What Are Chancery Records and Where Can They Be Found?

A friend of mine was hitting a wall trying to crack the case of her 3rd-great-grandmother’s land dispute in rural Virginia — until she finally discovered a set of chancery court records tucked away in a state archive. Chancery records are created by equity courts: courts that handled non-criminal cases that didn’t follow rigid common-law rules. In my friend’s case, the records revealed not only the plot of land contested, but also an incredible treasure: a long-lost family cemetery.

When chancery records are discovered, they often feel like much more than lawsuits – but snapshots of ancestry. Documents such as inheritance disputes, guardianships, and property disagreements were commonly recorded in chancery records in England, the United States, and parts of the British Commonwealth. They can often be found today in national archives, state libraries, or local court collections.

For genealogists, chancery records offer personal stories hidden in legal language – sometimes they’re the only surviving record of a complex family situation. When you come across a chancery record, you’re diving into the rich archive of equity, where justice wasn’t just about law, but fairness. So, if you’ve ever wondered why your ancestor appeared in a legal dispute, or how property changed hands beyond wills or land deeds, chancery records may hold the key.

» Discover how legal cases and court files can reveal hidden family stories in Why Are Land and Property Records Overlooked in Genealogy Research

What Are Chancery Records?

Unlike criminal or civil courts, chancery records often delve into the personal, financial, and familial relationships underlying the legal conflict. These can include petitions, correspondence between litigants, court orders, and accountings. 

Again, the key thing to remember is that chancery courts, especially in historical England and some U.S. states, handled matters of equity – cases where common law wasn’t enough.

That included:

• Disputes over trusts or “uses” of property
• Guardianship, orphan care, and custody issues
• Breaches of fiduciary duty or contested wills
• Complex inheritance, dowries, and marital arrangements

Why They’re Valuable for Genealogy

Chancery records are treasure troves for uncovering family history because they provide detailed family connections, often naming parents, children, trustees, and attorneys. More than other documents like census records, they offer a closer, more intimate look into the person’s day-to-day life – including events that may have been challenging. 

Additionally, chancery records contain descriptions of land and property, helping pinpoint ancestral geography, which can include small estates and local landmarks – like the cemetery my friend uncovered in her search. 

However, these records can also reveal some of the skeletons in the closet, like family disputes or unlikely alliances, which can be especially useful when wills are missing or silent. Sometimes that also means court depositions and sworn statements, identifying alternate names and spellings, and giving some remarkable first-person context of life events. 

Chancery Record Search Tips & Where to Find Them Online

Chancery records aren’t often the first stop on an ancestry journey, but if terrestrial records fail you, chancery cases can often pick up the trail. Before we offer some ideas on where to find them, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:

• • Look at indexes or calendars first, then request the full bundle – it can save a lot of time

• Spelling and name variations matter, and keep in mind that early records often use archaic or alternate spellings

• When searching, check both parties – sometimes your ancestor appears as a respondent or trustee, not always the petitioner
• Be patient – many chancery cases span decades and volumes of materials

And now, beyond some extensive online databases, you can also find chancery records: 

England & Wales: The National Archives “Court of Chancery” series includes original bills, answers, depositions, and decrees

United States: Some states maintained chancery courts, particularly Delaware, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Aids or state archives can help the search, but county-level equity docket books may exist in digitized collections for older periods. 

Canada, Australia, and former British colonies: Chancery-style cases were also filed – keep an eye out for “equity court” or “prerogative court” records. 

Latin America and continental Europe: Handled inheritance through civil or ecclesiastical courts; however, chancery-type equity cases may also appear in historical judicial archives.

Where to Go Next

Chancery records may feel like a specialized avenue of search, but they often unlock the stories most civil records can’t. When you deep-dive into equity cases, you’re pulling back the curtain on disputes, relationships, and hidden family dramas that shaped your ancestors’ lives.

The process can be slow, but the rewards are priceless. Keep searching! 

» Ready to explore deeper? Start your search in MyHeritage Historical Records by filtering for court or equity records