Consistory Court London, Common Hall, Doctors Commons, St Benedict. 1764

[mckha489]

I have a document from LMA. regarding Elizabeth MORGAN suing for restoration of conjugal rites (which I suppose is code for needing money to support herself) from her husband John MORGAN (he of the Inner Temple. (Who had children with someone named Sarah)

It says

"... in Our Diocese of London to appear personally before the Right Worshipful
John Betterworth Doctor of Laws Vicar General and Offical Principal of our
Consistorial and Episcopal Court of London lawfully apointed his
Surrogate or Some other competent Judge in this behalf in the Common Hall of Doctors
Commons situate in the Parish of St Benedict near Pauls Wharfe London"


The document with this in it is dated 26 June 1764. It was served on the 29th June, and returned on the 2nd July 1764.

Where might I find records of the hearing at Doctor's commons?   Which should have been in the week of 2nd July, if not actually on  the 2nd July (he had to present himself three days after being served

I have searched the Lambeth Palace Archives online Catalogue, SoG catalogue and looked more at LMA.  But I suspect am not searching in the right way.

[Novak20]

Doctors' Commons was the host to various London courts, so to find cases held there the best approach is to look at the archive for the court where the case was in process, rather than for Doctors Commons.

From the description, it looks like the case you have is probably from the London Consistory Court. The records are in the LMA under DL/C. The archive has a fine collection of depositions, which can go into an extraordinary level of detail. If you are lucky (and if the dispute got that far), these will survive for your case.

[mckha489]

Thank you Novak20

I’ll have yet another go at the LMA catalogue,

[jonw65]

I’ll have yet another go at the LMA catalogue

Good luck with that

[mckha489]

I’ll have yet another go at the LMA catalogue

Good luck with that

 

I so want to find out “Elizabeth’s”  maiden name so as to narrow down the options for John Morgan.
Not content with the fact there are hundreds of John Morgans I am even starting to wonder now if Morgan is an anglicisation.

[jonw65]

Hi
I hope you find it, and her!
I could only find what you have already, there ought to be more in there somewhere.
A summary on TNA on what might be found at LMA
Consistory Court of London
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/d95b1b8b-bfde-4e2d-960d-25554346c316

Hoping to see a modern book somewhere, some cases written up by someone, with appropriate archive references. A sort of how to do it. Still looking!
John

[mckha489]

LMA describes the complicated way the records arrived there and that some went to the wrong depositories and that even now they still receive records that have been found in the wrong place!

[jonw65]

Perhaps this very interesting subject hasn't been gone into as much as one might imagine. Does the LMA have it's own expert who can give you some advice?

[mckha489]

Yes. I think that is what I am going to have to do.

I would have liked to be able to give a bit more information though.  The document I already have cost me £50. Which they rounded down a few pounds.   And that was with the full reference.

There is this tantalising site.  Which only covers mediaeval cases

http://consistory.cohds.ca/about.php?id=1&expand=about

And some books referenced on the British History site, but they too seem to relate to mediaeval records.