You can now display 200 or 500 search results per page; previously the maximum number of results displayed was 50. This allows you to scroll up and down to compare various entries in the search results list, instead of having to page back and forth as much. To change your settings, click My Account. On the 4th line, choose how many search results you want to see on a page, then click Change Settings to save the new settings.

The wording of our baptism & burial displays has long been a niggling little thorn in my side. We used this awkward phrasing:

• John Smith son of William Smith & Isabel
• John Robson, of Shadforth, son of Ralph Robson (mason) & Elizabeth    

The code has now been changed to display:

• John Smith son of William & Isabel Smith
• John Robson, of Shadforth, son of Ralph (mason) & Elizabeth Robson

Because it can be confusing to decipher whether a middle name is indeed a middle name or a maiden name of a married woman, we display people with middle names like this:

• 1 Dec 1847 Henry Scougall, of North Road Tower, son of Henry Bayick Scougall (clerk) & Ann Frederica Scougall

while an actual maiden name looks like this:

• 1 Aug 1812 Anna Dobson, born 10-Jul 1812, 1st child of Rev`d. George Dobson (Curate of Monk Hasledon) by his wife Isabella Shepherd Hart (native of Tynemouth, Northumberland)

I had to make numerous code tweaks to accommodate all the special cases of maiden names, middle names that look like maiden names, single parents, etc., so if anything looks odd or confusing in a baptism or burial display, please let me know so I can fix it.

655 baptisms at Witton-le-Wear St. Philip & St. James in Auckland district, covering 1757-1797, and 841 burials at the same place covering 1700-1797. Abodes mentioned include Bishop Auckland, Bitchburn (Beechburn), Black Hall, Brancepeth, Castle Mill, Escomb, Fir Tree, Green Head, Hamsterley, Hargill, Harperley, Holland Hall, Howden, Lane House, Marshall Green, Newton Cap, North Bedburn, Rumby Hill, Stanhope, Wadley, Wham, Woodifield, Witton, Witton Castle, Witton Hall, Witton Row, and Wolsingham.

Sample baptisms:

• 9 Jan 1758 John Kilburn, son of Nicholas Kilburn
• 1 Jan 1764 Pearson Briggs, son of Thomas Briggs
• 19 Apr 1778 Isabel Vasey, of Witton Row, daughter of Anthony Vasey & Isabel
• 15 Oct 1786 Elizabeth Smurthwaite, of Gibbet Hill, daughter of John Smurthwaite & Mary
• 22 Oct 1797 Robert Littlefair, of Witton, son of John Littlefair & Mary

About a dozen burials include memoranda helpfully naming the relationship of the person who paid for the headstone – a couple of samples are below:

• 26 Apr 1700 Mark Snaith, son of Cuthbert Snaith
• 16 May 1721 Deborah Blacket, wife of Silas Blacket
• 5 Feb 1751 Anthony Hodgshon, of Hamsterley
• 25 Aug 1773 Ann Thompson, of Howden, wife of Joseph Thompson, Memerandum: Feb 5th 1774, that John Teasdale of Howden paid me 3 shillings & 4 pence acknowledgement for erecting a headstone for his daughter Ann Thompson
• 12 Mar 1783 Charles Snaith, of Marshall Green, son of George Snaith, Memorandum: Dec 20th 1783, that John & Joseph Snaith paid me three shillings & four pence acknowledgement for erecting a headstone to the memory of their brother Charles
• 31 Mar 1796 Mary Maudlin, age: 60, wife of James Maudlin