Chancery

n. office of a chancellor; division of the High Court of Justice (Britain); office of public records; administrative office of a diocese; department which issues bulls (Catholicism)

The term chancery can refer to:the office building in which a diplomatic mission (e.g., an embassy) is housed, its administrative, not strictly diplomatic staff, or the diplomatic personnel responsible for political matters (as Head of Chancery).a chancery court or court of equity, including:in England and Wales, historically, the Court of Chanceryin New York state, between 1777 and 1847, the New York Court of Chancerythe Delaware Court of Chancerya euphemism for bankruptcy (based on the variety of court)also, a euphemism for confession, by analogy to the previous euphemismecclesiastical administrative offices at different levels:formerly, the Pope's Apostolic Chancery (an office of the Roman Curia).a bishop's diocesan chancery.''one or more calligraphic styles of writing, chancery hand.
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Noun
1. a court with jurisdiction in equity
(synonym) court of chancery
(hypernym) court, tribunal, judicature
2. an office of archives for public or ecclesiastic records; a court of public records
(hypernym) archive, archives

(n.)
In the Unites States, a court of equity; equity; proceeding in equity.
  

(n.)
In England, formerly, the highest court of judicature next to the Parliament, exercising jurisdiction at law, but chiefly in equity; but under the jurisdiction act of 1873 it became the chancery division of the High Court of Justice, and now exercises jurisdiction only in equity.
  

From the late 10th century, the English office responsible for writing the king's charters, writs and letters. In the late 12th century, under Hubert Walter, archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of England , the office began recording letters in long rolls; these rolls have proven a valuable historical record for the study of English history. The chancery issued three main types of documents-charters (making permanent grants of land or privileges); letters patent (making temporary privedges); and letters close (bearing secret instructions for royal officials).