The practice of the Exchequer court, with its severall offices and officers: being a short narration of the power and duty of each single person in his severall place. Written at the request of the Lord Buckhurst, sometime Lord Treasurer of England. By Sr. T.F. Whereunto are added the rules and orders of proceedings by English bill.

The Articles of the late Court of Augmentations and Revenues of the Crowne annexed to the Court of Exchequer at Westminster

The Lord Treasuror.

1 FIrst all Honers, lands, tenements, possessions, amd all other heredi∣taments which are within the sur∣vey, rule, and order of the Augmentations of the Crowne, and the Arrerage, of the same, shall be received, leavied, and gather∣ed form hence forth by the Sheriffs of every Shire and Countie within the Realme of England, where the said Honers, Castles, Mannors, lands, Tenements & other here∣dizaments do lye, or by any other person or persons that shall be appointed by the Lord Treasurer and the Court thereafter, which

Receit the said Sheriff of every countie, or other accountant so appointed, shall con∣tent and pay the Revenue thereof at the Receit of the Exchequer in manner and forme as hereafter shall be declared.

2 Item, the Revenues in wales, shall be yearly received by the Chamberlaine there, or by any other person or persons that shall be appointed by the said Lord Treasu∣ror and the Court as is aforesaid, the same to pay at the receit aforesaid, and to be bound by Recognizances for the payments thereof according to the direction of the Court.

3 Item, the said Sheriffs or other accom∣ptants to have a tallie of reward yearly ac∣cording to the Rule of their severall charges if it shal be thought fit by the Lord Treasu∣ror, Chancellor, Chamberlaines, and Barons or by three of them whereof the Lord Trea∣suror to be one.

4 Item, that every Sheriff of England, or other accomptant shall be charged with the Revenues aforesaid in his account from Michalmas, to Michelmas, according to the Ancient lawes and Customes of the said Ex∣chequer.

5 Item, all such summes of money as shalbe due at the Feasts of the birth of our Lord, The annunciation of our Lady, or at the Feast of Easter, for the said Revenues, with the Arrearage depending upon all for∣mer accounts, shall be charged in to the said Sheriff, or other Accomptants in their views, and shall make the said view before the Feast of the Ascention of our Lord year∣ly, and to pay all such summes of money as shalbe found due upon the same before the Feast of Penticost then next ensueing, and where they be payable at Penticost, those rents to be payed before the Nativitie of Saint John the Baptist then next follow∣ing.

6. Item, if any former accomptant or debtor hath paid any summes of money at the receit aforesaid, before the making of the view aforesaid, that then the said Sheriff or other accomptant shall be discharged by the payment thereof being of Record with∣out any further suite or Charge in the said view of account.

7. Item, that all such summes as shalbe due for the said Revenue at the Feast of Michaelmas and Saint Martin, with the

Arrerages due upon all former accounts, shalbe paid at the receit of the Exchequer by the Sheriffs or other receivers, or accom∣ptants (that is to say) as much as shalbe due at Michaelnsas, before the Feast of the Nativitie of our Lord God, And asmuch as shalbe due at Saint Martin, to be paid into the receit before the twentieth day of Fe∣bruary, then next insueing, or otherwise make declaration unto the said Court of Exchequer of the payment thereof by ver∣tue of sufficient Warrant.

8. Item, that every Sheriff, and other Accomptant shall appeare to his account in his owne proper person, or by his sufficient Deputie Authorised in writing under his hand and seale in Hillary Terme, and there to take an Oath according to an Ancient usage of the said Exchequer, and the same Warrant in writing to be delivered into the Treasurors Remembrancers office and there shall be filed, and entred of record, without taking any Fee, or reward for the same.

9. Item, the said Sheriff or other accomp∣tant, or Accomptants, or his, or their law∣full Deputie or Attorney after his or their

Appearances, to make their accounts for the said Revenues before the twentie fourth of February then next after, and the Audi∣tor taking the said accounts shall deliver the same accounts ingrossed in parchment Au∣thorised and allowed by the hands subseri∣bed of the Lord Treasuror, Chancellor, Vice-treasuror, and Barons of the said Ex∣chequer, or by three of them at the least, whereof the Lord Treasuror or Vice-trea∣suror to be one, And with the hand of the said Auditor likewise subscribed into the office of the Pipe within the said Court of Exchequer before the twentieth day of March, then next following, as further pro∣cesse thereupon may be made if cause shall so require.

10. Item, that the Lord Treasuror, Chancellor, Chamberlaines, Under-treasu∣ror, and Barons, or three of them whereof the Lord Treasuror to be one, and in his ab∣sence, the Under treasuror shall have full power and Authoritie by their discretions from time to time, to give Allowances as∣well to the Farmors and Accomptant for the yearly reparations and other Allowan∣ces, as also to every person and persons

that shalbe hereafter appointed by them or by the more part of them, for the doeing and executing of any processe or other thing concerning the premis∣ses.

11. Item, all Records of the said Court of the Augmentations that doth concerne exemtion of any processe for Indentures, Recognizances, obligations, and all records of Books of orders and decrees concerning the premisses. shall remaine in the Charge of the Kings Remembrancer of the said Ex∣chequer in such place or places, as by the Lord Treasuror and the Court shalbe from time to time appointed

12. Item, that all Commissions for woodsales, and Commissions for survey of any part or parcell of the premis∣ses, shall be made hereafter by the Treasurors Remembrancer of the Exche∣quer.

13. Item, all records and Books of the said Court of the Augmentations of the Inrollment of Leases, and the Counter∣paines of the said Leases and Warrants for making of the same, and all accompts that shall remaine in the said Court concerning

anie thing or matter within their old order and survey of the same shall be and re∣maine in the Charge of the Clerke of the Pipe of the said Exchequer in such place as the said Lord Treasuror and Court shall a ward, so that processe may be made upon them Unde superius, as long as the case shal require.

14. Item, that all sealed Evidences, Ren∣talls, Court rolls, and other writings, and miniments whatsoever, touching the said Revenues, be placed in the Treasurie howse that shalbe appointed for that purpose by the Lord Treasurer and others the head Of∣ficers of that Court.

15. Item, Accounts to be taken every yeare and the Ingrossments in forme as a∣foresaid to remaine in the Charge of the Clerk of the Pipe in such place as shall be appointed by the Lord Treasuror and other the head Officers of that Court amongst the Evidences and the records of the Reve∣nue of the land, severed from the Ancient records of the Exchequer.

16. Item, that all Stewards of Leets and Courts, shall yearly double their Court Rolls in parchment, and certifie one part

thereof subscribed with the hand of the Receivors before the Audit into the Court of Exchequer wherein should be contained the Fines made among the Customary Ten∣nements, the Heriotts, the Amerciaments, the woodsales, and other Casualties with a declaration of needfull reparations presen∣ted by the Homage making thereof a Streat to the Sheriffs of the Shire, or to such other Accomptant, as shalbe appointed to the receit thereof as he may thereupon make his receit and payment upon the end of his account, and that noe reparations be made at any time but by Warrant from the Court under three of the Officers hands, whereof the Lord Treasuror or Under-treasuror to be one, And the other part of the double of the said Court Rolls to remain in the Lord∣ship, where the said Courts be kept.

17. Item, no woodsales shall be made without a Commission from my Lord Trea∣suror, and two such others of the Court as he shall call to have at that time and in his absence the Under treasuror calling to him two of the said Court.

18. Item, that noe Steward, Bayliff, or Woodward be admitted, but onely by the

Lord Treasuror, Chancellor, and Chamber∣laines, Vice-treasuror, and Barons of the said Exchequer, or three of them at the least, whereof the Lord Treasuror or Under-treasu∣ror to be one of the same Officers to passe un∣der the Seale of the Exchequer by the Lord Treasurors Assignement under his hand, and the same Bill or Bills to be made in the Office of the Pipe there to be entred of Record, filed, and kept, for the yearly Allowance of the Fees, wages; and rewards of any person or persons, as hereafter shall be appointed to any of the said Offices.

19. Item, the Accounts of Hamper, the Butierage, the Staple of Callis, and the Reve∣nues of the Courts there, the Prises, the Mints, the great Guardrobe, the Customes of the Ports of Chester, Barwick, and Callice, to be yearly taken and ingrossed by the Audi, tors of the said Exchequer according to the Ancient lawes of the said Court, and as here∣tofore they have beene accustomed before the Erection of the Court of survey and Augmen∣tation of the Revenue.

20. Item, where in times past there hath beene continually 6. Auditors serving in the said Court of Exchequer, whereof at this day and of long time hath beene remaineing but 5

having ten pounds for every year for his fee, it is now ordered, that there shall be seven to have yearly twenty pounds for his and their fees, and that every of the said Auditors be personally resident upon his Office.

21. Item, That every Teller of the Receit be likewise attendant upon his Office, to exe∣cute the same in his own person, and not by Deputy upon the losse of his Office, and fee.

22. Item, For that the order, establishment and uniting of this Court be perfectly establi∣shed with exercise, proof, and experience of the same, the Kings Highness is pleased, that the Lord Treasurer, and the said Court of Ex∣chequer, should have full power and authority from time to time to amend, reform, and cor∣rect, any clause or Article aforesaid, and to add to, or diminish any thing that shall be found necessary for the amendment of the same, and to make such further orders from time to time, as to the Court shalbe thought expedient.

23. Item, That all Rents and services reser∣ved be answered in the said Court of Exche∣equer, and paid in the said Receipt, and like∣wise all debts, arrerages of accounts, and o∣ther dutyes and summs of mony which have been answered in the said Exchequer, be payd in the sayd receipt.

24. Item; To call into the Court of Exche∣quer, all persons accountable in such manner and form, as they ought to have been called in the said Court of augmentation.

25. Item, That all Records of late being in the sayd Court dissolved, and belonging to the same Court shall be recorded of the same court of Exchequer, and of the same force and strength, as they were in the said late Court dissolved.

26. Item, A Leagure to be made of all spe∣cialties brought into the said Court.

27. Item, That all Letters Patents, Grants, Leafes, and other Assurances, made by the sayd late Courts dissolved, shalbe of the same force and strength, as they were in the sayd late Courts dissolved.