Ref: EDC 5/1580/2
Catalogue Entry:
EDC 5 1580. 2. CHESTER (St Oswald) Thomas Dareil c Ciceley Dariel – sentence for divorce.
Summary:
Thomas Darcie, gentleman, contra Cecily Darcie.
The libel in this cause is filed at EDC 5/1580/3.
Original Document
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Translation
[1580/2 image 1]
In the name of God, Amen: the merits and circumstances of a certain cause of divorce or separation of marriage from bed and board which was disputed and is still disputed and pending undecided before us having been heard, seen and understood and fully investigated by us, Robert Leche, Doctor of Laws, vicar general in spirituals of the right reverend father in God, William, by divine mercy lord bishop of Chester and lawfully deputed official principal of his Chester court, duly and lawfully proceeding, between Thomas Darcie, gentleman, the party plaintiff and complainant on the one part, and Cecily Darcie, his wife, of the parish of Saint Oswald of the same city, the defendant and party complained of on the other part; the parties aforesaid appearing before us in person, without revocation of proctors, and by proctors duly, lawfully and respectively previously constituted, namely, the party of the said Thomas Darcie appearing by William Man, Master of Arts, his lawfully appointed proctor according to the acts of the court moreover the party of the said Cecily appearing by the distinguished William Withens, her proctor lawfully appointed according to the acts of the court; and the party of Thomas Darcie urgently praying that sentence is passed for his party and that justice may be done to him, but the party of the aforesaid Cecily Darcie also praying that justice may be done to her.
The whole and entire proceedings had and done in the said cause having first been examined and diligently considered by us, and all and singular matters which according to law should be observed in this respect having been observed by us, we have thus thought fit to proceed to making the pronouncement of our definitive sentence in the afore-mentioned cause and between the parties aforesaid, and we do proceed in this manner which follows:
Forasmuch as we know and clearly find by the acts enacted, set forth, propounded and likewise alleged in the cause aforesaid that the party of the aforesaid Thomas Darcie has sufficiently and fully established and equally proved his claim in a certain libel of his given and offered before us (the tenor of which libel follows and is thus; In the name of God, Amen; before you etc., which libel we wish to be held as here read and inserted), and that nothing effectual has been or is alleged, propounded or proved on the part or behalf of the said Cecily which could destroy or in any way weaken the claim of the aforesaid Thomas Darcie
Therefore, we the official
[In a different hand on a separate paper pinned to the sentence]
Divorce Thomas Darcie Gentleman
and Ciceley his wife of the parish of
of St Oswald’s Chester
Transcript
[1580/2 image 1]
In dei nomine Amen Auditis Visis et Intellectis
plenarieque discussis per nos Robertum Leche Legum
doctorem reuerendi in christo patris et domini domini Willielmi
miseracione diuina Cestrensis Episcopi vicarium in spiritualibus
generalem et eius curie <cestrensis> officialem principalem
legitime deputatum Meritis et circumstantijs cuiusdam cause
diuortij siue separacionis matrimonij a mensa et thoro
que coram nobis inter Thomam Darcie
<generosum> partem Actricem et querelantem
ex vna et Ciciliam <Darcie> eius vxorem parochie
Sancti Oswaldi eiudem ciuitatis partem ream et quere-
latam partibus ex altera vertebatur et adhuc vertitur et
pendit indecisis rite et legitime procedentem partibus predictis
coram nobis <personaliter absque revocacione procuratorum et per> procuratores rite et legitime
ac respectiue alias constitutos <videlicet parte dicti Thome Darcie> per Willielmum Man Artium
magistrum eius procuratorem apud acta legitime constitutum
parte vero dicte Cicilie per <discretum virum> Willielmum Wythines
eius procuratorem legitime
apud acta constitutum comparentibus <parte vero Thome Darcie> sentenciam <pro parte sua>
ferri et iusticiam <sibi> fieri instanter postulanti parte quoque
prefate Cicilie Darcie iusticiam etiam <sibi fieri> postulanti
Rimato
primitis per nos diligenterque recensito toto <et> integro
processu in dicta causa habito et facto ac seruatis
per nos omnibus et singulis de iure in hac parte
servandis ad nostre sententie diffinitiue prolacionem in
memorata causa et inter partes predictas ferendam sic
duximus procedendum et procedimus in hunc qui sequitur
modum
Quia per acta inactita deducta proposita
pariter et allegata in causa predicta comperimus et
luculenter invenimus <partem> prefate Thomam Darcie
intentionem suam in quodam suo Libello coram nobis
dato et oblato cuius quidem libelli tenor sequitur
et talis est In dei nomine <amen> Coram vobis
et cetera quem libellum <pro> hic lectum et insertum haberi volumus
sufficienter <et ad plenam> fundasse pariter et probasse nihillque
effectuale ex parte aut per partem dicte
Cicilie fuisse aut esse allegatum propositum seu probatum
quod intentionem prefati Thome Darcie elideret seu
quomodolibet enarvaret
Idcirco nos officialis
[In a different hand on a separate paper pinned to the sentence]
Divorce Thomas Darcie Gentleman
and Ciceley his wife of the parish of
of St Oswald’s Chester
1580
Original Document
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Translation
[1580/2 image 2]
aforesaid, having first called upon the name of Christ, and setting God himself alone before our eyes, from and with the advice of the learned in the law with whom we have consulted in a timely manner in this behalf pronounce, decree and declare that the said Thomas Darcie will be and is dismissed, absolved and released from bed and board and also from cohabitation with the said Cecily and from conjugal duties to the same Cecily on account of the crime of adultery committed and perpetrated in the marital bed from the time of the marriage contracted and solemnised between the same Thomas and Cecily to the serious desecration and defilement of him, Thomas Darcie, and seriously and grievously violating the said marital bed to the offence of almighty God, and the pernicious example of all Christian faithful and we separate and divorce him, not, however, from the bond of matrimony, and that he will be free, quit and discharged from […] providing conjugal duties […] to the said Cecily by this our definitive sentence or this our final decree which we pass and publish in these writings.
This sentence was read by the aforesaid judge in the place of the consistory there, sitting publicly and judicially on ‘Saturnby’ the 17th of December 1580, in the presence of Randle Cotgreave, the principal registrar.
Transcript
[1580/2 image 2]
antedictus christi nomine primitus Invocato ac ipsum
solum deum oculis nostris preponentes de et cum consilio
Jurisperitorum cum quibus mature <in hac parte> communicauimus dictum
Thomam Darcie a mensa et Thoro ac
cohabitacione <dicte Cicilie necnon ab> obsequijs coniugalibus eidem Cicilie
impendendo <ob criminem>
adulterij <per dictam Ciciliam a tempore matimonij inter eosdem [Thomam et Ciciliam contracti et solepnizati comissi et perpetrati in Thori coniugalis ipsius Thome Darcie grauem violacionem et pollucionem ac in dictum]
thorum coniugalem grauiter et enormiter
violandum, in dei optimi maximi offensam omniumque
christi fidelium perniciosum exemplum seperamus <non vero a vinculo matrimonij> et
diuortiamus eumque <ab […] obsequijs coniugalibus […] dicte Cicelie impendendum esse> liberum quietum et solutum fore
decernimus, pronunciamus et declaramus per hanc
nostram Sententiam diffinitiuam siue hoc nostrum finale
decretum quam siue quod ferimus et promulgamus in
his scriptis
Lecta fuit huiusmodi Sententia per Judicem
antedictum loco consistorio ibidem die
Saturnby xvij decembris 1580
publice pro Tribunali in presentia Ranulphi
Cotgraue regestraij principalis sedenti
Original Document
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Translation
[1580/2 image 3]
[Section inserted in text of sentence as included above]
Transcript
[1580/2 image 3]
[Section inserted in text of sentence as included above]
Thomam et Ciciliam contracti et solempnizati comissi et perpetrati in Thori coniugalis ipsius Thome Darcie grauem violacionem et pollucionem ac in dictum
Original Document
Click to view fullscreen
Translation
[1580/2 image 4]
[Endorsement]
[…] Darcy against Darcy in a cause of divorce; it has been entered in the register. 1580
[in pencil in a different hand]
Chester
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Translation copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
Transcript
[1580/2 image 4]
[Endorsement]
[…]
Darcie contra
Darcie in
causa divorcij
Regestratur
1580
[in pencil in a different hand]
Chester
[Produced with the permission of the Chester Diocesan Board of Finance.]
Transcript copyright ©2022 P J Cox All Rights Reserved
People
Thomas Darcie – plaintiff
Cecily Darcie – defendant
Officials
Randle Cotgreave – witness to the sentence