Arrangement

Grouped by material type.

Access Information

Open for consultation.

Acquisition Information

Purchased 1973-1994, with assistance from the Purchase Grant Fund, from Steedman, booksellers, Newcastle upon Tyne, to whom many volumes from Bertram Surtees Raine's library were sold after his death.

Other Finding Aids

Online catalogue available at online catalogue.

Separated Material

Bertram Surtees Raine's loose papers are deposited in Durham County Record Office (ref. D/X 332).

Conditions Governing Use

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.