A-Z Challenge 2013: B is for Bawdy Court

Yes, what you're probably thinking is what it was.  'Bawdy Courts' were another name for the ecclesiastical courts, which were so called because they often dealt with divorce and/or immorality.

The ecclesiastical courts, divided into Bishops' Courts and Archdeacons' Courts, were set up in Norman times and their records exist from the 15th century.  They dealt with all sorts of things, from heresy to perjury
via whether or not you behaved yourself in church.  Punishments ranged from fines to excommunication.

These records also included descriptions of the witnesses - not just the usual name and address, but also where they had lived, right back to their place of birth.