Diocese of Canterbury

Diocesan Records of Canterbury:

DCb/A CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION:

DCb/A/A Appointments

DCb/A/C Correspondence General

DCb/A/E Clergy (Emergency Precautions) Measure 1939

DCb/A/F Finance

DCb/A/M Marriage Licences Correspondence

DCb/A/O Orders in Council

DCb/B PARISH REGISTERS:

DCb/B/A Confirmation Lists

DCb/B/B Confirmation Books

DCb/B/R Returns of Parish Registers

DCb/B/T Bishop's Transcripts of Parish Registers

DCb/B/X Parochial records Returns

DCb/C CONVOCATION & OTHER CHURCH ASSEMBLIES:

DCb/C/A Canons of Convocations

DCb/C/C Citations, Precepts, Mandates, Sentences, Convocations

DCb/C/E Voters' Lists in Elections of Proctors for Convocation

DCb/C/F Diocesan Conference

DCb/D CHURCH PROPERTY:

DCb/D/C Conveyances and Mortgages

DCb/D/E Grants by Ecclesiastical Commissioners

DCb/D/G Glebe Leases

DCb/D/I Inventories of Church Property

DCb/D/L Land Tax Redemptions

DCb/D/T Terriers

DCb/E CHURCH BUILDINGS:

DCb/E/A1 Archdeacons' Certificates

DCb/E/A2 Archdeacons' Certificates, correspondence

DCb/E/C1 Consecrations of Churches

DCb/E/C2 Consecrations of additions Churchyards

DCb/E/F Faculties

DCb/E/G1 General Correspondence on Faculties

DCb/E/G2 Parish Correspondence Files for Faculties

DCb/E/G3 Commissary Judgements

DCb/E/G4 Faculty Accounts

DCb/E/J Faculty Jurisdiction

DCb/E/P Pews

DCb/E/R Declarations of Rectories

DCb/E/S Specifications and Plans

DCb/E/Y Chapels Licenced for Marriages

DCb/E/Z Diocesan Advisory Committee

DCb/F CLERGY:

DCb/F/A Inductions to Benefices

DCb/F/B Induction Books

DCb/F/C Registers of Curates' Licencs

DCb/F/D Curates' Licences (see separate catalogue)

DCb/F/E Licences to Officiate in the Diocese (This is a small bundle of uncatalogued 20th century document so there is no entry in the catalogue for them)

DCb/F/F Licences for Chaplains (see separate catalogue)

DCb/F/G Licences for Named Premises

DCb/F/H Registers of Licences for Houses of Residence

DCb/F/J Plurality Declarations

DCb/F/L Licences for Non-Residence

DCb/F/M Monitions for Non-Residence

DCb/F/N Registers of Licences for Non-Residence

DCb/F/O1 Lists of Ordinations

DCb/F/O2 Ordination papers

DCb/F/P Presentations

DCb/F/R Resignations and Pensions

DCb/F/T Tenths

DCb/F/S Lay Readers

DCb/F/W

DCb/F/X Clergy Discipline

DCb/F/Y Deceased clergy

DCb/F/Z clergy

DCb/G CHURCH SCHOOLS OF FINANCIAL:

DCb/G/IM Inspectors' and Managers' Reports

DCb/G/M Minute Books

DCb/G/R Registers

DCb/G/S Records of Individuals Schools

DCb/G/T School closures correspondence Files

DCb/H DISSENT:

DCb/H/A Applications for Registration of Dissenting Chapels

DCb/H/B Registers of Licences Granted

DCb/H/Q Returns to Quarter Sessions

DCb/H/Z Compton Return 1676

DCb/J JUDICIAL (CHURCH COURTS):

DCb/J/A Act Books

DCb/J/C Citations to Appear

DCb/J/E Excommunication

DCb/J/J Papers in Ecclesiastical Suits

DCb/J/I Inhibitions

DCb/J/K Ecclesiastical Law

DCb/J/L Marriage Law

DCb/J/N Common Law

DCb/J/P Penances

DCb/J/Q Seal Accounts

DCb/J/R Relaxations

DCb/J/S Appointments of Surrogates

DCb/J/W Powers of Attorney

DCb/J/X Consistory and Archdeacons' Courts Books

DCb/J/Y Consistory and Archdeacons' Courts Books

DCb/J/Z Consistory and Archdeacons' Courts Books

DCb/K TESTAMENTARY:

DCb/K/A Administration

DCb/K/E Affidavits of Executors

DCb/K/G Guardianship

DCb/K/I Indexes of Wills

DCb/K/P Probate Bonds

DCb/K/R Renunciations of Administration

DCb/K/V Testamentary on Visitation

DCb/K/W Copies of Wills

DCb/K/Z Printed Parliamentary Bills

DCb/L LICENCES:

DCb/L/B General Licences

DCb/L/C Correspondence with Registrar

DCb/L/P Parish Clerks' Licences

DCb/L/R Registers of General Licences

DCb/L/S Schoolmasters' Licences

DCb/M MATRIMONIAL:

DCb/M/B Bonds and Allegations

DCb/P SYNOD:

DCb/P/C Citations

DCb/P/E Elections to House of Laity

DCb/P/M Measures

DCb/Q MISCELLANEOUS RETURNS:

DCb/Q/C Return of Communicants 1565

DCb/Q/H Return of Hospitals 1666

DCb/R BENEFICE:

DCb/R/A Augmentation Deeds

DCb/R/C Conventicles

DCb/R/D Deaneries, Reordering of Parishes Within

DCb/R/F Tables of Fees

DCb/R/M Team Ministries

DCb/R/P Poor Vicars

DCb/R/S Sequestrations

DCb/R/T Appointments of Trustees

DCb/R/U1 Patronage, General

DCb/R/U2 Patronage, Parishes

DCb/S RURIDECANAL CHAPTER AND CONFERENCE:

DCb/S/A Minutes

DCb/S/C Correspondence

DCb/S/S Statistics of Church Work

DCb/S/V Ruridecanal Visitation Returns

DCb/T TITHE:

DCb/T/A Altered Apportionments with Maps

DCb/T/C Certificates of Capital Value

DCb/T/O Original Apportionments with Maps

DCb/T/R Certificates of Redemption of Rentcharge

DCb/V VISITATION:

DCb/V/A Archdeacons' Notebooks

DCb/V/C Citations to Appear

DCb/V/D Churchwardens' Declarations

DCb/V/E Articles of Enquiry

DCb/V/F Fees

DCb/V/G Procurations

DCb/V/I Inhibitions and Relaxations

DCb/V/L Miscellaneous Correspondence

DCb/V/M Mandates

DCb/V/O Order of Proceedings

DCb/V/P Churchwardens' Presentments

DCb/V/Q Visitation Charges

DCb/V/R Returns by Dean and Chapter

DCb/V/T Proctors

DCb/V/V Call Books

DCb/W SETS OF CORRESPONDENCE:

DCb/W/A Abbott and Cullen

DCb/W/L Lukyn Letters

DCb/W/N Norris Papers

DCb/W/X Papal Bull

DCb/W/Z Odd Strays of Interest and Importance

DCb/W/Y Lists of Records

DCb/X COMMITTEES:

DCb/X/A Meetings of Archdeacons and Rural Deans

Probate Records at Canterbury:

DCb/PRC/4 Archdeacon's Court Bonds

DCb/PRC/10 Archdeacon's Court Inventories (Registers)

DCb/PRC/11 Archdeacon's Court Inventories (Papers)

DCb/PRC/12 Archdeacon's Court Mandates to Induct

DCb/PRC/13 Archdeacon's Court Penances

DCb/PRC/15 Archdeacon's Court - Temerarii

Administration Registers

DCb/PRC/16 Archdeacon's Court Wills (Originals)

DCb/PRC/17 Archdeacon's Court Wills (Registers)

DCb/PRC/18 Archdeacon's Court Miscellaneous (Articles, Libels, Sentences)

DCb/PRC/21 Consistory Court Inventories (Registers)

DCb/PRC/27

DCb/PRC/23 Consistory Court Bonds Testamentary

DCb/PRC/24 Consistory Court Marriages Bonds

DCb/PRC/31 Consistory Court Wills (Originals)

DCb/PRC/32 Consistory Court Wills (Registers)

DCb/PRC/35 Citations and Monitions

DCb/PRC/37 Convocation Precepts

DCb/PRC/38 Depositions (Papers)

DCb/PRC/39 Depositions (Registers)

DCb/PRC/40 Interrogatories (Papers)

DCb/PRC/41 Inventories of Church Goods

DCb/PRC/42 Prohibitions in Causes of Subtraction of Tithes

DCb/PRC/43 Visitation Books and Papers

DCb/PRC/44 Miscellaneous

DCb/PRC/46 Court of Record of St Augustine's

DCb/PRC/48 Indexes

DCb/PRC/49 Medievel fragment

DCb/PRC/50 Medievel fragment

Diocesan Records deposited by Lambeth (VC)

DCb/VC IA ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS:

- Now DCb/FO

DCb/VC IA/3 Presentation Deeds

DCb/VC IA/4 Institutions

DCb/VC IA/6 Non-Residence Licences

DCb/VC IA/7 Dispensations

DCb/VC IA/8 Resignation Deeds

DCb/VC IA/9 Curates' Licences

Now DCb/FF

DCb/VC IA/11 Preachers' Licences

DCb/VC IA/12 Tait Missioner

DCb/VC IB BENEFICE PAPERS:

DCb/VC IB/1 Deeds of Endowment

DCb/VC IB/3 Advowsons

DCb/VC IB/4 Exchanges of Glebe

DCb/VC IB/5 Mortgages

DCb/VC IB/6 Union of Benefices

DCb/VC IB/7 Poor Vicars

DCb/VC IB/8 Appointment of Trustees

DCb/VC IB/9 Miscellany

DCb/VC IC PAROCHIAL RECORDS:

DCb/VC IC/1 New Churches and Burial Grounds

DCb/VC IC/2 Temporary Church and Room Licences

DCb/VC IC/3 Schools and Charities

DCb/VC IC/4 Lecturers' and Teachers' Licences

DCb/VC IC/5 Miscellany

DCb/VC IC/6 Maps and Plans

DCb/VC IC/7 Parish Clerk Licence

DCb/VC ID DIOCESAN RECORDS:

DCb/VC ID/1 Rural Deans

DCb/VC ID/3 Returns and Statistics of Church Work

DCb/VC ID/4 Sede Vacante

DCb/VC ID/5 Archiepiscopal Commissions

DCb/VC IIB CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

DCb/VC III COURT RECORDS:

DCb/VC III/2 Excommunication Schedules

DCb/VC III/4 Faculties

DCb/VC III/5 Case Papers

DCb/VC III/6 Sequestration Book

- Other Diocesan Records

DCb/Z Box Dioc 1-40

Unrestricted

Since about 1870 the records from the Christ Church gateway have been gradually transferred to the Cathedral archive. The first records to be moved were those of the church courts around 1870. These were roughly sorted by Joseph Brigstock Sheppard and stored on shelves X, Y and Z, hence their well-known reference. The sorting bears no relation to their actual order. In 1927 Charles Eveleigh Woodruff made a rough index of these books, and later in about 1936 Brian Woodcock attempted to work out their relationship to one another. Their task was made doubly difficult because at some point many of the covers of the books had been removed where early medieval texts had been found on their bindings. To a certain extent the old bindings were reunited with the books during rebinding in 1971-1972 but the work could not be completed because insufficient evidence had survived as to what belonged where. At the same time a card index was made to try and recreate the original order of the books.

The next series to be moved was the bishops' and archdeacons' transcripts in about 1925. These were originally stored in yearly bundles and files, but in the years following were resorted by Frank W Tyler into parish order and boxed. William Urry numbered the early series (1555-1812) in pairs to show where there were parishes exempt from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon of Canterbury. The later series (1813-1914) was never numbered.

By 1959 most of the diocesan records in the Christ Church gateway had been transferred to the Cathedral archive. Access to the upper floors by the narrow spiral staircase was difficult and the tithe maps had to be thrown from the windows because some were too long to be carried down the stairs. The maps had suffered from being stored on their ends, and also from being sandbagged in the gateway during the First World War.

A determined effort to catalogue these series in a definitive manner was started in January 1968 when Peter Lyons, was appointed. He remained about nine months and in this time tidied up, rationalised and generally organised the series. He evolved the classification scheme in the first section below and prepared many lists of individual classes.

In 1983 a large group of late Croydon archdeaconry bishops' transcripts were found up there and deposited in the Cathedral Archive.

The faculty registers which date from 1870 were once also in the Christ Church gateway but were at some point removed to the Deputy Diocesan Registrar's office to help with his work on faculty jurisdiction. These registers are still there.

The Canterbury Probate records were deposited in the cathedral Archive in about 1925. They were never stored in the Christ Church gateway, but were housed in the local Probate Registry which was probably in St Margaret Street, Canterbury. No entry has been found in any accession register as to where they came from or when.

It is said that just before the outbreak of the Second World War the probate records (PRC series), because of their importance, were sent to Wales for safe keeping. The remainder of the Cathedral Archive and the diocesan records already deposited were stored in the cathedral. On 1 June 1942 the Cathedral Library and Archive was demolished by a 400lb high explosive bomb which plunged straight through the main Library roof and exploded, blowing the building apart except for the west and south walls. Nothing could be done about rebuilding until 1953; the probate records could not be returned to Canterbury as there was nowhere to house them. They were therefore sent to the Public Record Office in Chancery Lane, London, until a decision could be made. After representations from the newly appointed County Archivist, Dr Felix Hull, that all Kent County records ought to be centralised in one place, these records were sent to the County Archives Office in Maidstone where they remained as a complete series until about 1975. In that year arrangements were made for the non-probate records to be returned to Canterbury. In 1986 agreement was reached for the entire series to be deposited at Canterbury when space became available.

After the reformation and the dissolution of the priory, the majority of the archbishops were enthroned by proxy and lived almost exclusively at Lambeth Palace because there was no convenient place for them to reside in Canterbury after the destruction of the archiepiscopal palace by fire in the sixteenth century. For this reason, records of presentation, induction, admission and collation to benefices and canonries, papers relating to non-residence and other papers were retained in the London office of the Registry and eventually passed to Lambeth Palace Library for storage. These records were transferred to the Canterbury Archive in May 1981 (VC series).

REGISTRAR AND THE STORAGE OF THE RECORDS

The Registrar of Canterbury is an archiepiscopal appointment and in consequence he has an office in London at 1 The Sanctuary, Church Street, Westminster and in Canterbury at 8-9 The Precincts. As archiepiscopal registrar he looks after the business of the archbishopric; and as episcopal registrar he looks after the business of the bishopric of Canterbury. The senior registrar works in London and his deputy at Canterbury.

The office of registrar is a very old one and certainly goes back to the dissolution, if not before, but it is not until the 17th century that the office attains any real importance. Characters like William Somner and Samuel Norris made the office what it now is, and created vast series of records which they kept at first in their own homes, and which passed from registrar to registrar. Some church court records may have been kept in St Margaret's church, Canterbury where the church courts often met. They may also have been stored with the cathedral records as many of the registrars were also chapter clerks. Later registrars also worked as solicitors in Canterbury firms and kept some records in their offices.

From about 1870 it would appear that the Canterbury registrar began to store his records on the upper floors of the Christ Church gateway when the registry is said to have been given a lease of those floors by the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury.

Records stored in the Christ Church gateway included the diocesan tithe maps which were stored upright; the church court books; bishops' and archdeacons' transcripts which were then arranged by year in huge piles, some wrapped in brown paper and some not; papers in causes; some presentation and induction records; penance papers; ecclesiastical court act books; papers relating to dissent; mandates; terriers; confirmation records and early faculty papers.

The bishopric of Canterbury comprised one archdeaconry until 1841 when by Order in Council of 4 June it was split into two parts by the establishment of the archdeaconry of Maidstone. The archdeaconry of Croydon was added to Canterbury diocese in 1894 on the foundation of the bishopric of Southwark because it was felt that Croydon had more historical connections with Canterbury through the archbishops, than Southwark.

Each archdeaconry is divided into a number of rural deaneries which were in existence before the Taxatio of 1291. Until 1841 the archdeaconry of Canterbury consisted of the rural deaneries of Bridge, Canterbury, Charing, Dover, Elham, Lympne, Ospringe, Sandwich, Sittingbourne, Sutton and Westbere. In 1841 the deaneries of Sittingbourne, Charing and Sutton were transferred to the Maidstone archdeaconry. By 1845 the diocese of London had become unmanageably large, and therefore by Order in Council of 20 August 1845 it was directed that the bishopric of Rochester should consist of the city and deanery of Rochester and the counties of Hertford and Essex. The remainder of the old diocese of Rochester was transferred into the diocese of Canterbury as part of the archdeaconry of Maidstone with the exception of the parishes of Charlton, Lee, Lewisham, Greenwich, Woolwich, Eltham, Plumstead and Dartford, St Paul and St Nicholas which were transferred to the diocese of London. By Order in Council of 30 December 1845 the parishes of Eynsford, Farningham, Otford, Shoreham and Stansted were also moved from the Rochester diocese into the archdeaconry of Maidstone. In 1867 the nine parishes transferred to the London diocese on 20 August 1845 were retransferred to Rochester diocese, so that by the Census of 1871, the Canterbury diocese consisted of almost the entire county with the exceptions of the deaneries of Cobham, Gravesend and Woolwich, and part of the deanery of Greenwich. At the foundation of the bishopric of Southwark in 1894 the deaneries of Malling, Dartford and Shoreham were retransferred to Rochester diocese from Canterbury. The archdeaconry of Croydon was added to Canterbury diocese in 1874. The peculiar of Shoreham ceased to exist at this date although it had been partially dismembered in 1845. In 1975 the archdeaconry of Croydon was transferred to the diocese of Southwark.

There have also been small amendments along the boundaries of the archdeaconries. Rainham moved several times from Canterbury to Rochester and back again between 1845 and 1867, and Linton was moved into the Maidstone archdeaconry in 1972.

The rural deaneries have also been split as the number of parishes has increased. The rural deanery of Canterbury was split in 1975 to form the rural deaneries of Canterbury and Reculver, and what remained of Westbere was renamed Thanet. Bridge and Charing were split into East and West, and Lympne into North and South, all at an early date.

In addition to the registry there is also a diocesan office in Canterbury. This has been in several places over the years. Before the Second World War it was based at 8 The Precincts but when this was bombed it was transferred to 4 The Forrens. For a short time it was based in 9 The Precincts until in 1953 a decision was taken to build a new diocesan office at 1 Lady Woottons Green, Canterbury. In about 1979 2 Lady Woottons Green was also acquired.

This office houses modern diocesan records relating to the various committees of the diocese: education, faculty jurisdiction, redundant churches, Pastoral Measure and other parish business. Most of the records are stored in the basements of these two buildings. In 1988 certain registers were deposited in the Cathedral Archive from this office.

ORGANISATION OF DEANERIES WITHIN CANTERBURY DIOCESE

To 1841

Canterbury Archdeaconry

Bridge

Canterbury

Charing

Dover

Elham

Lympne

Ospringe

Sandwich

Sittingbourne

Sutton

Westbere

1841

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry

Bridge Charing

Canterbury Sittingbourne

Dover Sutton

Elham

Lympne

Ospringe

Sandwich

Westbere

1845

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry

Bridge Charing

Canterbury Dartford

Dover Malling

Elham Shoreham

Lympne Sittingbourne

Ospringe Sutton

Sandwich

Westbere

1853

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry

Bridge East Charing

Canterbury West Charing

Dover Dartford

Elham North Malling

Lympne South Malling

Ospringe Shoreham

Sandwich Sittingbourne

Westbere Sutton

1857

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry

Bridge East Charing

Canterbury West Charing

Dover Dartford

Elham North Malling

North Lympne South Malling

South Lympne Shoreham

Ospringe Sittingbourne

Sandwich Sutton

Westbere

1865

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry

Bridge East Charing

Canterbury West Charing

Dover East Dartford

Elham West Dartford

North Lympne North Malling

South Lympne South Malling

Ospringe Shoreham

Sandwich Sittingbourne

Westbere Sutton

1873

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry

East Bridge East Charing

West Bridge West Charing

Canterbury East Dartford

Dover West Dartford

Elham North Malling

North Lympne South Malling

South Lympne Shoreham

Ospringe Sittingbourne

Sandwich Sutton

Westbere

1875

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry

East Bridge East Charing

West Bridge West Charing

Canterbury Croydon

Dover East Dartford

Elham West Dartford

North Lympne North Malling

South Lympne South Malling

Ospringe Shoreham

Sandwich Sittingbourne

Westbere Sutton

1904

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry Croydon Archdeaconary

East Bridge East Charing

West Bridge West Charing

Canterbury Sittingbourne

Dover Sutton

Elham

North Lympne

South Lympne

Ospringe

Sandwich

Westbere

1975

Canterbury Archdeaconry Maidstone Archdeaconry

East Bridge East Charing

West Bridge West Charing

Canterbury North Lympne

Reculver South Lympne

Dover Sittingbourne

Elham Sutton

Ospringe

Sandwich

Thanet