Chancery (Noun)
Meaning 1
An office of archives for public or ecclesiastic records; a court of public records.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The church's old chancery, where all its archives were stored, was located in a small room beneath the cathedral.
- Historians spent years studying the documents in the chancery to recreate a timeline of the city's past.
- The county clerk's office maintains a chancery where property deeds and other important documents are kept.
- During the medieval period, the chancery was responsible for issuing official documents such as patents and writs.
- The ecclesiastical chancery was established to oversee the handling of sensitive records and documents for the diocese.
Meaning 2
A court with jurisdiction in equity.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The court of chancery was responsible for resolving disputes over wills and estates.
- In the case of a disputed inheritance, the family members would often appeal to the chancery for relief.
- The chancery had jurisdiction over cases involving trusts, and the judge was well-versed in the relevant laws.
- During colonial times, the chancery was an important part of the judicial system, particularly in cases involving land ownership.
- The judge in chancery was empowered to make decisions in secrecy, without the need for a public trial.