Catalogue description Palatinate of Lancaster: Court of Chancery, Manchester District Registry: Case Files

The records in this series consist of case files from the Chancery Court's District Registry in Manchester, which had its own Registrar from 1857. The registry filed its papers on a dossier system in which all the documents concerning a case were kept in one assembly. The files are more or less complete until about 1920, apart from those concerning company winding-up from 1892. Thereafter (from PL 31/942), the series consists of a selection of files preserved only to reflect the business of the court.

The files contain all the documents in the case such as originating summonses, affidavits, orders, petitions, writs, statements of claim, copy orders, bills of costs, etc. Many of the files arise from disputes concerning the administration of estates. Others cover a wide variety of business including actions concerning landlords and tenants, contentious probate, actions concerning guardianships of minors, mortgages, partnerships, patents and designs, tenancies, trade marks and applications by companies for reduction of capital etc under the Companies Acts.

Lancashire Chancery Court, Manchester District Registry, 1875-1971

Palatinate of Lancaster, Chancery Court, Manchester District Registry, 1857-1875