Catalogue description THE CONSISTORY COURT OF LONDON

This record is held by London Metropolitan Archives: City of London

Details of DL/C
Reference: DL/C
Title: THE CONSISTORY COURT OF LONDON
Description:

If the following list is compared with the schedule presented to the Royal Commission on Public Records (Appendix 77 (2). 2 Rep Vol. II. Pt. II. pp. 199 - 204) in 1914 will be seen that all the volumes prior to 1500 and several whole classes have now disappeared.

 

There is a great variety in the subject matter of the records which deal with, inter alia, tithe disputes, parish disputes, sorcery, recusancy, defamation of character, and licensing midwives, surgeons, schoolmasters and preachers in the City of London, Middlesex, Essex and Hertfordshire. After about 1700 the majority of causes are divorce suits.

SUMMARY OF THE RECORDS OF THE CONSISTORY COURT OF LONDON: Act Books, Instance: 1496 - 1765 (gap 1641 - 69); Act Books, Office: 1554 - 1706; Acts of Court: 1661 - 1827; Allegations, Libels & Sentence Books: 1670 - 1817; Appointments of Proctors: 1556 - 1578/9; Assignation Books: (gap 1644 - 69): 1633 - 1941; Bonds & Allegations (Marriage): 1521 - 1685; Caveat Book: 1602 - 1808; Chancellors' Note Books: 1914 - 1963; Deposition Books: mainly complete after 1600; gap 1640 - 69): 1467 - 1817; Divorce Exhibita: 1703 - 1817; Index of Causes: 1818 - 1905; Indexes to Deposition Books: 1609 - 1613, 1753 - 1806; Index to Wills & Administrations: 1362 - 1858; Interlocutory Acts: 1765 - 1827; Original Wills & Letters of Administration: (mainly after 1540; gap 1646-69): 1507 - 1858; Personal Answer Books: (gap 1639-69): 1617 - 1808; Register of Wills & Administrations: (gap 1641-70): 1514 - 1520, 1540 - 1858; Statistics: 1909 - 1913; Vicar-General's Books: 1520 - 1685.
Held by: London Metropolitan Archives: City of London, not available at The National Archives
Language: English, Latin
Creator:

Consistory Court of London
Immediate source of acquisition:

TRANSFERRED FROM THE PRINCIPAL PROBATE REGISTRY. SOMERSET HOUSE, STRAND, LONDON, W.C.2 TO THE FORMER LONDON COUNTY RECORD OFFICE, IN JANUARY 1956 (Ac 56.14) and in August 1957 (Ac 57.56)

Publication note:

For a description of the functions and administration of the Court reference should be made to:-

 

1. Notes from the Ecclesiastical Court Records at Somerset House by F.W.X. Fincham. Trans. Roy. Hist. Soc. 4th series, vol IIII. 1921 (pp. 103 - 139)

 

2. An Introduction to Ecclesiastical Records by the Rev. J.S. Purvis. St. Anthony's Press, London 1953
Subjects:
  • Civil law
  • Family disorganization
Link to NRA Record:

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