Office act books 2

This series consists of office act books, known variously as correction or detention books, or act books ex officio. The volumes augment the series of act books DL/C/300-329.

Act books recorded the daily judicial business of the court and the hearing of cases under Canon Law. There were two basis types of cause or case, namely office causes and instance causes. Office causes were brought by the Office of the Judge against a defendant and were primarily concerned with maintaining the spiritual discipline of both clergy and their parishioners. Causes relating to discipline were often described as 'correction business', the idea being that it was the Bishop's duty to correct the manners and morals of his flock. Cases included non-attendance at church, recusancy refusing to conform to the practices of the church, clandestine marriage, and general acts of immorality, which covered a multitude of cases. Information was often brought to the attention of the court by the process of visitations. A secondary function was to oversee the general administration of the church. Cases involved the granting of faculties to alter church buildings, the granting of licences to parish officers and professional people and the administration of church revenues. All proceedings were recorded by the Judge's Registrar in the act book, often some time after the case was heard, and information usually included the names of the parties, sometimes the charge against the defendant, and sometimes also the outcome. Extracts from the evidence are rarely included.

The volumes are arranged chronologically.

<p>See also DL/C/300-329 for volumes covering 1583-1706</p>

Some of these records have been microfilmed. Please use microfilm where available.