The Court Records of the Diocese of York 1300–1858: An Under-Used Resource

Abstract

The papers of the ecclesiastical courts of York are the largest collection of such records in the country. Between their beginning in 1300 and 1858, by which point the courts had lost much of their jurisdiction, there are surviving papers for over 14,000 cases. These have recently been catalogued in an on-line database <www.hrionline.ac.uk/causepapers/>. The cases cover a wide range of jurisdiction and provide opportunities for studies in social, economic and administrative history. This article examines four ways the records can be used: medieval defamation; sixteenth-century religious belief; seventeenth- and eighteenth-century education; and nineteenth-century marital discord. These brief studies are intended as examples to encourage the reader to use these records for their own research.

Keywords:

• YORKSHIRE
• CHURCH
• COURTS
• MARRIAGE
• DEFAMATION
• RELIGION
• HERESY
• SCHOOLS