| Description | The Ecclesiastical Commissioners removed the vast majority of the court rolls for the Dean and Chapter's estates in 1861. However, some were inevitably missed, and these oddments are now gathered together in this class.
Also present is a series of books recording the courts on the priory/D and C's estates in Kent from the late fifteenth to early sixteenth centuries. These books suffered badly during the 1670 fire and are now largely unuseable.
Manorial courts for the chapter's estates in Kent for the mid-eighteenth century from the time of steward Thomas Hodges are recorded in individual books for each manor.
Another series comprises records of the prior's court, often called the 'High Court', which was held in the North Hall at three-weekly intervals before the steward of the prior's liberty, and continued after the dissolution. It heard pleas of vee de naam, debt, trespass, detinue, and other personal actions arising from the priory's lands in Kent. It also heard oaths of fealty and proofs of age, and received reliefs. Appeal could be made to the court of the archbishop's palace and the royal assizes. It did not act as a court of appeal for the priory's manors; this was made to the prior in person.
A further series within this class is a run of court rolls for the sacrist's Campanile court. This was held in the now destroyed detached campanile tower on the south side of the cathedral for the sacrist's tenants on his estates at Barnsole, Geddinge, Street, and Warehorne; courts were also held at Street and Warehorne.
There are also some court records for estates of other ecclesiatical institutions which probably came to Canterbury in the confusion of the return of church records at the Restoration. |