Church Courts

The following extracts are from the University of York's Cause Papers in the Diocesan Courts of the Archbishopric of York, 1300-1858. This online database was consulted on the 26 Nov 2011, and the following references to Bubwith were found:


Reference Case Date Participants
DC.CP.1540/11 Matrimonial (validity of marriage) 1538 - 23/6/1540 John Walker of Bubwith, plaintiff,
CP.G.316 Defamation (sexual slander) 24/9/1543 Gerard Storr of Bubwith, plaintiff
      John Pultrosse of Bubwith, defendant
CP.G.320 Matrimonial (validity of marriage) 17/7/1544 Hawk v Lutton
      Robert Blanchard of Brighton, witness
CP.G.357 Tithe (shhep, wool) 1547 Nicholas Gridlington of Aughton v. John Aske of Bubwith
CP.G.546 Matrimonial (validity of marriage) 21/10/1552 - 17/3/1552 John Gower of Spaldington, 60, witness
      Robert Gower of Spaldington, witness
CP.G.739 Matrimonial (validity of marriage) 4/11/1555 - 11/6/1558 Robert Young of Harlthorpe, 24, labourer, witness
      William Smith of Harlthorpe, 24, labourer, witness
CP.G.785 Testamentary (disputed legacy) 25/5/1560 Rothery and Betson v. Langdale, Bubwith mentioned
CP.G.1007 Testamentary (validity of will) 3/3/1568 - 23/6/1569 John Aske of Bubwith, testator
      Christopher Jewetson of Bubwith, defendant
CP.G.2709 Matrimonial (validity of marriage) 5/5/1593 John Pocklington of Bubwith, defendent
CP.G.2780 Testamentary (disputed legacy) 13/6/1594 - 26/9/1594 Home v. Blacklock, Bubwith mentioned
CP.G.3213 Defamation (sexual slander) 16/1/1597 - 16/1/1597 Richard Ramsay of Bubwith, 30, grassman, witness
      Richard Fawcett of Foggathorpe, 22, yeoman, witness
CP.G.3028 Defamation (sexual slander) 26/1/1597 - 27/7/1598 Thomas Cecil of Spawdington, 23, yeoman, witness
      Edward Lonsdale of Spawdington, 25, labourer, witness
CP.G.3067 Defamation (sexual slander) 27/5/1598 Francis Lambard of Spaldington (Aughton), 23, yeoman, witness
      Thomas Smith of Gribthorpe, 26, husbandman, witness
      John Hotham of Harlthorpe, 30, yeoman, witness
CP.G.3071 Defamation 1/7/1598 John Garrad of Spaldington, 68, husbandman, witness
      Robert Garrad of Spaldington, 30, husbandman, witness
      John Cote of Spaldington, 38, husbandman, witness
      Robert White of Spaldington, 33, husbandman, witness
      Robert Blanchard of Spaldington, 21, husbandman, witness
CP.H.5307 Testamentary (disputed legacy) 2/4/1600 - 8/7/1605 Teal als Constable v. Hungate, Bubwith mentioned
CP.H.67 Tithe (hay, flax and hemp) 21/11/1601 - 29/7/1602 William Hawley of Bubwith, 62, labourer, witness
CP.H.1156 Tithe (wheat, rye, barley, oats, beans & peas, cattle, horses, sheep, lambs, wool, multure) 27/1/1616 Marmeduke Dollman, plaintiff, farmer of the rectory of Bubwith
      Elizabeth Esrigg, defendant, widow of Bubwith
HC.CP.1624/26 Violation of church rights (heresy - recusancy) 18/1/1624 Elizabeth Barker, defendant, widow of Bubwith
HC.CP.1624/21 Violation of church rights (heresy - recusancy / excommunication) 8/12/1624 Sithe Blanchard wife of Robert Blanchard of Bubwith
      The office accused Sithe of refusing to receive the Holy Communion, and refusing to attend her parish church or any other place of worship to hear services or sermons. The office claimed that Sithe had been persecuted as a recusant and non-communicant for many years and had been cited to appear before the courts on several occasions but had been excommunicated for her contempt following her repeated refusals to appear. Sithe was finally accused of failing to seek absolution from her excommunication. Sithe admitted the charges against her, but claimed that her religious non-conformity was for conscience’s sake not for any contempt of the laws of the realm.
CP.H.2196 Tithe (rye, maslin, oats) 14/1/1636 - 15/7/1637 Marmeduke Dollman, plaintiff, farmer of the rectory of Bubwith
      Peter Gunby of Spaldington, defendant
      John Bail, vicar of a moiety of the vicarage of the parish church of Bubwith, 41, clerk, witness
      Michael Hawood, 56, glover, of Bubwith, witness
      George Smith of Bubwith, 74, husbandman, witness
      Robert White of Spaldington, 70, husbandman, witness
      Denis Smith of Breighton, 75, husbandman, witness
      Anthony Kemp of Spaldington, 52, husbandman, witness
      John Battle of Spaldington, 50, husbandman, witness
      Henry Hotham of Bubwith, 35, yeoman, witness
      Peter Vavasour of Bubwith, 40, gent, witness
      Peter Pocklington of Spaldington, 54, husbandman, witness
      William White of Spaldington, 33, husbandman, witness
      Valentine Clark of Spaldington, 28, yeoman, witness
HC.CP.1637/3 Immorality (adultery / failure to attend church / non-communication) 3/5/1637 Office v. Peter Vavasour of Bubwith, esq, defendant
      The office accused Peter of committing fornication and adultery with one Ruth Richardson. The office claimed that Peter had behaved very suspiciously and offensively with Ruth, had been found lying on a bed with her, had kept her in his house, and had continued to visit her for days at a time when she returned to her father’s house. The office further claimed that Peter had publicly boasted about his sexual relations with Ruth and with other women since his marriage, and had denied the claims of others that Ruth was a ‘comon strumpett or a whore.’ Peter was also accused of not attending his parish church to hear services, or receiving the Holy Communion three times each year, and of holding heretical religious opinions. The office alleged that Peter considered the resurrection of Christ to be ‘but a tricke of the clergye to cause the people to beleeve that to get money and to catch fooles.’ Peter agreed that Ruth had been a servant in his household, but denied that he had ever had sexual relations with her. He admitted that he had visited her father’s house since her return there, but claimed it was to do business with her father. Peter denied the other accusations made against him, but did admit that he was sometimes absent from church.
CP.H.2712 Matrimonial (annulment: affinity) 28/4/1665 - 26/10/1667 Valentine Clark of Spaldington, 60, yeoman, witness
      Isabel Clark wife of Valentine Clark, witness
CP.H.5588 Tithe (hemp, flax,) 1668 Edward Barrat vicar of Bubwith, clerk, plaintiff
      Richard Sutton of Bubwith, defendant
CP.H.5958A Tithe (rape seed,) 18/3/1684 - 25/11/1686 Henry Edmond proprietor of Bubwith, armiger, plaintiff
      Philip Featherston of Breighton, 57, gent, witness
      William Binks of Breighton, 57, farmer, witness
      George Scott of Gribthorpe, 60, farmer, witness
      James Bird of Bubwith, 35, farmer, witness
      Thomas Smith of Bubwith, 54, farmer, witness
CP.H.4345 Violation of church rights (assessment) 6/2/1693 - 1/12/1694 George Hailey, churchwarden of Bubwith, plaintiff
      Thomas Smith, churchwarden of Bubwith, plaintiff
      William Skipwith of Bubwith, 35, farmer, witness
      Timothy Johnson, clerk, vicar of Bubwith
CP.I.157 Defamation (character) 1700 - 1701 Nicholas Buttle of Bubwith, 30, farmer, witness
      Henry Brabbs of Bubwith, 26, yeoman, witness
      George Hailey of Bubwith, 30, witness
CP.I.112 Tithe (hemp) 1704 Timothy Johnson, clerk, vicar of Bubwith, plaintiff
      Thomas Granger of Bubwith, defendant
CP.I.590 Defamation (sexual slander) 1719 Matthew Westoby of Bubwith, 35, yeoman, witness
      Edward Barrat of Bubwith, 38, yeoman, witness
DC.CP.1747/2 Violation of church rights (unlicensed clergy) 1747 Office v. William Jackson, curate of Bubwith, defendant
      Thomas Weddell of Bubwith, 41, corn factor, witness
      John Maynard of Bubwith, 46, parish clerk, witness
      William Grasby of Bubwith, 48, joiner, witness
      Richard Moor of Bubwith, 53, churchwarden, witness
      Christopher Richardson of Bubwith, 42, yeoman, witness
      William Hutton of Bubwith, 32, yeoman, witness
CONS.CP.1810/5 Violation of church rights (Assessment) 1810 Churchwardens of Aughton v. Thomas Carr. Mentions Bubwith
CONS.CP.1820/5 Matrimonial (annulment: minor) 2/10/1820 - 3/5/1821 Elizabeth Nutbrown als Barker, 80; Wife of William Nutbrown, Yeoman of Bubwith; Mother of the defendant (Robert Barker); formerly married to William Barker, witness
John Barker of Spaldington, 53, farmer, brother of the defendant, witness
CONS.CP.1828/2 Violation of church rights (Assessment) 1828 Churchwardens of Aughton v. Robert Cook of Seaton Ross, Mentions Bubwith
TEST.CP.1830/10 Testamentary (failure to render account) 1830 Anne Barker wife of John Barker, farmer of Spaldington (Aughton); Relict and Administrator of John Reader. John Barker, farmer of Spaldington (Aughton)