ARCHDEACON HARPSFIELD'S VISITATION RETURNS
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it does now; and it occurs with equal regularity in the episcopal visitations of the diocese of Lincoln (1517 - 31), as Professor Hamilton Thompson's edition of the same for the Lincoln Record Society shews. The end of our volume is confused and defective owing to parts of the pages being tom off, in spite of which it ranks very high for fullness and interest. By 1557 the Marian reforms, which commenced very gradually, had got under way, and could be applied with some thoroughness. Its arrangement is orderly. The value of expert binding can best be appreciated by regarding a photograph of the volume's former condition, which is inset. More than one scribe was engaged on writing up the returns. They are in fair copy, rich in flourishes and terminal hooks, which often cannot, be distinguished from contractions. "Ve have extended throughout, except in certain ambiguous cases and that of the ever-recurring word' Cant.' Proper names have been supplied with capitals. In the text there is, of course, no uniformity' either in spelling, abbreviation, etc.
(7) Visitations of 1554, 1555, 1556, 1558 Also in the Dean and Chapter Library are deposited all the visitation books of the archdeacons of Canterbury, dating, with certain gaps, from 1499 to 1590.* They were transferred in 1928 from the chamber over Christ Church gateway, where many of them lay in V'3ry bad condition. The collection has now been bound at the expense of the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral. Only one-for 1502~-has so far been printed. These visitation returns vary considerably, but are on the whole little more than lists of incumbents and churchwardens with certain stock marginal notes, such as' comparuit' (he appeared), 'non' (be did not appear), 'monitus' (summoned), 'non monitus' (not summoned), ' iuratus' (sworn), ' egrotat' (he is ill), , billa' (bill), etc. Queen Mary's reign is well represented. The first in order of binding is a visitation held in the church of Appledore on Monday, 10 September 1554. It is mainly of interest to a local or parochial historian for the names of incumbent, curates, churchwardens, and two parishioners who are entered under eacb parish. Such jejune lists are, however, useful for tracing curates, who are n6t discoverable as parish priests are from institutions in the epi.scopal registers. At the end of each deanery is noted: tI iudex pronunciauit omnes absentes contumaces," with penalty reserved until the next court at Canterbury-a usual procedure. In 1557 there are few examples of absence; before then there are many. This ma.y be explained by the fact that in 1557 the archdeacon personally went round to every church and did not simply choose one church for a whole deanery or visit by proxy; and possibly by a gradual improvement in ecclesiastical discipline. The examination of candidates for the priesthood and scrutiny of orders was a.n archidiaconal function. Hence such entries as "exhibeat litteras ordinis," "habet ad exhibendas litteras commendacionis," etc. The rural deans were elected at the close of the archdeacon's visitations. \Ve here note all instances of married clergy or exreligious holding secular benefices. Such were: Rodmersham: Thomas Colynson, 'coniugatus'; • Art. The Records of the Courts of tlte Archdeaconry &. CO'llsistory of Canterbwry, by Rev. C. E. Woodruff (A.C., xli, 1929), pp. 8Sl-:>6. 'Ed. C, E. Wooaruff (A,C' xlvii, 1935), pp. 13-54, 1