Bishops' Meetings

Minute books of the Bishops' Meetings, a gathering of diocesan and suffragan bishops in England and Wales, chaired by the archbishop of Canterbury, and held biannually.

Until 1883 the Archbishop made only rough notes of the discussions and resolutions, but from May 1883 the Archbishop's chaplain kept formal minutes of the proceedings. The minute books also include the agenda, papers circulated to the Bishops (from BM 14 appended at the end of the volumes), and reports presented at the meetings.

Bishops Meetings were held biannually at Lambeth Palace from 1871. The meetings were chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and included diocesan and suffragan bishops in England and Wales.

Chronological

Open

Fifty year closure period (see Library records LR/14/17; cf also Coggan 6, ff.12-24) reduced with the permission of the House of Bishops in 2011 to 30 years.

Given to Lambeth Palace Library

Catalogue records for files based on typescript list of volumes. BM 9 comprises an index of subjects discussed May 1883-February 1929. Additional catalogue records are based on subjects listed in the agendas within each volume.

Copying restriction removed 2011. Copying allowed under usual Library procedures.

Copyright of official papers of Archbishops W.Temple, Fisher, Ramsey and Coggan is owned by Lambeth Palace Library.

Maintained by the Archbishops' chaplains

These form part of the archives of the Archbishops of Canterbury, which also comprise: Archbishops' papers (AP), Cartae Antiquae et Miscellaneae (Lambeth Charters) (CM), Convocation records (Conv), Court of Arches records (Arches), Faculty Office records (F), Lambeth Conference papers (LC), Temporalities records (ED and T), and Vicar General records (V). They relate in particular to Archbishops' papers.

In the modern period administration of Bishops' Meetings transferred from Lambeth Palace to Church House as ancillary to the business of the House of Bishops. Those records are held at the Church of England Record Centre.