Local Records Office

[Beavances]

I am researching a large family who lived in and around Westoe, which eventually became part of South Shields. Many of the families BMD records state 'South Shields, Durham'. These are records from between 1840 - 1930ish.
Can anyone offer advice about which would be the best records office to refer to or visit  find out more about the area?
I can see on their website that Durham's Records office is closed until 2023 but looking at the distances on the map it seems unlikely to be relevant as there are so many other larger towns near to South Shields. You've probably guessed by now that I am not familiar with this area at all! 

[River Tyne Lass]

South Shields local studies and Tyne and Wear Archives
http://www.margaret-hall-genealogy.com
See this website for records held at archives

[JenB]

 Tyne & Wear Archives user guides here https://twarchives.org.uk/collection/user-guides-and-information

South Shields Local Studies https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/34346/Local-history-and-heritage

[River Tyne Lass]

https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/34814/Search-historical-births-deaths-and-marriages-records

This might help find marriages: venue and date.  Once you get date and code look under martiage indexes for venue.


Harton memorials site I tried to add doesnt seem to be working so I have deleted.

[Andy J2022]

In my experience where there have been historical boundary changes (eg areas around Barnard Castle moving between North Yorks and Durham, and areas in and around Peterborough moving between Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire) it's best to check exactly which archive holds the particular materials you want to access, rather than assuming anything in advance. If it's just BMDs much of what you will want to access is now on line including images of parish registers. It's the more esoteric things, like pre-nineteenth century wills, poll books and tithe maps and apportionments etc, that tend to be in just one place, which often may not even be the county record office anyway, for example Durham University holds a lot of material on South Shields, such as the South Shields Archaeological and Historical Society papers.

[bc1946]

For Wills to 1858 try North East Inheritance Database (Durham University).  Images are online.

[JenB]

Durham Bishops Transcripts https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=9K5M-GP8%3A13618101%3Fcc%3D1309819

The dates available vary from parish to parish, and there are few marriages available to view post 1837 (i.e. after the start of Civil Registration).

They are not searchable by keyword, so you must trawl through page by page.

Despite these drawbacks they are an excellent resource.

[Beavances]

Thankyou to all who have contributed to this list. It is exactly what I was looking for - you can't beat a bit of local knowledge!
Have already found things of interest in the maps and photographs that are on line from the information given about the South Tyneside archives and the detailed war records included in the South Tyneside local history (quite some work gone into that!) Also thanks for the advice about checking where exactly things might be held.
All much appreciated.