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

This series contains cause books of the Liverpool District Registry from 25 June 1867 to 17 March 1954. These books provide a guide to actions heard and registered at Liverpool.

These cause books are stout volumes which start with a finding index in each case. This supplies the plaintiff's surname, followed by that of the defendant. The rest of each book is taken up by double page entries under the following headings, by no means all of which are filled in for any given case: Parties' names, Solicitor, Nature of Proceeding (bill, petition, etc), When originated (date), Appearances, Interrogatories, Pleadings, etc, Affidavits and Depositions, Petitions, Orders (dated), Reports and Certificates (dated), Memoranda of Service, and General Remarks.

These entries supply a useful index to other records in which the case of interest may be pursued, for example under decrees and orders, depositions, affidavits, or case files, if available for the date in question. The reference number for a case in the indexes to cause books is not necessarily the number appearing top left of each double page entry, but may be the other number underneath it.

Cross-references to other Liverpool records in the series are by dates supplied under entries in the cause books. Affidavits appear to be an exception, as they are numbered individually, but the adjacent dates are necessary to locate the numbers in question.

Another occasional feature of the cause books is that they may contain references to the revival or continuation of a case years after its first appearance. For example, in PL 39/8, which deals primarily with cases logged in 1884, 1885 and 1886, there are references to a case still going on in 1894, and in one case (a disputed will, no 4663), there is a revival of the suit in 1951. This suggests that the double page entry heading When originated, which supplies a date, may be particularly useful.

Lancashire Chancery Court, Liverpool District Registry, 1875-1971

Palatinate of Lancaster, Chancery Court, Liverpool District Registry, 1853-1875