The ecclesiastical courts in the Diocese of Canterbury 1603-1665

Abstract

The ecclesiastical courts at Canterbury have left a magnificent set of records many of them still largely unexplored. The seventeenth century collection includes examples of almost every type of material and the series of Act books are almost complete. They reveal a proud and highly trained ecclesiastical bureaucracy in this diocese which was almost certainly less corrupt than elsewhere and who provided a much wider and more efficient service than the nickname "the bawdy courts" implied. Undoubtedly they did attempt, not always very successfully, to discipline the morals of the Church's members but Instance business, the hearing of cases between party and party, and the granting of probate occupied a very large proportion of their time. In these spheres they provided an effective service the need for which was confirmed by the very small amount of interference they experienced from the Common law courts. While it is true that the diocese had advantages which made it unique, in that it covered a small area and had a special relationship with the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, a study of the organisation and procedure of these courts can nevertheless be very valuable. It shows the church courts working in a way which was presumably closer than elsewhere to the ideal envisaged by the Church and so helps to explain the character and scope of post-Reformation ecclesiastical jurisdiction.