Audience or Chancery Court of York

During the medieval period the number of wills proven in this court were not great and no separate Probate Registers or Probate Act Books were kept. Instead, the Archbishops' Registers doubled as Probate Registers and Probate Act Books. After 1525 the Court began keeping dedicated Court Act Books, which were then also used for recording probate acts.

The Audience or Chancery Court of York had probate jurisdiction over beneficed clergy, except for the years 1823-4 when this jurisdiction was handled by the Prerogative Court. The Court also had jurisdiction when inferior courts were inhibited due to archiepiscopal visitations. Before the early sixteenth century the wills of those of high social standing were also proved in this Court.

The Archbishops' Registers contain entries of registered copy wills, together with probate acts, mandates and commissions to commissaries acting in a testamentary capacity, and other supplemental acts.

The series of Archbishops' Registers begin in 1225 with the register of Archbishop Walter de Gray, (Borthwick reference, Reg.1), however, this early register contains no testamentary business. The first register containing testamentary business is that of  Archbishop Walter Giffard, 1266-1279. The first register to contain a will in full is the Vacancy register of 1315-1317, but this was extraordinary, being the will of the Bishop of Durham. The register of Archbishop William de la Zouche,  1342-52, has a separate testamentary section, and the general practice of copying wills in full in the registers begins from here. From Archbishop Richard Scrope,  1398-1405, separate testamentary sections become the norm.

The main finding aid to the above is:

Index of the Wills and Administrations entered in the Registers of the Archbishops at York, being Consistory Wills &c., A.D. 1316 to A.D. 1822. Known as The Archbishops' Wills, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Records Series, Volume XCIII, 1937.

The above index erroneously refers to Consistory Court Wills. They are definitely Chancery Court Wills. The start date is also somewhat misleading, as there is a single extraordinary will of the Bishop of Durham entered in the Sede Vacante register for 1316. The start date for the main series of wills entered in the archbishops' registers is 1342. It should also be noted that this index is only to wills that are entered in toto in the registers.

The wills relating to Bubwith are as follows:

Bubwith Wills proved in the Audience or Chancery Court of York
Probate Date
Name
Place
Status
Will Date
Vol fol
10 May 1745
Burton, John
Bubwith
Clerk
11 Mar 1744
36 f58
31 Oct 1347
Hay, Peter
Bubwith
del Spaldington
St. Val. 1345
10 f319
No Date
Jeffreson, Thomas
Bubwith
Vicar
20 Feb 1520
27 f152
8 Apr 1586
Maynard, Robert
Bubwith
Vicar
admon
31 f96
5 Jan 1620/1
Purrett, William
Bubwith
Vicar
13 Dec 1620
32 f69


Peculiar Court of Selby
This Court had no jurisdiction over any part of Bubwith. However, there is one reference to Bubwith in the printed edition of Selby Wills, ed. Dr. F. Collins, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series, Vol XLVII, 1911, page 13:

The Administration of Thomas Barton's Estate
Jul 1, 1668. Inventory of effects of Thomas Barton late of Selby, deceased. Sworn to by John Sainter, German Waller, John Robinson, James Burringham. Sume is £4.14.6. In silver £12. Total £16.14.

More found in the house of Thomas Barton since the Court granted William Barton, the elder, of Bubwith, administration, the sume of £26.1.8. Total £42.16.2.

(Did someone forget to look under the mattress?)