Court of Arches

The Court of Arches was the highest court of appeal for ecclesiastical matters in the province of Canterbury and fell under the jurisdiction of the archbishop of Canterbury (Noorthuock 579-587). The Court of Arches was named after its location in St. Mary Le Bow, which was built over arches (Baker 136). After the Great Fire of 1666, the Court of Arches often met at the Doctors’ Commons, Knightrider Street (Keene and Harding 199-212). For an accessible overview, see Wikipedia. An extensive archive of Court of Arches cases is held at the Lambeth Palace Library.