IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0074 DR
Held at: London Metropolitan Archives
Title: DIOCESE OF ROCHESTER
Date(s): 1620-1905
Level of description: Collection
Extent: 13.38 linear metres
Name of creator(s): Diocese of Rochester | Church of England
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
The medieval diocese of Rochester consisted of Kent west of the Medway. It was divided into the rural deaneries of Rochester, Dartford and Malling, which together formed the archdeaconry of Rochester. The rural deanery of Shoreham was a peculiar jurisdiction of the archbishop of Canterbury. The boundaries of the diocese were radically changed in 1845 when the rural deaneries of Dartford, Malling and Shoreham, with the except for a few parishes, were absorbed into the diocese of Canterbury, and the rural deanery of Rochester with a few neighbouring parishes were joined with the counties of Essex and Hertfordshire to form a new diocese of Rochester. There were further boundary alterations in 1877, when Essex and Hertfordshire were formed into the new diocese of St. Albans, and Rochester comprised the north-western part of Kent together with London south of the Thames. In 1905 the London section of the diocese was separated to form a new diocese of Southwark and the boundaries between the diocese of Canterbury and Rochester adjusted so that since that date the diocese has covered roughly the same area as that which it covered in 1845.
The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church of England Diocese of Rochester is the second oldest Cathedral Foundation in England and was founded in 604 by Bishop Justus. The present building was built in 1077 by Bishop Gundolf, who also designed the Tower of London and Rochester Castle.
Parishes in east and mid Surrey in the Dioceses of London and Winchester were transferred to Rochester in 1878.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Records of the Diocese of Rochester, 1620-1905. This collection contains faculties* and visitation records providing information about church buildings and lands; bishops transcripts and marriage warrants providing information about the work of the church; and orders in council and office papers, providing information about the administration of the diocese, especially reorganisation of administrative units within the diocese.
*faculty in this sense refers to pecuniary ability, means, resources, possessions and property.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English Latin
System of arrangement:
This collection is divided into eight series: DR/CP: Consecration and dedication of churches; DR/F: Faculties; DR/MP: Marriage warrants; DR/OC: Orders in Council; DR/OP: Office papers; DR/T: Bishops' transcripts; DR/VB: Visitation books; DR/VP: Visitation papers.
Conditions governing access:
Available for general access.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.
Physical characteristics:
Fit
Finding aids:
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Received in 1968
ALLIED MATERIALS
Related material:
Other Diocesan records held at the LMA: the Diocese of Guildford (reference DG), the Diocese of London (reference DL), the Diocese of Southwark (reference DS) and the Diocese of Winchester (reference DW).
Records of the Diocese of Rochester are also held at the Centre for Kentish Studies, references DRb, DR and CCRb.
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Date(s) of descriptions: July to October 2009