Amanda Bevan

26 November 2011

Opening up Chancery litigation, 1558-1875

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The Six Clerks Office, Chancery Lane [1622-1778]

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Stone Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn 1778-1882

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Court of Chancery goes back to 1380s

C 1 – 1383-1558:

75,000 detailed descriptions searchable when our online catalogue was launched in 2001

Chancery Pleadings, 1558-1875

C 2- C 17 1,027,000 sets of pleadings

In 2001

half - no description in the catalogue

half - poor description in the catalogue

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2525

25In 2011:

a quarter - no description

a quarter - good description

a quarter - poor description

a quarter - in progress

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10 years intermittent work – 2 years on something completely different

• data problems

• data structure problems

• software problems

• authenticity v searchability problems

• resource problems

• the ‘Why would anyone look at Chancery?’ problem

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Family Names of the United Kingdom (FaNUK)

Discovery

PROCAT Editorial

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C 2 in progress C 3 on catalogue(thanks to the Friends)

C 4 on catalogue(thanks to Alistair Hanson)

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C 5 - in progress

C 6 - 80% in

C 7-C 10- still to do

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C 11 1714-1758

25% detailed (thanks to volunteers)

75% in with a brief description(thanks to Jone’s team)

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1801-1875All in with a brief description: being improved by staff and volunteers

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After 1875:

Chancery becomes the Chancery Division of the Supreme Court

… and we have an even worse set of problems

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What can you find …ideally …? Short title

Document type

Plaintiffs

Defendants

Subject and place

A code

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Short titles change Document type helps you tie cases together

Short title and document type: 1558-1875

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Subject or place and most parties: 1558-1714

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1714-1758 (C 11)

Names Occupations

Residence

Not subject

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1801-1875

Names, relations.

Some idea of place.

No subjects.

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Codes to search by ….

SFP sole female plaintiffJFP joint female plaintiffsCBP corporate body plaintiffUBP unincorporate body plaintiff

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And the last problem …

‘Why would anyone look at Chancery?’

… because it gives us all the chance to uncover the worries and concerns of people in the past …