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Instance Act Books

Act Books are the principal record of the business dealt with by the Archdeacon and his officials, showing proceedings and judgments of the court. The records reflect two main categories of business: correction causes, or causes 'ex officio mero', which were dealt with by summary jurisdiction, and instance causes ('ad instantiam partium'), which were argued by proctors (ecclesiastical lawyers). By the 18th century, the ex officio volumes were known as 'Books of Correction', while the instance volumes were described as 'Books of Causes'.

The Act Books of the Archdeaconry of Nottingham were numbered and arranged to reflect the original parcels in which they were received by the Library. This can make it difficult for researchers following a particular cause to identify which Act Books will be relevant.

The following table lists Act Books containing records of Instance and promoted Office causes, in date order. Only the primary Act Books (fair copy Registers, or Journals, where no Registers survive) are shown. Where draft Journals survive in addition to Registers, this is noted in the fourth column. 

The fourth column also gives details of which Act Books were transcribed and translated by R F B Hodgkinson. The transcripts are now held at Nottinghamshire Archives.

There is more detailed information about the dates and places of each court session in the full catalogue of Act Books available through the Manuscripts Online Catalogue.

Dates Reference Number Type Further information
October 1576 - December 1576 AN/A 3/2/1 Journal  
January 1576/7 – February 1576/7 AN/A 3/2/2 Journal  
February 1576/7 – March 1576/7 AN/A 3/2/3 Journal  
Sep-Oct 1576 AN/A 2 Journal Fair copy survives for part: in AN/A 3/1/4
April 1577 - June 1578 AN/A 3/2/5 Journal  
June 1578 - July 1579 AN/A 3/2/6 Journal  
August 1579 - June 1580 AN/A 3/2/7 Journal Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/22  
July 1580 - June 1581 AN/A 3/2/8 Journal Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/22  
July 1581 - June 1583 AN/A 3/2/9 Journal Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/22  
June 1583 - December 1583 AN/A 3/2/10 Journal Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/23  
January 1583/4 - October 1584 AN/A 3/2/11 Journal Some Instance causes also entered in AN/A 3/1/10-11. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/23  
October 1584 – November 1586 AN/A 3/2/12 Journal Some Instance causes also entered in AN/A 3/1/12-13. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/25  
November 1586 - October 1587 AN/A 3/2/14 Journal  
January 1586/7 - April 1587 AN/A 3/1/15 Journal Retford courts only
June 1587 - November 1587 AN/A 3/1/17 Journal Retford courts only
October 1587 - October 1588 AN/A 3/2/15 Journal Draft of part of AN/A 3/2/16
March 1587/8 – October 1589 AN/A 3/2/16 Register Partial drafts available: AN/A 3/2/15 and AN/A 3/2/16
November 1588 – January 1589/90 AN/A 5 Journal Draft of part of AN/A 3/2/16. l Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/3  
March 1590 - March 1591/2 AN/A 6 Register  
March 1591/2 – December 1593 AN/A 7 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/3-5  
December 1593 - July 1595 AN/A 8 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/5-6  
July 1595 - October 1596 AN/A 9 Register Unfit for production
October 1596 - January 1602/3 AN/A 11/1 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/6 and 8. Drafts also available: AN/A 10/2-3, AN/A 24/1-2 and AN/A 12
January 1602/3 - May 1608 AN/A 17 Register Unfit for production without Keeper's consent. Drafts also available: AN/A 24/3-12, and AN/A 14/1-2. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/9-10
May 1607 - July 1607 AN/A 24/12/1 Journal Archbishop's Visitation courts
January 1607/8 - July 1608 AN/A 16 Register made up of drafts and fair copies, bound together Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/11  
September 1608 - April 1611 AN/A 19 Register Unfit for production. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/12  
May 1611 - March 1611/12 AN/A 21 Register Partial draft available: AN/A 24/13/2. ranslation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/12  
June 1611 - November 1611 AN/A 24/14 Register  
December 1611 – September 1612 AN/A 22/1 Register made up of bound journals Unfit for production. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/13  
October 1612 - June 1613 AN/A 22/2 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/13-14  
June 1613 - January 1613/14 AN/A 23/1 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/14  
January 1613/14 – September 1614 AN/A 23/2 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/14  
September 1614 - January 1615/6 AN/A 34 Register Unfit for production. Drafts available: AN/A 23/3 and AN/A 24/15. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/15  
November 1615 - March 1615/16 AN/A 24/15 Journal Partial draft of AN/A 34
March 1615/16 - March 1616/17 AN/A 36 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/15-16  
March 1616/17 – September 1617 AN/A 25 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/16  
October 1617 - June 1618 AN/A 26/2 Register Drafts available: AN/A 26/1 and AN/A 27/1. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/16  
February 1617/8 - October 1619 AN/A 27/1 Journal Draft of part of AN/A 26/2. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/16-17  
October 1619 - July 1620 AN/A 27/2 Register Draft available: AN/A 27/4. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/17  
July 1620 - April 1621 AN/A 27/3 Register Drafts available: AN/A 27/4, and AN/A 41/2/3-5. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/17-18  
May 1621 - September 1621 AN/A 28 Register Courts heard at Nottingham only. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/18  
September 1621-January 1621/2 AN/A 30 Register  
January 1621/22 - October 1622 AN/A 29 Register  
October 1622 - June 1623 AN/A 31 Register Archbishop's Visitation courts. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/18. Draft available: AN/A 32
October 1622 - May 1624 AN/A 33 Register Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/18-19  
June 1624 - March 1624/5 AN/A 41/2/6 Register Unfit for production
April 1625 - November 1625 AN/A 41/3/2 Journal Further causes of the same date survive on loose sheets: AN/A 41/3/1, and AN/A 63/4/2-4
(June 1625, one entry) and January - February 1625/6 AN/A 41/3/3 Journal  
March 1625/6 - February 1626/7 AN/A 41/3/4 Journal Further causes of the same date survive on loose sheets: AN/A 41/3/6, and AN/A 63/4/5-9
June - July 1626 AN/A 35/3 Journal  
July - September 1626 AN/A 35/2 Journal  
April - July 1627 AN/A 41/3/5 Journal Archbishop's Visitation courts. Unfit for production
September 1627 - November 1630 AN/A 38 Register Partial draft available: AN/A 41/1/1. Translation by R F B Hodgkinson available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/20  
November 1630 - July 1631 AN/A 41/1/3 Journal  
September 1631 - December 1633 AN/A 41/1/4 Journal  
January 1633/4 - May 1635 AN/A 41/1/5 Journal Parallel fair copy of some causes exists in AN/A 43
May 1635 AN/A 41/1/2 Register Unfit for production
May 1635 - May 1636 AN/A 41/1/6 Journal Parallel fair copy of some causes exists in AN/A 43 and AN/A 41/1/2
May 1636 - October 1636 AN/A 46/7 Journal Parallel fair copy of some causes exists in AN/A 43 Unfit for production
November 1636 - September 1637 AN/A 46/6 Journal Parallel fair copy of some causes exists in AN/A 43 Unfit for production
September 1637 - March 1637/8 AN/A 46/5 Journal Parallel fair copy of some causes exists in AN/A 43 Unfit for production
January 1633/4 - December 1637 AN/A 43 Personal register of causes argued by John Tibberd Translation of some entries, by R F B Hodgkinson, available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/20  
March 1637/8 - June 1638 AN/A 46/2 Journal Unfit for production
July 1638 - October 1638 AN/A 46/3 Journal Unfit for production
[November] 1638 - January 1638/9 AN/A 46/1/1 Journal Unfit for production
November 1638 and February 1638/9 AN/A 46/8 Journal Unfit for production
February 1638/9 - June 1639 AN/A 46/1/2 Journal Unfit for production
June 1639 - October 1639 AN/A 46/10 Journal Unfit for production
October 1639 - January 1639/40 AN/A 46/4/1 Journal Unfit for production
January 1639/40 - May 1640 AN/A 46/11 Journal Partial draft of AN/A 46/4/2 Unfit for production
February 1639/40 - August 1640 AN/A 46/4/2 Register Archbishop's Visitation courts Unfit for production
June 1640 - December 1640 AN/A 46/9 Journal Partial draft of AN/A 46/4/2 Unfit for production
January 1640/41 - July 1641 AN/A 46/12 Journal Unfit for production
July 1641 - November 1642 AN/A 47/2 Journal Unfit for production. Translation of some entries, by R F B Hodgkinson, available at Nottinghamshire Archives: DDTS Addit. 14/26/21  
September 1661 - July 1662 AN/A 50/1 Journal  
August 1662 - March 1662/3 AN/A 50/4 Journal Archbishop's Visitation courts
March 1662/3 - September 1663 AN/A 50/3 Journal  
September 1663 - May 1664 AN/A 50/2 Journal  
June 1664 - March 1664/5 AN/A 50/5 Journal  
April 1665 - January 1665/6 AN/A 50/6 Journal  
February 1665/6 - September 1667 AN/A 50/7 Journal  
November 1667-March 1668   No Act Books survive - possible continuation of Inhibition
April 1668 - July 1672 AN/A 50/9 Register Draft available: AN/A 50/8
September 1672 - June 1676 AN/A 50/10 Register  
March 1673/4 - January 1674/5 AN/A 50/12 Register Archbishop's Visitation courts
June 1676 - July 1678 AN/A 50/11 Register  
July 1678 - September 1682 AN/A 53 Register  
October 1682 - February 1685/6 AN/A 54 Register  
February 1685/6 - May 1694 AN/A 58 Register  
May 1694 - July 1700 AN/A 59 Register Some Instance causes also in Correction volume, AN/A 60
September 1700 - July 1706 AN/A 61 Register Drafts available: AN/A 63/2, AN/A 63/4/1 and AN/A 63/5
July 1706 - October 1712 AN/A 66 Register Some overlap with AN/A 67 Drafts available: AN/A 63/6-9
September 1712 - April 1717 AN/A 67 Register Some overlap with AN/A 66
June 1717 - March 1718/9 AN/A 68 Register Draft available: AN/A 70
April 1719 - September 1719 AN/A 69 Register Draft available: AN/A 70
September 1719 - [March] 1719/20 AN/A 71/2 Register Draft available: AN/A 70 Unfit for production
March 1719/20 - July 1720 AN/A 71/1 Register Draft available: AN/A 70
July 1720 - October 1721 AN/A 71/3 Register Draft available: AN/A 70
October 1721 - December 1723 AN/A 71/4 Register Draft available: AN/A 70
December 1723 - April 1725 AN/A 71/5 Register Draft available: AN/A 70
May 1725 - March 1726 AN/A 71/7 Register Draft available: AN/A 71/6
April 1726 - February 1726/7 AN/A 71/8 Register Draft available: AN/A 71/6
March 1726/27 - May 1728 AN/A 71/9 Register Unfit for production
May 1728 - March 1729/30 AN/A 71/10 Register  
April 1730 - December 1736 AN/A 73 Register  
January 1736/7 - June 1745 AN/A 75 Register  
July 1745 - March 1752 AN/A 77 Register  
April 1752 - February 1760 AN/A 79 Register  
March 1760 - May 1783 AN/A 81 Register  
March 1783 - February 1796 AN/A 82/2 Register Volume also contains record of grants of faculties, up to 1871, and of appointments of various court officials, up to March 1926

 

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