Catalogue description Palatinate of Lancaster: Court of Chancery, Manchester District Registry: Cause Books

This series contains cause books of the Manchester District Registry from 18 October 1853 to 1922. These concern the cases (causes) or actions heard and registered at Manchester. An insert in the first volume lists thirteen cases from the Liverpool cause books for 1853-1855.

Each volume starts with an alphabetical index to plaintiffs, followed by their defendants. The chief contents are double pages of entries in columns headed Parties' Names; Solicitor; Nature of Proceeding (whether by bill, petition, claim etc); When Originated; Appearances; Interrogatories; Answers etc; Exceptions; Replications; Affidavits and Depositions; Petitions; Orders (dated); Reports and Certificates (dated); Memoranda of Service and General Remarks. There are seldom entries under all, or even many, of these headings. Where applicable, information is entered (the affidavits column is the most often used), but it consists largely of names and dates.

Each double page is numbered. These numbers are often referred to in the district registry orders books, which reveal far more about a case than the brief entry, often referring to the Act of Parliament most relevant to the plaintiff's case, in the cause books, and is one of the chief clues to the content of the case, which must otherwise be sought in the registry's decree and other books. Sometimes the preliminary index has an annexed list of testators whose wills gave rise to cases. The cause books, indicate the mounting number of disputes involving business partnerships and limited companies during the 20th century.

Lancashire Chancery Court, Manchester District Registry, 1875-1971

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