Minutes of Courts of Equity

Numeric by circuit, then chronological by court session.

This series consists of a daily record of the proceedings of the Courts of Equity (after 1829 known as the Chancery Circuits). These minutes were maintained by the clerk of each circuit pursuant to a rule of the court.

The date, location, and name of the Judge is given for each session of the court. The names of the parties and their solicitors, summaries of documents submitted to the court, and the full text or abstract of orders and decrees issued by the court are recorded for each case heard at a session. Also included are the minutes of proceedings in which court officials and solicitors or counsellors were appointed, court terms set, and other court business not related to cases was conducted. The first volume of each circuit contains the rules of the Court of Equity. The minutes for the 4th Circuit after 1827 are maintained in two volumes: one for entering common orders and the other for entering special orders and decrees. After 1829 the minutes of all the Chancery Circuits were maintained in this form (see Clerks' Minutes of Decrees, 1830-1847 and Clerks' Minutes of Common Orders, 1830-1847).

Microform is available at the New York State Archives through interlibrary loan.

Microfilm: 7 reels; 35mm.

Series J0048, Clerk's Minutes of Decrees, and Series J0047, Clerk's Minutes of Common Orders, contain related records.

Minute books of the Court of Equity (1st Circuit), 1823-1829, and the Court of Chancery (1st Circuit), 1830-1847, are located at the New York County Clerk's Office, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007. Those minute books have been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah.

Alphabetical index by last name of complainant in each volume.

The Court of Appeals placed these records on deposit at the Historical Documents Collection, Queens College, from 1973-1982.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.