Everyday Life in a Northumbrian Manor
How to use the Manorial Documents Register
The Manorial Documents Register (also known as the MDR) lists all manorial records known to survive for all English and Welsh counties. The electronic register is hosted on the website of The National Archives and is available for all to consult.
When trying to locate manorial records the MDR is the starting point. The register lists a description of, reference number, date and location of records.
You can find a link to the MDR here.
Please note that 41% of manorial documents relating to Northumberland are held by Northumberland Estates at Alnwick Castle. There is some public access to these documents for a charge, please visit their website for more information.
This short video explains how to use the Manorial Documents Register.
You can find more information on preparing for your visit to Northumberland Archives here.
To find out more about how to begin to tackle, read, and transcribe original documents, please see our Decoding Manuscripts module.
For more information on specific terms relating to manorial documents please visit our glossary.
Please see our manorial map page for a list of all manors in Northumberland and a link to the Northumberland Farm Index.
For additional guidance on manors and manorial documents please visit our pages on what are manors and manorial documents, how to use manorial documents, and frequently asked questions.
If you are interested in viewing or having copies of any of the documents held by Northumberland Archives and referred to in the Manorial Documents Register you should contact Northumberland Archives via email at archives@northumberland.gov.uk
This short video provides some guidance about using our online catalogue. The catalogue is web-based and can be accessed from home. You can find our catalogue here.
