Catalogue description Court of Chancery: Clerks of Records and Writs Office: Pleadings 1853-1860

The records in this series consist of pleadings in equity cases filed in the court of Chancery between 1853 and 1860.

C 15 is now fully searchable online by the surname of the first plaintiff and the first defendant. Further information can be found in C 32, where each case is listed by year, letter and number (e.g. 1853 A1) with details of all plaintiffs, all defendants and the progression of the case over time, including references to any orders and decrees. If you are doubtful whether you have the right case, you should look up the relevant entry in C 32 before ordering from C 15. C 32 will also provide details of any orders or decrees).

A sample of suits in C15/785 have been listed in more detail from the information in the cause books in C 32, as a template for future cataloguing work. Location of the plaintiff's or defendant's solicitor has been given in brackets, as the only indication of locality. Where no place is given, then the solicitor was based in London.

The records cover a wide variety of matters, particularly in respect of disputes about wills and the administration of estates. There are also a number of cases arising from the Joint Stock Companies Act of 1844.

For the related Bill Books arranged alphabetically under the plaintiffs' names see IND 1/2163 - IND 1/2169; alphabetical by plaintiffs indexes to bills can be found in IND 1/2170 - IND 1/2172 and IND 1/16703 - IND 1/16726