Research

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of records that document the transfer of cases and funds from the Court of Probates to the Court of Chancery. The three items included in this series are the receipt of Gerrit W. Lansing (last judge of the Court of Probates) for funds and records transferred, Lansing's accounts with the Court of Probates, and a listing of cases transferred. The first item contains the date the funds and records were received by the Court of Chancery, the amount of money received, and acknowledgment of the transfer of cases. The second item, Lansing's accounts, is set up in a double entry accounting format with debits on the left side of the page and credits on the right. Each entry on the debit side includes the date of the transaction, a statement as to whom or for what purpose the money was disbursed, the amount of money disbursed, the amount of money in the account from which the money was withdrawn, and the amount of any balance paid to the Court of Chancery.

The entries on the credit side contain the date of deposit, the amount of money deposited, and a statement containing the names of the administrator depositing the money and of the decedent and giving the reason the money was deposited with the court. All balances paid to the Court of Chancery are listed at the end of the accounts. Each entry in the third item, the list of cases transfers, contains the title of the case (often including the name of the decedent and/or administrator) and a synopsis of the proceedings in the case. This synopsis includes the date the case was opened or appealed to the Court of Probates and the amount of any money deposited with the court in the case or disbursed from this deposit, and the remaining balance transferred to the Court of chancery. This financial information corresponds to information appearing in Gerritt F. Lansing's accounts.