Henry Horwitz

Daniel Finch, author of the Toleration Act of 1689, was one of the most important and able of later Stuart political leaders. His career as parliamentarian and minister spanned the half-century from the stormy years of the 1670s to the calmer 1720S. During this period he served as First Commissioner of the Admiralty in the Exclusion Crisis, Secretary of State under William III and again under Queen Anne, and President of the Council under George I.

The cases presented at the Court of Exchequer contain a wealth of information about many aspects of London history such as commerce, colonial trade, property and social customs. The aim of this volume is to illustrate the potential rewards of searches in the Exchequer equity records for students of the history of London by calendaring the pleadings in equity (bills, answers and related documents) for the 151 London cases in 1685-6, and the 194 cases in 1784-5. The pleadings consisted of the litigant’s complaint and, very often, the defendant’s answer or other response, along with subsequent pleadings. In some cases there are also witnesses’ depositions and the submission of documentary proof, such as deeds. Occasionally the outcome of the case is also recorded. There are indexes of the names and subjects recorded in each set of pleadings.