Ref: EDC 5/12/3
Catalogue Entry:
EDC 5/12/3 – Sentence of divorce: Ralph Weawayne v. Agnes Wawayne. 10 April 1551.
Summary:
Ralph Wawayne contra Agnes Wawayne.
Original Document
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Translation
[5/12/3 image 1]
In the name of God, Amen: the merits and circumstances of a certain cause of divorce which has been disputed for some time and is still disputed and depending undecided before us in law having been heard, seen and understood and fully investigated by us, George Wilmesley, Bachelor of Laws, vicar general in spirituals of the right reverend father in Christ, John, by divine permission bishop of Chester upheld by the supreme authority of the most illustrious Prince in Christ and our master, Lord Edward the sixth, by the grace of God King of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith and on earth supreme head of the English and Irish church under Christ, and sufficiently and lawfully deputed official principal of the Chester consistory court between Ralph Wawayne the party plaintiff and complainant on the one part and Agnes Wawayne, his pretended wife, the defendant and party complained of on the other part, rightly and lawfully proceeding, the party of the said Ralph Wawayne lawfully appearing through his proctor, having been summoned by us, urgently praying that sentence is passed and that justice may be done to his party while the party of the said Agnes appearing personally and similarly seeking justice for her party.
The whole and entire proceedings had and done before us in this cause having first been examined and diligently considered, and matters which according to law should be observed having been observed, we have thus thought fit to proceed to making the pronouncement of our definitive sentence or our final decree in the said cause, and we do proceed in this manner which follows:
Forasmuch as we know and clearly find by the acts enacted, set forth, alleged, propounded, exhibited, proved and confessed in the said cause that the party of the said Ralph Wawayne has sufficiently and fully established and equally proved his claim in a certain libel of his previously judicially given and offered before us in this cause (the tenor of which libel follows and is thus; In the name of God, Amen; before you, the venerable Master George Wilmesley, Bachelor of Laws, appointed official principal of the Chester consistory court sufficiently and lawfully deputed by the right reverend father in Christ, John, by divine permission bishop of Chester for the exercising of spiritual and ecclesiastical jurisdiction within Chester diocese by the supreme authority of the most excellent Prince in Christ and our lord, Edward the sixth, by the grace of God lord king of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith and on earth supreme head of the English and Irish church, or any other judge whomsoever competent in this regard, the party of the honest man, Ralph Wawayne of the parish of Sandbach against Agnes Wawayne, his pretended wife, and against any other person or persons whomsoever lawfully intervening before you in judgement for the same by every better and more effective way, method and form of law by which, according to law, he was or is better and more effectively able and to every and whatever effect of law following therefrom in any way whatever says, alleges etc.) which certain libel we hold and wish to be held as here read and inserted; and nothing effectual on the part or behalf of the aforesaid Agnes Wawayne has been excepted, set forth, alleged, proved or confessed which
Transcript
[5/12/3 image 1]
In dei Nomine Amen auditis visis et intellectis ac plenarie discussis per
nos Georgium Wilmesley in Legibus baccallaureum Reuerendi in Christo patris domini Johannis permissione diuina Cestrensis episcopi suprema auctoritate Illustrissimi in christo prin-
cipis et domini nostri Domini Edwardi Sexti dei gracia Anglie Francie et Hibernie
regis fidei defensoris et in terra ecclesie anglicane et Hibernice supremi capitis
fulciti vicarium in spiritualibus generalem et curie consistorialis Cestrensis officialem principa-
lem sufficienter et legitime deputatum meritis et circumstancijs cuiusdam causæ
diuortij que coram nobis in iudicio inter Radulphum Wawayne partem agentem
et querelantem ex vna et Agnetem Wawayne eius pretensam vxorem partem ream et
querelatam partibus ex altera aliquamdiu vertebatur vertiturque ad huc et pendet
indecisa rite et legitime procedentes Parte dicti Radulphi Wawayne per
suum procuratorem in iudicio comparenti
iudicaliter per nos moniti
huiusmodi Sententiam ferri et iusticiam fieri pro parte sua
<parte vero dicte
agnetis personaliter
comparenti et
iusticiam similiter
pro parte sua
instanter>
instanter postulantibus, rimato
primitus per nos toto et integro processu in huiusmodi causa coram nobis habito et facto
atque diligenter recensitis servatisque per nos de iure in hac parte servandis
ad nostre Sententie diffinitiue siue nostri finalis decreti prolacionem in dicta causa
ferendam sic duximus procedendum
fore et procedimus in hunc qui sequitur modum
Quia per acta
inactita deducta allegata proposita exhibita probata et confessata com-
perimus <et> luculenter invenimus partem dicti Radulphi Wawayne intencionem
suam in quodam suo libello alias coram nobis in huiusmodi causa dato et oblato
deductam cuius quidem libelli tenor sequitur et est talis In dei Nomine
amen. Coram vobis venerabili viro Magistro Georgio Wylmesley in legibus
baccallaureo curie consistorialis Cestrensis per Reuerendum in christo patrem dominum Johannem
permissione diuina Cestrensem episcopum ad exercendum iurisdictionem spiritualem et ecclesiasticam infra diocesem Cestrensem auctoritate suprema Exellentissimi in christo principis et domini nostri Domini Edwardi Sexti dei gracia Anglie Francie et
hibernie regis fidei defensoris et in terra ecclesie anglicane et hibernice
supremi capitis fulcitum officiale principali sufficienter et legitime deputatum
seu alio iudice in hac parte competenti quocunque Pars honesti viri Radulphi
Wawayne parochie de Sambyche contra et aduersus Agnetem Wawayne
eius pretensum vxorem ac contra quemcunque alium seu alios coram vobis pro eadem
in iudicio legitime interuenientem omnibus melioribus et efficatioribus via modo
et iuris forma quibus melius aut efficatius de iure poterit aut potest
necnon ad omnem et quemcunque iuris effectum exinde sequi quovismodo
valentem dicit allegat et cetera Quem quidem libellum pro hic lectum et insertum
habemus et haberi volumus sufficienter et ad plenum fundasse pariter et probasse
nihilque effectuale ex parte aut pro partem predicte Agnetis Wawayne in hac parte
exceptum deductum allegatum probatum nec confessatum quod intencionem dicti Radulphi Wawayne
Original Document
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Translation
[5/12/3 image 2]
could destroy or in any way weaken the claim of the said Ralph Wawayne in this behalf.
Therefore we, George Wilmesley, Bachelor of Laws, official principal aforesaid, having first called upon the name of Christ, and setting and having God himself alone before our eyes, from and with the advice of the learned in the law with whom we have consulted in this behalf the said Ralph Wawayne is to be separated from his aforesaid wife and her company and mutual cohabitation and also the liability of conjugal duties and as to bed and board and mutual cohabitation they are to be divorced and we thus effectively separate and divorce them by this our definitive sentence or this our final decree which we pass and publish in these writings.
This sentence between the parties aforesaid was read by the aforesaid Master on the 10th day of the month of April in the one thousand, five hundred and fifty-first year of our Lord, being then present there Sir Robert Bower, Richard Grosvenor, gentleman, and other witnesses called to the aforementioned matters.
Transcript
[5/12/3 image 2]
in hac parte elideret seu quomodolibet enervaret
Idcirco Nos Georgius
Wylmesley < in legibus baccallaureus> officialis principalis antedictus christi nomine primitus invocato
ac ipsum solum deum pre oculis nostris preponentes et habentes de et cum
consilio iurisperitorum cum quibus in hac parte communicauimus dictum
Radulphum Wawayne a prefata vxore sua et eius consortio ac mutua
cohabitacione necnon obsequiorum coniugalium impensione separandum et quoad
Thorum et mensam ac mutuam cohabitacionem diuortiandum fore debere
atque cum effectu sic separamus et diuortiamus per hanc nostram sententiam
diffinitiuam siue hoc nostrum finale decretum quam siue quod ferimus et
promulgamus in hijs scriptis
Lecta fuit huiusmodi sententia inter partes predictas per dominum
antedictum xo die mensis aprilis anno domini
millesimo quingentesimo quinquagesimo primo presentibus
tunc ibidem domino Roberto Bower Richardo grauenor
generoso […] et allijs testibus ad premissis vocatis
Original Document
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Translation
[5/12/3 image 3]
[Endorsement]
Sentence of divorce between Ralph Wawayne, plaintiff, and Agnes, his pretended wife etc.
It is entered in the register.
[in pencil in a different hand]
1551
/3
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Translation copyright ©2025 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
Transcript
[5/12/3 image 3]
[Endorsement]
Sententia diuortij inter
Radulphum Wawayne
partem agentem et
Agnetem eius pretensam
vxorem et cetera
Regestratur
[in pencil in a different hand]
1551
/3
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Transcript copyright ©2025 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
People
Ralph Wawayne – plaintiff
Agnes Wawayne – defendant
Sir Robert Bower – witness to the sentence
Richard Grosvenor – witness to the sentence
Officials
George Wilmesley – official principal
Notes
This sentence is in the format of the earlier surviving sentences from the Chester Consistory Court in that it includes a longer extract from the libel than later sentences.