Genealogists seeking background on the state and evolution of Church of England parishes can examine the records related to Episcopal (Bishop’s) visitations. The records will often record the frequency of church services, the frequency of communion services, identity local non-conformist congregations and ministers, and give attendance statistics.
The visitations were a form of audit by the Bishop of the Diocese. The Bishop would usually travel to multiple locations in the diocese and the clergy and churchwardens from the local archdeaconries would present themselves. In the Diocese of Norwich Episcopal Visitations were generally held every 7 years. Most other Dioceses followed more frequent patterns, for example triennial Visitations in the Dioceses of Chichester, Oxford and Winchester. A later Bishop of Norwich, John Sheepshanks wrote he was the envy of the Episcopate for this reason.[1]
The Bishop’s Registrar would check the clergy’s appointment licences and collect Visitation fees. The clergy and churchwardens submitted answers to their respective questionnaires (“Articles of Enquiry”) issued by the Bishop and a glebe terrier (listing the lands belonging to the parish. Churchwardens might identity individuals for church attendance or moral offences. A church service was held and often the sermon preached by one of the local clergy published. A dinner for the Bishop and Clergy was held, although by the later 19th century this evolved into lunch and a church conference including the churchwardens. Confirmation by the Bishop were often undertaken as part of the Visitation.
Records of Bishop’s visitations
- Visitation Timetable – listed the dates and places to be visited were often published in local newspapers.
- Visitation Sermons – Often published as books. The Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library and the British Library have extensive holdings.
- Bishop’s Charge – an open letter to all the Clergy issued at the time of Visitation – Often published as books or reprinted in local newspapers.
- Visitation Books – Usually noting the parish, Clergy and Churchwardens, fees paid and sometimes other key information from the Articles.
- Consignment Book – Notes taken at Visitation on documents presented and similar to Visitation Books.
- Articles of Enquiry – Clergy. Questions focused around the minister and curates, parsonage, state of church services, church charities and schools.
- Articles of Enquiry – Churchwardens. Questions focused on fabric of church – often have very brief answers.
- Confirmation registers – lists of individuals confirmed.
Archdeacons also undertake visitations of the parishes within their Archdeaconry and similar records can survive.
Diocesan archives available online
The following Archives have specific guides. For other archives refer to their online catalogues.
- Diocese of Ely: Cambridge University Library
- Diocese of London: London Metropolitian Archives
- Diocese of London: Clergy Guides
- Diocese of London: Visitation Returns
- Diocese of Norwich: The Diocese of Norwich (DN)
- Diocese of Oxford: Oxfordshire County Council
- Diocese of York: York Diocesan Archive: Records of the Archdeaconry of York
Published sources articles of enquiry (clergy)
- Fisher, Howard. Church Life in Georgian Nottinghamshire : Archbishop Drummond's Parish Visitation Returns 1764. Thoroton Society, 2012. Record Series (Thoroton Society) ; V. 46.
- Jago, Judith. Aspects of the Georgian Church : Visitation Studies of the Diocese of York, 1761-1776. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press ; Associated University Presses, 1997.
- Ransome, Mary. Wiltshire Returns to the Bishop's Visitation Queries 1783. [Wiltshire Record Society], 1972. Wiltshire Record Society (Series) ; V. 27.
- Royle, Edward and Robert Bickersteth. Bishop Bickersteth's Visitation Returns for the Archdeaconry of Craven, Diocese of Ripon, 1858. Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York :, 2009. Borthwick Texts and Studies. 37.
- Sykes, N. "Articles of Enquiry Addressed to the Clergy of the Diocese of Oxford at the Primary Visitation of Dr. Thomas Seeker, 1738. Transcribed and Edited by H. A. Lloyd Jukes. (Oxfordshire Record Society Publication, Xxxviii). Pp. 182. Oxford: Oxfordshire Record Society, 1957. 25s." The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, vol. 9, no. 1, 1958, pp. 133-134, doi:10.1017/S0022046900064290.
Online
- Hamilton Thompson, A. (Editor) Visitations of Religious Houses in the Diocese of Lincoln, Volume 2. Records of Visitations held by William Alnwick, Bishop of Lincoln. 1437 - 1445. Part I. Available at MyHeritage Visitations of Religious Houses in the Diocese of Lincoln, Volume 2.
- Diocese of London, Visitation Articles 1627. Available at Google Books
See also
Explore more about Visitation
- The Book of Church Law records records collection at MyHeritage. A fascinating description of the legal rights and duties of the parochial clergy and laity of the Church of England.
- Visitations of Religious Houses in the Diocese of Lincoln, Volume 2 records collection at MyHeritage.
- Visitations of Churches Belonging to St. Paul's Cathedral, 1249 - 1252 records collection at MyHeritage.
References
- ↑ John Sheepshanks and D. Wallace Duthie, A Bishop in the Rough, John Sheepshanks (1909), p.27.