THE fascinating stories of children who were ‘sold off’ to the highest bidder in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries will be told next week.

A talk by Mark Jervis, an archivist at Durham County Record Office, will focus on the wealthy orphans who were made wards of the Crown following the deaths of their fathers.

Wardship meant that, in effect, the children were auctioned off – along with their right to marry and the land they inherited.

Mark said: “If a man who owned property passed away leaving children, the king or one of his representatives would often step in, particularly if the child was female.

“By dictating who a son or daughter could marry not only gave them control of who inherited any land, it was also an opportunity to hand out favours or make money by effectively auctioning off the child’s hand in marriage.

“It’s a really interesting situation which I’m hoping I can bring to life during my talk.”

The talk takes place from 12.30pm to 1.45pm on Thursday. Tickets are free but should be booked in advance by calling 03000 267 626.

For more information, visit www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk