Licensing of Curates

This sub sub sub fonds is divided into 6 series as follows:

• Copies of curates' licences [Lic.C] c1726-1992
• Letters Testimonial for Curates, 1780-1869 [Lic.C.Test]
• Index of curates' licences issued 1813-1830, arranged alphabetically by parish [Lic.C.Ind]
• Registers of stipendiary curates' licences, 1848-1977 (all registers are indexed by person and place) [Lic.C.Reg].
• Record of curates' licences issued 1876-1906 [Lic.C. Bk]. Note: A record of curates' licences issued 1906-13 can be found in the colonial clergy register 1914-1939 [GB 193 Col.C.Reg.2]
• Register of Clergymen taking up a curacy in the diocese of York prior to licensing, 1929-1956 [Lic.C.Prior]

A curate is the incumbent who has the cure of souls within a parish and is beneficed. This person is nominated to the bishop by the patron of a benefice and is then licensed by the bishop to the cure. Once licensed the curate can only be removed by resignation, exchange of benefice, promotion or conviction of an offence. The correct use of the word curate refers to the incumbent, however in the Church of England the word curate is now commonly used to mean an assistant curate who is unbeneficed and serves under the incumbent.