Admissions and vacancies of benefices

This sub sub sub fonds is divided into 5 series as follows:

• Admissions Registers, 1875-1978. Recording admissions to benefices, giving the name of the incumbent and benefice, the date of admission, the name of the patron, the reason for the vacancy, and the officiating bishop. The series was discontinued in 1978. ADM.Reg 1-4
• Admissions papers, 1531-1985. Files relating to the admission of incumbents, which can include presentation deeds, nominations to perpetual curacies, letters testimonial, commissions to institute, certificates of distance, institution bonds, grants of next presentation, and correspondence, including York sede vacante material, arranged chronologically. For the early period only presentation deeds, grants of next presentation and institution bonds have survived in any number. [Adm]
• Register of vacant benefices, 1939-1971[VAC.Reg]
• Admissions & vacations of benefices in the archdeaconries of York, the East Riding & Cleveland, 1920s-1950s. Listed alphabetically by benefice in each volume. [ADM.Reg/Archdeaconries]
• Occasional copies of returns of institutions to the Barons of the Exchequer, 1638-1870. [Inst.Ret]

A benefice becomes vacant if the incumbent dies, retires, exchanges or moves to another benefice, if they are created a bishop or if the incumbent is removed from the benefice. When a vacancy occurs, or is about to occur, the bishop or archbishop notifies the patron of the benefice and the Parochial Church Council (PCC). The first step in the admission of an incumbent to a benefice is presentation. A patron may present an incumbent to the archbishop or bishop for institution (admission) to a benefice. Where the bishop or archbishop is also the patron, presentation & institution (admission) occurs together as collation. When an incumbent is presented for admission to a benefice, the bishop or archbishop has to be satisfied that the person presented is suitable for the post. Before admission to the benefice, the incumbent must make a declaration of assent, and make the oaths of allegiance and canonical obedience. During institution or collation the archbishop reads from the instrument of institution, which is then given to the new incumbent. In the past, admission simply meant that the archbishop declared his approval of the presentee to the benefice. Today, admission refers to the transfer of the cure of souls to the new incumbent.

A hard copy finding aid is available at the Borthwick Institute for admission papers [ADM], 1531-1603.