New York State Court of Chancery Papers

Alphabetical by last name of complainant, then numerical by file number.

This series consists of records filed in cases handled by the Chancellor without resort to an enrolled decree (i.e., through dismissal, a court order, an agreement between the parties, etc.).

Files vary in content but may contain copies or originals of any or all of the following: bills of complaint; petitions; answers to complaints; Master's and other reports; depositions; transcripts of testimony; copies of minutes and other records transmitted by the Assistant Register or by other courts; exhibits and documentary evidence, including maps; and other routine legal papers. Files do not contain decrees, nor do they usually contain orders.

The series includes post-1823 files of cases appealed from the Chancery Circuits or a county Surrogate's Court to the Chancellor. These files contain copies of records from the lower courts. Some files are incomplete, but additional records relating to the same case appear in Miscellaneous Files. This series and Miscellaneous Files are closely related and contain the same types of records. Files vary in informational content. Each file, however, will usually contain alone or in conjunction with records in Miscellaneous Files the particulars of the case from the complainant's and often the defendant's point of view. It also contains the results of invetigations conducted and testimony taken by a Master or other official of the court.

Files do not contain information on the court's final determination of cases. Before 1829 this information appears in Chancery Minutes, 1781-1829, and after that date in Register's Minutes of Decrees, 1830-1847 or Register's Minutes of Common Orders, 1830-1847. Cases involving banks appear in a special section after "B", churches appear in a special section after "C", and insurance companies in a special section after "I".

J1071Series J1071, Index to Chancery Papers, indexes this series by last name of complainant.

The Court of Appeals placed these records on deposit at the Historical Documents Collection, Queens College, from 1973-1982.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