Catalogue description Palatinate of Chester: Exchequer of Chester: Various Inquisitions

This series mainly contains inquisitions post mortem, together with extents, proofs of age, assignments of dower and writs of livery. Inquisitions ad quod damnum and as to lunatics, idiots and rights of way are also included. The files relate to lands in both Cheshire and Flint. The records are for the most part in Latin, but English is used in a number of documents, except in the earliest years. The earliest file is for the sixth year of King Edward I (1277-1278), and the files end with the twentieth year of King Charles I (1644-1645), but CHES 3/106 contains a number of mutilated documents, many of which are undated or of doubtful date. Three repertories were added to the series in 1997.

CHES 3/107, calendars CHES 3/3-58 (in Latin) in chronological order, and is preceded by indexes to places and surnames. The volume does not provide a direct means of reference to the records, as the index entries merely refer to the pages of the calendar itself. In addition, neither of these indexes are in strict alphabetical order, but all places (or surnames) beginning with the letter 'A', for instance, are placed together. The place name index includes locations not included in The twenty-fifth annual report of the Deputy Keeper but as the index is of some antiquity, these names may need modernising in some cases, and indeed the accuracy of the repertory cannot be guaranteed.

CHES 3/108 calendars CHES 3/53-100), with two entries for 30 and 32 Charles II at folio 48. The volume merely lists the names concerned, year by regnal year, and there is no direct reference to the records themselves. The records referred to at folio 48 have presumably not survived, and the work cannot be fully relied upon for accuracy in view of its age.

CHES 3/109 calendars CHES 3/1-106. No proper regnal years are given, however, before the reign of Henry VIII (before that time the records are merely shown as being in bundles for the various kings). Otherwise the volume merely lists the names concerned, year by regnal year, and there is no direct reference to the records themselves. There can be no guarantee that all the records listed have survived.

Other Inquisitions post mortem can be found in: WARD 7

Some of the records formerly in Chester Castle, including certain inquisitions post mortem (see pencil annotations at pp 155-157) were put into a volume (in the eighteenth century?) for private reasons. It has considerable limitations as a means of reference of even the most basic kind, though it is indexed (by name and place). These limitations are referred to in the preface to the volume. For this volume see OBS 1/819

All the inquisitions are indexed (by name, with some place names included) inThe twenty-fifth annual report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, (London, 1864), Appendix no 3, pp 32-60, under the heading 'Welsh Records'. The index does not provide a direct means of reference to the records, however. The date that appears in each index entry must be matched against dates in catalogue to find the correct piece number. The numerical reference quoted in the index for each entry (after the date of the document) is not the piece number, but the item number within the file comprising the piece. This number is still to be found appended to each document. The index includes documents in CHES 3/106, at least those which were sufficiently capable of being indexed. Public Record Office, Lists and Indexes, XXXIII (London, 1909; Kraus Reprint, 1963) App I, pp 381-395 contains an index to persons in CHES 3/59-105, but only inquisitions post mortem are included. Cheshire inquisitions post mortem, Stuart period 1603-1660, ed R Stewart-Brown, (Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, 1935) contains transcripts of post mortem records in CHES 3/87-105. The Public Record Office, Kew holds Volume II (E-O) only.