Catalogue description Chancery: Files, Tower and Rolls Chapel Series, Certiorari Super Causa Captionis

Predominantly writs of certiorari super causa captionis of land, addressed to escheators and other officers and returned into Chancery.

The most common cause given for an escheat is unlicensed alienation, including breaches of the statute of mortmain, but other returns range from routine matters such as the death of a tenant-in-chief without an heir, to more serious matters including outlawry, felony and rebellion, some for adherence to the king's enemies, Scots or French.

The series also includes a small number of warrants relating to the regular duties of the escheator, orders to seize, release or assign land, goods or issues, and to assign dower.

Most of these records were formerly included in C 47 and C 202