Instance act books 1

This series contains the act books created by the Consistory Court of London recording instance causes. Some volumes contain indexes to the causes.

Act books recorded the daily judicial business of the court and the hearing of cases under Canon Law. There were two basic types of cause, namely office causes and instance causes. Instance causes were private cases, brought by one individual against another. They included a wide range of cases such as disputes over wills testamentary business, marriage, divorce and separation matrimonial business and defamation cases. The 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 the outcome. Extracts from the evidence are rarely included.

The books are arranged chronologically where possible.

<p>For act books 1551-1553 see DL/C/649, and for 1553-1609 see DL/C/607-613 and DL/C/302. Where there are gaps in the series it is advisable to check the miscellaneous series. Details of causes after 1765 can be found in the series of original acts DL/C/074-083, assignation books DL/C/110-141, deposition books DL/C/278-299 and libel, allegation and sentence books DL/C/174-191.</p>

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