Danish Chancery Court Records

Danish Chancery Court Records: Court records
Chancery records were the records of the king's court and were a type of court record. They include requests made to the king, such as requests for confirmation (authorization) of wills, review of previous court's decisions, permission to marry a cousin, and authority for an underage heir to act as his own guardian. They also include appointments and royal decrees, including changes of laws and procedures. Wills for government officials can also be found in this collection.

The information in the documents vary depending on the type of request or decision. However, any mention in these records will at least establish that a person was living at that time and potentially could include much other information.

When do you search Chancery Court Records?
When you are researching a period earlier than church records were recorded, not many records have genealogical information. Chancery court records are among the earliest records of Denmark. These may include wills, disputes, or other references to individuals. A rough approximation of a birth date can be made from such a reference.

Many people may have never been mentioned in a court record or been involved in disputes.

Online Records
The National Archives of Denmark has images of part of this collection available online at ArkivalierOnline.
 * Danske Kancelli – Kom godt i gang! (Danish Chancellery - Getting Started!)
 * Card index to wills in the Danish Chancellery, 1710-1810 (Navnekartotek til Danske Kancellis Testamenter)