Documents relating to the foundation and antiquities of the Collegiate Church of Middleham, in the County of York, with an historical introduction, and incidental notices of the castle, town, and neighbourhood / By the Rev. William Atthill.

Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Documents relating to the foundation and antiquities of the Collegiate Church of Middleham, in the County of York, with an historical introduction, and incidental notices of the castle, town, and neighbourhood / By the Rev. William Atthill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Dean Cotes must have entered on the resignation of his prede- cessor. “ Luke Cotes, Master of Arts, Dean of Middleham, February yc . . . . 1719.” And this is confirmed * by the manner in which the burial of Dean Coleby is recorded. “ Mr. Christoph*’ Coleby, late Dean of Middleham, July the 11th, 1727.” Whereas in similar entries connected with Deans Pagett, Pul- leine, and Place, they are styled Dean, not late Dean. Mr. Cotes, who thus became Dean of Middleham, was destined, in many respects, to act a more conspicuous part in the drama of life than had most of his predecessors. Up to this period, the Deans of Middleham, being exempt from the jurisdiction of ordi- nary and metropolitan, had, without question, exercised divers privileges and ecclesiastical jurisdiction within the bounds of their royal peculiar, as, marrying people living in it, or any other parish, without a licence or publication of banns. Of this] the parochial registers afford abundant proof; for the marriages of parties from various places in the north of England, and many of them remote from Middleham, recorded there, might almost compete with the more recent exploits of the high priest of Gretna Green. “ But in the years f 1736’ and 1739 a warm persecution was carried on against Luke Cotes, then Dean of Middleham, for marrying a couple without publication of banns, or a licence first had, grounded * This is established beyond contradietion by the licence granted by Luke Cotes (Vide Appendix P.), bearing date 1720, in which he is expressly styled Dean of Middleham. This was several years prior to the decease of Mr. Coleby, who seems after his nsigimtion of the deanery to have resided at Middleham, where he lies interred, t Maude’s Wensleydale, p. 75, notes.