Escheators Extracts

The Escheator's duties were to maintain the king's rights as overlord of all land held by tenants in chief, which reverted to him on the death of such a tenant. It was the Escheator's job to enquire into land of doubtful status, and to administer land over which the king had rights. He could do this either on his own initiative or on the authority of a writ of diem clausit extremum sent to him by the Chancery. He would then hold an inquisition post mortem, at which local jurors would determine the extent of the estate and identify the next heir. The inquisition was then returned to the Chancery and filed. 

The Survey also includes these extracts which have been indexed separately to the main name index.  These amount to 37 entries and relate to periods much earlier than 1611, the earliest of which is 1362-63 and many are from the 15th century. The introduction to this section reads as follows:

Introduction
Here followeth certayne extracts drawen forth of the Escheators bookes
remayninge in the keepinge of Henry Mainwaringe esquire escheator
of Cheshire, concerninge the tenures of the Lordship, Honer, Manner,
Forest and  Burrough of Macclesfield in the said countie of Chester wch
were Sente and delivered to his highnes Said Surveyor from the Said
Henry Mainwaringe by Mr. Hugh Mainwaringe his Sonne.

Index of Extracts from Escheators Books

These are the only details in this index. Further details are held at The National Archives under ref E.  If further information about these entries is required please contact me.