Presentation deeds and institution papers

The presentation deeds in this section date from the period 1650-59 when the Commonwealth had dispensed with the old ecclesiastical system and had developed its own organisation of the Church. Although some of the deeds date from 1650, the filing numbers show that the appointments were not approved until 1654, when the main series begins. The series comes to an end in May 1659.

By far the largest proportion are deeds from private patrons, peers, commoners, a few colleges, and other corporate bodies. The Lord Protector and his son granted the majority of the rest, but about a tenth of the whole were given by the Keepers of the Liberty and, after 1654, by the Trustees. Most of the presentation deeds issued by the Protector were issued under the Great Seal, but Richard Cromwell issued a larger proportion than his father under his sign manual.

The form of address of many of the deeds and the numbers endorsed on them prove that they were shown to the Committee for the Approval of Public Preachers, and registered by them (See section COMM/3). Although the papers have been found in three separate groups they obviously come from the same source and have been re-arranged in one series. The groups from which they were taken are as follows: six bundles later numbered A/2-A/7, Court Rolls 1559-1773, and MSS.944-947 which were formerly bound and indexed by A.C. Ducarel. They are now filed in alphabetical order of parishes, and the names of the incumbents and patrons have been indexed