West Sussex Record Office

Ordinary Voices Revealed: conserving the working papers of the Consistory Court of the Archdeaconry of Chichester

Project cost:   £28,678
Grant award:  £22,449

Jennifer Mason, Collections Manager and Carina Rosas, Senior Conservator, West Sussex Record Office, write:   The archive of the Diocese of Chichester contains an extensive series of working papers of the Consistory Court for the Archdeaconry of Chichester, described as ‘Miscellaneous Court Papers’, dating from 1554 to 1851. These are an extremely significant series of records, not only shedding light on the administration and operation of the Consistory Court but also providing insight into the lives and activities of ordinary people. They represent a point of connection between residents of the Diocese today and those living over 400 years ago, as well as being an untapped source for researchers from a range of different disciplines.

The vast majority of documents in the series were found to be in poor condition, being largely inaccessible due to their fragility. After a successful Phase I of this project (completed in 2024 and also funded by NMCT) Phase II conserved 65 folders of documents in four months.

The conservation treatment focuses predominantly on mould remediation and stabilisation of the documents. Treatment will follow the principle of minimum intervention and take a fit-for-purpose approach, aiming for sufficient physical integrity to enable safe use and handling of the documents. 

The grant funding was used to employ a recent graduate for this period, who has written: “This four-month project is providing an exciting career opportunity that encompasses both practical conservation work and project management experience.” 

The recent graduate who worked on Phase I of this project went on to secure permanent employment at the British Library.  For more information about this project follow this link.