The society was established on 27 May 1834 by James Raine, following the death (on 11 February) of the renowned County Durham antiquarian Robert Surtees.
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All this time he was constantly editing ancient texts: for the Maitland Club, Glasgow, eight volumes (1833–42); for the English Historical Society, five volumes (1838–41); for the Roxburghe Club, four volumes; for the Surtees Society, seven volumes, with eight volumes of The Church Historians of England.
Raine, J., Priory of Hexham (Surtees Society, London 1864), containing the text of Acca's letter to Bede and other relevant material on his life
A fragment of Bagimond's Roll in something very like its original form is preserved at Durham, and has been printed by James Raine in his Priory of Coldingham (Publications of the Surtees Society, vol. xii.).