Ellerton.info

Excommunications

Excommunication was the most common of censure in the Ecclesiastical Courts of York. Ostensibly to be used only for the more serious of crimes, the practice in York was to use Excommunication routinely in cases of debt, especially debts to the Church, and for non-attendance in court to answer cases (presentments) brought against them by the churchwardens during Visitations of the Archdeacon.

Before 1734 Excommunications were in Latin, and in English thereafter. The typical form was as follows (English version):

Jaques Sterne, Doctor of Laws – Archdeacon of the Archdeaconry of the East Riding in the Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of Saint Peter in York, lawfully founded, To all and singular Rectors, Vicars, Curates and Clerks, whomsoever and wheresoever, within our Archdeaconry aforesaid, Greeting, We do hereby order and charge You, that during the Clebration of divine Service, on Sundays and other Holydays, in your Parish Churches and Chapels, you do publickly denounce, and with Effect declare all and singular the Persons, whose Names and Sirnames are underwritten to these Presents, to have been, and to be respectively Excommunicated for their respective Contumacies in not appearing before Us, or our lawful Representative at a certain Place, on a certain Day and Hours, now sometime past, to answer certain Articles, Heads and Interrogatories concerning the Souls Health and Reformation of their Manners, and especially the Crimes and Offences in our late Visitation found and presented, having been lawfully cited to this Effect, and openly, publickly, and often called upon, long waited for, but no way appearing, or excusing their Delay; and what you shall do in the Premises, you shall duly certify Us or our Representative, together with these presents. Given at York, under the Seal of our said Archdeaconry this ninth day of March in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty two.

By Decree of Court

Robert Jubb

Register

[Names of those excommunicated]

The Excommunication was endorsed by the Vicar to certify that the denouncement had been duly made during Divine Worship, giving the date, and then it was returned to the Registry in York.

Only occasionally does the Excommunication state the offence (noticeably during the 1730s), so recourse must be had to the Archdeacons’ Visitation Records and the Presentments made by the Churchwardens.

The following are the Excommunications found for the parish:

3 Jan 1725

Anthony Brownbridge and Ann his wife of Ellerton

1 Dec 1739

Mary Young of Ellerton

4 Jan 1741

Anthony Simpson of Ellerton