| Description | These volumes record the citations issued by the consistory court by which attendance at court was ordered. The early volumes include citations for all the usual causes - testamentary, defamation, tithe and church rate, matrimonial, faculty and pew disputes. As in the court books the reduction of the court's jurisdiction from 1860 meant that from that date citations relate almost exclusively to faculties.
Despite the title, not only citations but decrees, monitions, excommunications, absolutions, significavits (notices requiring the arrest of excommunicates) and sequestrations are included, although citations are in the majority. Information supplied includes name of those summoned and parties involved in the case, parish, description of cause (whether probate, defamation, adultery, faculty etc) and the returnable date, ie when appearance at court of persons cited is expected. Faculty citations include a description of the work proposed. Serial numbers are given to citations (only) from 1815 (starting at no 465) to 1853; a second series covers 1853-1934 and a third covers 1935-1944.
Volumes from 1853 (EDC 3/11) have contemporary indexes to persons and places. Geographically, citations relate chiefly to the archdeaconry of Chester. |