Vacancy Administration (Sede Vacante)

A record of the administration of these vacant bishoprics by archiepiscopal officials is sometimes to be found in the medieval archbishops' registers. These records date from the early eighteenth century.

• Vacancy Administration Papers Admissions of clergy to benefices, ordinations, miscellaneous commissions etc. The records are arranged chronologically by Diocese: Durham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Ripon, Wakefield (1771-1934), Chester (1707-1919), Carlisle (1762-1920), Manchester (1847-1907), Archdeaconry of Sheffield (1898-1924). [SV + name of diocese]

Sede Vacante (vacancy of the see) occurs when there is no Bishop for the diocese. During the vacancy the spiritualities (jurisdictions) rest with the Archbishop, the temporalities (property) with the Crown. After some initial disputes, the metropolitan right of the archbishop to take custody of the spiritualities of vacant sees within the York province was recognised by the late 13th century. The Archbishop continues to exercise Sede Vacante authority in the northern Province.

• R. Brentano, York Metropolitan Jurisdiction and Papal Judges Delegate (1279-1296) (University of California Publications in History, 58, 1959)
• R. Brentano, 'The Whithorn Vacancy of 1293-4' in the Innes Review, IV (1953), 71-83
• R. Brentano, 'Late Medieval Changes in the Administration of Vacant Suffragan Sees: Province of York' in the Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, XXXVIII (1952-1955), 496-50