Palatinate of Lancaster: Court of Chancery, Manchester District Registry: Case Files

PL 31

c1871-1972

The records in this series consist of case files from the Chancery Court's District Registry in Manchester, which had its own Registrar from 1857. The registry filed its papers on a dossier system in which all the documents concerning a case were kept in one assembly. The files are more or less complete until about 1920, apart from those concerning company winding-up from 1892. Thereafter (from PL 31/942), the series consists of a selection of files preserved only to reflect the business of the court.

The files contain all the documents in the case such as originating summonses, affidavits, orders, petitions, writs, statements of claim, copy orders, bills of costs, etc. Many of the files arise from disputes concerning the administration of estates. Others cover a wide variety of business including actions concerning landlords and tenants, contentious probate, actions concerning guardianships of minors, mortgages, partnerships, patents and designs, tenancies, trade marks and applications by companies for reduction of capital etc under the Companies Acts.

Files in PL 31/1-941 are broadly arranged and listed in date order, under the first letter of plaintiffs' names. Thereafter the files are arranged and listed in date order.

Catalogue entries for the items in this series have been arbitrarily numbered in sequence for system reasons; these numbers do not appear on the documents.

Public Record(s)

English

• Lancashire Chancery Court, Manchester District Registry, 1875-1971
• Palatinate of Lancaster, Chancery Court, Manchester District Registry, 1857-1875

1109 file(s)

Subject to 30 year closure

Topics

Litigation

Trade and commerce

Children

Wills and probate