Catalogue description Convocation

The papers listed below relate entirely to the election of proctors.

General description: The two Convocations (for Canterbury and York) are the provincial synods of the English church, and from Edward I's time have also formed part of the constitution of the realm. During the middle ages, they were sometimes summoned by the Archbishops, independently of the Crown, to transact ecclesiastical business; but their privilege of voting the taxes of the clergy meant that they were always summoned when Parliament was called for financial purposes. Under Henry VIII the clergy agreed, and Parliament enacted, that Convocation could only be called by royal writ (Submission of Clergy Act, 1533, 25 Hen. VIII c. 19). After that, it was always called concurrently with Parliament, and played its part in the work of the Reformation settlement and the religious developments of the 17th century. For nearly the whole of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th, Convocation only met formally, but from about 1852 was allowed to resume its proper function.

Convocation consisted of a house of bishops (formerly also of abbots and priors); and a lower house, attended by two proctors elected by the clergy from each diocese and one elected from each Cathedral chapter. Only beneficed clergy made the election.

When the Convocation of Canterbury was to be assembled the King sent his writ to the Archbishop, who sent his mandate to the Dean of the Province (the Bishop of London). The Dean issued a summons to each bishop for himself and the clergy of his diocese. The Bishop then sent a mandate to the chapter to elect their proctor; and another to each archdeaconry, where the clergy elected two proctors. The proctors from each archdeaconry met and elected two from their number to represent the diocese.