THE Records of the Court of Exchequer are many and they remaine in the custodie of diuerse seuerall Officers of that Court as appertaines to their seuerall places And of the said seuerall Officers because some haue but the custodie of Records transitorily as they passe through their hands and others by way of controlment and examination I intend onely to shew what Records the Clarkes with whom the Records of the Exchequer are filed or rather fixed for euer haue in their custodie viz. The Kings Remembrancer The Lord Treasurers Remembrancer The Clarke of the Pipe The Auditors The Clarkes on the Receipt side vnder the Chamberlaines The Office of the Pleas. And the rest of the said Exchequer As for the rest of the Officers and Offices omitted I passe them not ouer but imply them rather in these aboue named INDVCTION TO THE better vnderstanding of the Records of the EXCHEQVER BEfore I enter into the distribution of these Records first I must giue you to vnderstand that there was anciently deuised an Extract of Chancerie which is at this day called the Originall of Chaneerie This Originall or Extract transmitted yearely from the Chancerie to the Exchequer contayneth in it most of the businesses and matters belonging to the Exchequer And by this Extract or Originall growes the great germane affinitie betwixt the Exchequer and the Chancerie The Businesses of this Originall or Extract I now intend to distribute to the seuerall Officers and Offices before recited as they doe properly appertaine vnto them with such other matters of Record as they may peculiarly challenge vnto them especially according to the order of Sir Richard Lister sometime Lord chiefe Baron of the Exchequer made the sixt of Iuly in the fiue and twentieth yeare of the fortunate King Henry the eight for reconcilement of certaine Differences then had betwixt the two Remembrancers as followeth THE KINGS REMEMBRANCER THE Records here are as ancient as the beginning of King Henry the third and few more ancient In this Office of the Kings Remembrancer are contained entred and filed these things viz. All Writs of Priuiledge for The Lord Treasurer The Chancellor The Chamberlaines The Barons The Marshall All the great Officers of this Court All Writs of Priuiledge for Clarkes and the lesser Officers of this Court All their seruants attending in their said Offices All Informations vpon all Forfeitures Penall Lawes Intrusions Contempts c. Also all Processe made out by the Originall against all Customers Controllers Vlnagers The Ganger of London Collectors of all Taxes for their Accompts with all things belonging thereto Recognizances taken to the Kings vse as they be with the other Remembrancer also All Processe vpon Recognizances for the King for execution thereof by Scire facias or otherwise till the Defendant bee discharged All Euidences Deeds and Writings sealed concerning the King which are requisite to be inrolled in the Exchequer as they bee with the other Remembrancer also All Deeds concerning any other party but the King requisite to be inrolled in the Exchequer Writs of Mittimus out of Chancerie Writs directed out of Chancerie to the Barons of the Exchequer Priuy-Seales directed to the Barons All manner of Writs vpon all manner of Commissions for concealements of Customes of Merchandizes with all Writs of Assistas in Auxilium for collecting of the same Concealements and all other Writs which concerne such Businesses All Letters Patents as they may be with the other Remembrancer at the pleasure of the Patentee Also all Bagges of Parcels of Accompts of Escheators Commissioners Searchers Stewards Baylifes Fermors Butler whereof there is any Parcell made All Writs directed to the Exchequer for search of any thing All Inquisitions sent by Mittimus to the Exchequer All Acts of Parliament sent by Mittimus to the Exchequer Likewise all Processe against these viz. The Treasurer The Coferer of the Household The Butler of England The Maior and Fraternitie of the Staple The Master of the Horse The Officers of the Mynt And other great Officers for their Accompts There are likewise since the making of the foresaid Order of Sir Richard Lister by his appointment some Records brought from the other Remembrancer to this the certaine Titles whereof appeare not in the said Order There is likewise a Presse de rebus tangentibus Hiberniam There is likewise in this Office the Red Booke which treateth most excellently of the ancient Ordination and Orders of the Exchequer As also the Booke intituled Liber Decretorum Ordinationum Curiae Augmentationis Coronae Which was made for the most part in the time of King Henry the eight and is likewise in the Augmentation Court The Booke of the Taxation of the Abbeyes Likewise some Leidger Bookes of Religious Houses Some Rentalls Surueyes Accompts Grants Contracts Leases Compositions of Religious Houses which for the most part were brought thither for some especiall seruice of the King vpon Tryall or like occasions Some Allowances and Proprieties of Sacrists Cellarists and other Officers of Religious Houses And I find in the Red Booke before mentioned that there was in this Office a Booke called Tricollumpnus This Booke as the name imports consisted of three Collumpnes 1. The first concerned the Church of England 2. The second the worthy Acts of King Henry the second 3. The third Negotiations publique and familiar But this Booke is not to be found any where And this shall suffice for the Kings Remembrancer As for the Obseruations to be had in search here with the vsuall Fees thereof I shall take occasion to speake in the next place THE LORD TREASVRERS REMEMBRANCER IN the Office of the Lord Treasurers Remembrancer are contayned filed and entred these things following viz. The Originall or Extract of Chancerie it selfe For though the Kings Remembrancer and the Clarke of the Pipe take out of the same such things as concerne their Offices respectiuely yet the Originall it selfe doth alwayes remayne here The Contents of the Originall are these viz. 1. The names of all Sherifes Escheators Customers Controllers Searchers Fermors of Vlnage Fermors generally That they may be called vnto Accompts 2. All Liueries sued out of the Kings hands that Processe may bee made against the Kings Tenants for doing of their Homage and answering of their Reliefes 3. All manner of Patents granted by the King to any person wherein is reserued or contained any Homage or Fealtie or else any yearely Rent to his Maiestie or whereby a Fee is granted 4. All manner of Commissions to any Iustices of Peace Iustices of Sewars Iustices of all kinds That Proces may be made against them for deliuering of Recognizances Issues Fines Amerciaments Taken before them 5. All manner of Commissions directed to any person or persons to enquire of any Lands or Tenements of such as haue beene offenders to the King In which Commissions the Commissioners haue authority to seize the said Lands or Tenements to the Kings vse that Processe may be made against the said Commissioners for the
meane time are either with the Riding Clarke who is one of the six Clarks of the Chancerie and takes his turne to doe that seruice for his yeare that is to haue the controlling of all Grants which passe the Great Seale Or else if they be past him they are in the Office of the Petty Bagge As are Inquisitions post Mortem and diuerse the like till they can be transmitted to the Chaple of the Rolls And yet the Clarkes of the Chaple can as sufficiently make the said search for you as any other and for the like Fee c. Further obserue that there be diuerse Inquisitions post Mortem which are not to bee found in the Chancerie at all by reason of some Omissions and yet notwithstanding are to be found in the Exchequer by reason of the correspondencie betwixt those two Courts as I shall shew in his place hereafter And for such Omissions yee may redresse them by transmitting the said Records by Certiorare out of the Exchequer vnto the Chancerie as occasion shall require Further if you haue occasion to haue a Copie of any Patent Roll or Bundle to plead or shew in Euidence you must eyther exemplifie the same or else at least take a Copie of the whole Record though there bee many other things contayned in the same which concerne not your present purpose or businesse and haue the same exactly examined that Oath thereof may be made at the pleading of the same Besides that it must be subscribed by a Clarke of the said Office vpon such examination by him so made DIRECTIONS FOR THE exemplifying of any thing vnder the Great Seale EXEMPLIFICATION IF any Grant which hath beene past the Great Seale be inrolled and containe more mens Estates then one Which Originall Grant can remaine but in one mans hands Or in case where the Originall is lost you would exemplifie the same you must first search in the Chaple of the Rolls for the Inrolment thereof which being found any Clarke of the Office may engrosse the same And when it is engrossed you must get it examined with the Inrolment by two Masters of Chancerie who must testifie their said Examination vnder their hands And then it being readie for the Great Seale you must beare the Docquet thereof vnto the Lord Chancellor or Lord Keeper of the Great Seale to examine and peruse the same Which being by him allowed it may passe the Great Seale and bee exemplified Where note that you may exemplifie nothing of course but what is inrolled though it be amongst the Bills signed or by neglect or chance be omitted out of the Inrolment Neither can an Inrolment be altered in case where the Originall and Inrolment agree not though by the fault of the Clarke who inrolled and ingrossed the same without extraordinary and most curious examination of all the great Officers of the Chancerie at the least if so c. Fees of search in Chancery For search of any thing in the Index or Kalender xij d For sight of euery Record you call for by the Index or Kalender iiij d For copying of any thing you pay for euery Sheet viij d For the Hand of the Clarke to any thing you coppy ij s Fees of Exemplification For euery Skin of Parchment which the Grant containeth xxvj s viij d For the two Masters of the Chancerie their Hands to it iiij s For the Seale to it xx s vj d For deliuering of the Docquet xij d Out of the foresaid generall Rule I must except such things as are not in the Kalender as the Bundles called Breuia Regis Foreigne Rolls and the like the search whereof is very vncertaine and intricate For in those searches your Fee must answer the Clarkes extraordinarie paines c. THE TOWER OF LONDON THE Office of Records of the Tower of London is a Member or Limme of the Office of the Rolls of Chancerie and was made and ordayned onely to receiue all the old Records from the Chaple of the Rolls of Chancerie at such times as the Master of the Rolls should thinke fit to disburden the Chaple and send such Rolls as whereof there is lesse vse by reason of their Antiquitie ouer to the Office of the Tower The Records in the Office of the Tower begin with some part of King Richard the third and so extend backward towards the Conquest howsoeuer it hath but few Records more ancient then of King Iohn and Henry the second The Records contayned in the Office of the Tower are the like generally and of those kindes as are the Records formerly declared to be in the Rolls of the Chancerie viz. The like Patents and Commissions The like Close Rolls of all sorts The like Bundles of all sorts The Office of the Tower by reason of the antiquitie of Records contayned in it hath some Records the like whereof are not in the Chaple of the Rolls viz. The Taxation of the Spiritualtie A Booke of Taxation taken vpon the Suruey of the Spiritualties of England or all the Spirituall Liuings Whereof there is one likewise remayning with the Kings Remembrancer of the Exchequer Taxation of the Temporaltie A Booke of Taxation taken vpon the Suruey of the Temporalties of England or all Temporall Liuings diuided into their seuerall Denaries But whether this latter Booke be a Record or no I make question it being brought thither of late times by a Clark of that Office and as I heare likely to be carryed away againe if not alreadie gone There is also the ancient Perambulations of Forests Parliament Businesse There be likewise diuerse Parliament Businesses the like whereof are not in the Chaple of the Rolls Foreigne Rolls There be likewise diuerse Rolls of Foreigne Businesses the like whereof are not in the Chancerie The Obseruations concerning the Omissions or not inrolling of some Offices and Patents are the like as in the Chaple of the Rolls and their remedies the like The Correspondencie the like betweene this Office and the Exchequer And to conclude there be some Records in the Tower which because there is no order taken for the reducing of them into Kalenders and their distinct Classes can neyther be by me nor any other here or elsewhere demonstrated It were to be wished that some course might be taken in time for the repayring of those Records which are worne out with their Antiquitie before it be too late and past remedie It is the generall Cause therefore would haue the helpe of the generall Purse in that behalfe The Fees for search in the Tower For search of any thing by Kalender or without x s And if you haue once payd the Fee of search you may for the same Fee search for the same thing so often and so long as vntil you be reasonably well satisfied with some consideration to be had respectiuely first and last to the Clarkes paines In all other things as Coppy Hand Exemplification And generally as in the Rolls of Chancerie aforesaid THE EXCHEQVER
profits thereof 6. All names of all Collectors of Subsidies Fifteenes Dismes Taxes generally To call them to accompt 7. There is likewise in the said Originall or at least should be all Pardons of course granted of Grace for Manslaughter by which though the Life be pardoned yet the Goods of the party so pardoned be forfeited So thereby Processe may goe forth to enquire what Goods or Chattels hee had at the time of the doing of the Offence 8. Also vnder the Title of Diem claufit extremum are all the names of such persons as after whose deaths the Escheator hath found any Office or Title for the King by Knights Seruice c. And in how many Shires the said Office was found and before what Escheator That in case one Office make no mention of any Tenure for the King whereby he should haue a Right yet then they may examine all the other Shires whether there bee any Tenure for the King in them Also there are or should be all Recognizances forfeited to the King in Chancerie and Charters of Denization And these bee the Contents of the Originall for the most part which though it were dis-vsed in the Lord Chancellor Cromwels dayes yet it was restored to his former vse afterwards Now I returne to shew what other Records besides the Originall are with this Remembrancer viz. All manner of Accompts of With all processe vpon these Accompts Sherifes Escheators Commissioners Searchers Stewards Baylifes of Franchises Fermors All Gaugers London only excepted Accompts for Workes Buildings and Reparations for the King Prest Moneyes And what is not in the other Remembrancer Also here are all Extreats out of The Kings Bench. The Common Pleas. The Clarkes of the Market Iustices of Peace and Assise Iustices of Gaole Deliuerie Iustices of Sewars To be by him deliuered to the Clarke of the Extreats All other Extreats or Penalties from any other the Kings Iustices or Ministers other then what are formerly assigned to the other Remembrancer All Writs of Priuiledge of such as haue cause of Priuiledge here on this side All Recognizances of the Exchequer as well as on the other side All Euidences Deeds and Writings sealed concerning the King which are to bee inrolled in the Exchequer as well here as on the other side All Letters Patents as well here as on the other side at the pleasure of the Patentee All Processe against Commissioners ad certificandum ad seisandum c. other then what concerne Customes Merchandizes All Processe vpon Patents of Fermors made and recorded here All Records of Vtlaries certified to the Barons the Processe whereupon hee makes and deliuers to the Escheators All Inquisitions Offices and Transcripts other then what were formerly assigned to the other Remembrancer passe through his hands to the Parcell-maker All Taxes of payment of the Accompts of Sherifes Escheators and Baylifes entred here All Amerciaments afferred in Court All Summons of Accomptants All Neglects of their Apparances All Amerciaments for mis-returne of Writs All Awards of Writs according to their returne thereby to note the Defaults A Booke made at euery Termes end of all Iudgements of any Debts discharged to be by him deliuered to the Clarke of the Pipe for the parties discharge The Booke which is commonly called Nomina villarum made about the ninth of King Edward the second Wherein is contayned the Names of all the Hundreds and Villages of England with the Names of all the then Owners of them excepting some few Shires vncertified or lost The Booke of all Knights Fees The Booke of the Aide of the Prince The Surueyes of diuerse the Kings Lands taken of late yeares There are with this Remembrancer as with the other diuers Records viz. Rentalls Leidgers Surueyes Accompts of Religious Houses brought thither vpon speciall seruice of the King And lastly here are the Accompts of Assessements and other proceedings touching Romish Recusants But this Limne is taken away from this Remembrancer and made lately a seuerall Office of it selfe OBSERVATION FOR search in the two Remembrancers FIrst in regard their Records lye in seuerall and differing places there is thereby great difference in the manner and charge of search of the same Next you shall vnderstand that within the said seuerall Remembrancers there are seuerall Clarks who haue peculiarly and properly the keeping of seuerall Records And that the Records of these Offices are not as those in Chancery common to all the Clarks alike especially for the Lord Treasurers Remembrancer who hath vnder him diuerse Secondaries and Clarkes appointed to their seuerall Records distinctly But it shall suffice that I bring you to the Office wherein you may promise your selfe to finde these Records paying Fees for search as followeth FEES OF SEARCH WITH the two Remembrancers At tho Exchequer at Westminster For search of the Red Booke on the Kings Remembrance side as followeth For opening the Chest ij s For the Attorney who sheweth it if hee goe of purpose to Westminster to shew it iij s iiij d Otherwise it may be the Attorney will take lesse viz. j s For search on the Lord Treasurers side For search of any thing in the Tenure-house their Liguli Inquisitionum and Gills Bookes vj s viij d For search of all other things generally in the Office in London as in Chancerie For search at Westminster generally according to their paines in search no certaine Fee For search in Vacation time at Westminster your Attorneyes Fee at least iij s iiij d Besides the Vshers for opening the doores And for more certaintie I referre you to their owne Tables of diuerse Fees which are or should be in their Offices to be seene publiquely I hauing onely set downe the Fees of mine owne practise herein And this shall suffice for the two Remembrancers THE CLARKE OF THE EXTREATS WITH the Clarke of the Extreats are All Extreats of the Greene Waxe vpon Fines Amerciaments Forfeited Recognizances c. Whatsoeuer is extreated and directed to all the Sherifes of this Realme of all such summes of Money as be lost and forfeited within their seuerall Bayliwikes to the intent that they should leuie the same for the King And thus much shall suffice for the same Records which are here and by transference to be found elsewhere vt supra THE PIPE THE Records here are some as ancient as in the time of King Henry the second The Clarke of the Pipe who by Office hath the execution by Summons of the Pipe of all Debts determined vpon all the Kings Debtors of what kind soeuer hath accordingly the Making Entring and Recording of All Processe of Summons Processe of Extent against all the Kings Debtors Also The Booke called the Booke of Iudgements which is said to be likewise with the Lord Treasurers Remembrancer All Leases of any the Kings Lands being but Quillets vnder the Rent of fiue pounds yearely and past vnder the Exchequer Seale and Custodie For if they be aboue fiue pounds per annum Rent Or
Parcell-maker 10. All Writs of Allowances sent from the King by Mittimus vnder the Great Seale 11. The Assignements of Auditors in some cases to take Accompts 12. A Booke of some of the ancient Lawes of S. Edward 13. The Booke commonly called Doomes-day made in the time of the Conqueror consisting of two Volumes viz. 1. The one contayning Suffolke and Norfolke 2. The other contayning all the rest of the Shires THE INSTITVTION OF this Booke ANd this Booke was made for the reducing of the Estates of all the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Bodies Politique and Ciuill that then were to hold immediately of the said Conqueror and so consequently it containes as followeth THE CONTENTS OF Doomes-day Booke 1. THe ancient Demesne Lands of the Crowne 2. The Lands of the then Lords Spirituall and Temporall Religious Houses Societies Fraternities Bodies Politique and Ciuill c. For the most part by the Yard Hide Oxe-gauge Carucate Selion c. 3. Their Fayres Markets Priuiledges Liberties and Customes c. With diuers other things of like nature And you shall vnderstand what a Yard-Land and what a Hide contayneth by the same Author and how many Hides were then in England And consequently how many Knights Fees and how they were in propertie of the Church or Temporaltie appeares by the same Booke The Fees of search with the Chamberlaines or their vnder Chamberlaines For search in the Round Treasurie Treasurie of the Olde Treaties Treasurie of the three first Edwards viij s ij d For Copie of any thing in any of them euery sheet j s For search of Domes-day Booke vj s viij d. For Copie of any thing in it to be written in the old Saxon Letter euery Line iiij d For search of the Ordinarie Records which belong vnto them as Chamberlaines onely concerning their Tallies c. as with the Remembrancers at their Office OBSERVATION Where note that they haue the keeping or rather the conseruing of the old Records of other Courts and other things as they are a part of the Kings Treasurie and the Fees of Search and Copies are the greater because they are diuided amongst many hands CLARKE OF THE PELLS OR CLERICVS PELLIVM WIth the Clarke of the Pells are All Receipts Payments To the King for what cause soeuer for or by whōsoeuer payd The Fees of Search At no certaintie but respectiuely to their paines And thus much for the Receipt Side NOW NEXT THe Office of the First Fruits and Augmentation of the Reuenues offer themselues For as for the Officers omitted there is no Record with them which may not be found with some other of the Officers formerly mentioned The Controller of the Pipe hath onely the controlment of what is with the Clarke of the Pipe The Foreigne Opposer maketh vp his Docquet and deliuereth it to the Clarke of the Pipe The Parcell-maker who gathereth together the Offices post Mortem and maketh a Booke of the Parcells is but a Retayler of Records and they are elsewhere as is formerly declared The Marshall hath nothing peculiar to himselfe which is matter of Record The Vsher his Office consists more in knowing the number then the nature of the Records The Clarke of the Nihils onely offers his emptie Purse to the Clarke of the Pipe And therefore I passe these ouer and addresse my selfe to that which requires the Remainder of my Lampe THE FIRST FRVITS OFFICE WITH the Remembrancer of the First Fruits and Tenths are 1. The Valuation of all Bishoprickes Denaries and Ecclesiasticall Promotions vvhich ought to pay First Fruits and Tenths 2. All Bonds for securitie of the First Fruits and Tenths be here kept and made 3. All Processe for the same 4. All Lands belonging to most of the Religious Houses certified into this Office though not by way of Suruey yet in very distinct and exact manner for the most part about the sixe and twentieth yeare of Henry the eight Whereunto as it is said the Gouernors of such Houses were ledde being perswaded by the Lord Cromwell That what they brought in thither should bee restored and confirmed vnto them in auoydance of the Premunire And that what was omitted should be taken and reputed as concealed from the King FEES For search of Valuations xij d For view of either Booke the whole being deduced into two which concerne Lands belonging to any Abbeyes iij s iiij d THE COVRT OF AVGMENTATION THIS Court contaynes all the Records of the Lands of all Religious Houses as well the greater as the lesse which at the time of their Dissolutions could bee brought into the Kings hands As 1. Accompts 2. Surueyes 3. Surueyes vpon Accompts 4. Leidger Bookes 5. Rentalls 6. Leases 7. All other particular Euidences 8. The Pleadings Presentments and Proceeding in their Courts before dissolution with others the like 9. And lastly the Surueyes taken vpon the Accompts of most of the said Lands vpon and after their said Dissolution The Fees of search in the Augmentation Court For Search and Copie as in the Rolls of Chancerie except it be out of Terme time and then as in time of Vacation with the Remembrancers THE KINGS BENCH THE Records of the Kings Bench are distinguished according to the seueral Limnes thereof The Limnes of the Kings Bench bee two The Records are accordingly of two sorts viz. Pleadings vpon all Actions personall and some mixt Actions Pleadings and Businesses of the Crowne THE PROTHONOTORIES SIDE THe Records on this side are Pleadings vpon all manner of Actions personall Attaints Appeales Inrolments of Purchases of Estates of Free-hold purchased which may be there inrolled as well as in the Chancerie or other Courts at the pleasure of the Purchasers And in the Red Booke in the Exchequer you shall find that the King vsed to sit in person here to entertaine and answere Foreigne Negotiations Treaties and Controuersies in Religion and Ciuill Businesses But the more ancient of these are with the Chamberlaines of the Exchequer And the latter are with the Keeper of the Kings Royall Paper as I take it The Records on this side which are kept in the proper Treasurie are as ancient as from the beginning of the harmelesse King Henry the sixt till this present Of which onely the Records of one yeare and a halfe last past are vnlocked vp and lye open to bee searched in the lower Treasurie and some few yeares more in their vpper Treasurie Fees of Search in the Kings Bench. For Search of euery Terme in the vpper Treasurie iij s iiij d Besides the Keepers Fees of the Treasurie which are little more then those of the Common Pleas Treasurie as in Common Pleas. For Search of euery Terme of a yeare and a halfe past vj d THE CROWNE OFFICE THE Crowne Office in which are contayned the Pleas of the Crowne Businesses of the Peace and Good Behauiour Indictments Presentments Attainders Recognizances of diuerse sorts Informations vpon Penall Lawes and Vtlaries of Offendors and Malefactors c. I doe aduisedly pretermit