Introduction to the York Cause Papers

Cause Papers are the papers from individual causes or cases that were heard in ecclesiastical courts throughout the diocese of York.

Gary Brannan introduces the Cause Papers collection, held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York.

Over to you

• How broad was the range of causes that the Church courts heard?
• Do you think we can gain a reasonable understanding of the nature of crime under the Church’s control from the surviving Cause Papers?

Please share your thoughts with your fellow learners in the Comments