Legal Definitions - Court of Peculiars

The Court of Peculiars was a historical ecclesiastical (church) court in England. It functioned as a specialized division of the larger Court of Arches, which was the principal court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Its unique jurisdiction extended over specific parishes within the Province of Canterbury that were designated as "peculiar." These peculiar parishes were distinct because they were exempt from the usual legal oversight of their local diocesan bishop. Instead, they reported directly to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who held the title of metropolitan. The Court of Peculiars was responsible for resolving disputes, administering church law, and handling other ecclesiastical matters for these particular, independently governed parishes until its abolition in the 19th century.

Here are some examples illustrating how the Court of Peculiars would have operated:

• Imagine a dispute in the 18th century concerning the proper conduct of a vicar in the parish of St. Mary's-on-the-Marsh, a parish recognized as a "peculiar" within the Province of Canterbury. A serious complaint is lodged against the vicar regarding his adherence to church rituals. Ordinarily, the local Bishop of Rochester would have jurisdiction over such a matter. However, because St. Mary's-on-the-Marsh was a peculiar parish, the complaint would instead be brought before the Court of Peculiars, which would investigate and rule on the vicar's conduct, acting on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

• Consider a scenario from the 17th century where a wealthy landowner in the peculiar parish of All Saints, near Canterbury, died, leaving a will that included significant bequests to the church and specified certain burial rites. A dispute arises among the heirs regarding the interpretation of these ecclesiastical provisions in the will. If All Saints were a regular parish, the local diocesan court would typically handle such probate matters involving church law. Since it was a peculiar, the Court of Peculiars would be the body responsible for hearing the arguments and issuing a judgment on the proper execution of the will's church-related clauses for that specific parish.

• Suppose a parishioner in the peculiar parish of St. Peter's-by-the-Sea was accused of a moral offense, such as defamation of character against a church official, which fell under the purview of ecclesiastical law in the late 16th century. While a regular parishioner would face proceedings in their local bishop's consistory court, the individual from St. Peter's would instead be summoned to appear before the Court of Peculiars. This court would then apply church law to the case, demonstrating its direct jurisdiction over matters typically handled by a diocesan bishop's court for non-peculiar parishes.