The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

318 OFFICE OF CONSTABLES.
viour, The words of their commission are con- into his majesty's hands all lands escheated, and
ceived thus: quorunm such and such, untum? vel goods or lands forfeited, and therefore is called
duos, &c., esse volurnus; and without some one or escheator; and he is to inquire by good inquest
more of the quioruzm, no sessions can be holden; of the death of the king's tenant, and to whom
and for the avoiding of a superfluous number of the lands are descended, and to seize their bodies
such justices, (for, through the ambition of many and lands for ward, if they be within age, and is
Justiceof it is counted a credit to be burthened accountable for the same; he is named or appeace appointed with that authority,) the statute of 38 pointed by the Lord Treasurer of England.
keel er 1I. VIII. hath expressly prohibited
that there shall be but eight justices of the peace
in every county. These justices hold their ses- Tle Oqnce of Coroner.
sions quarterly. r0Two other officers there are in every county
In every shire where the commission of the called coroners; and by their office they are to
peace is established, there is a clerk of the peace inquest in what manner, and by whom every
for the entering and engrossing of all proceedings,
bfreh sai jutic An thsofcri. person, dying of a violent death, came so to their
beore the said justices. nd this officer is ap- death; and to enter the same of record; which
is matter criminal, and a plea of the crown: and,
The Office of Sheriffs. therefore, they are called coroners, or crowners,
as one hath written, because their inquiry ought
Every shire hath a sheriff, which word, being
of the Saxon English, is as much as to say, shire- to be in coronapopuli.
minisrof the ount: his funcation o yr These officers are chosen by the freeholders of
reeve, or minister of the county his function or the shire, by virtue of a writ out of the chancery
office is tWofold, namely,
off. Mince is twofold, namelyerial. d coronatore eligendo: and of whom I need not
1. Ministerial, to write more, because these officers are in use
2. Judicial.
1. He is the minister and executioner everywhere.
34 H. S. c. 16.
of all the process and precepts of the
courts of law,-and therefore ought to make return General Observations, touching Constables, Jailers,
and certificate. and Bailiffs.
2. The sheriff hath authority to hold two several courts of distinct natures: 1. The turn, be- Forasmuch as every shire is divided into hun
cause he keepeth his turn and circuit about the dreds, there are also by the statute of 34 H. VIII.
shire, holdeth the same court in several places cap. 26, ordered and appointed, that two suicient
wherein he doth inquire of all offences perpetrated gentlemen or yeomen shall he appointed conagainst the common law, and not forbidden by stables of every hundred.
any statute or act of ParliaAnent; and the j uris- Also, there is in every shire a jail or prison
diction of this court is derived from justice distri- appointed for the restraint of liberty of such perbutive, and is for criminal offences, and held twice sons as for their offences are thereunto comevery year. mitted, until they shall be delivered by course
The county court, wherein he doth determine of law.
all petty and small causes civil under the value In every hundred of every shire the sheriff
of forty shillings, arising within the said county, thereof shall nominate suicient persons to be
and, therefore, it is called the county court. bailiffs of that hundred, and under-ministers of
The jurisdiction of this court is derived from the sheriff; and they are to attend upon the
justice commutative, and held every month. The justices in every of their courts and sesoffice of the sheriff is annual, and in the king's sions.
gift, whereof he is to have a patent.
E rote. Archbishop Sancroft notes on this last'~The Office of Escheator. chapter, written, say some, by Sir John DoddeEvery shire hath an officer called an escheator, ridge, one of the justices of the Iing's Bench,
which is to attend the king's revenue, and to seize 1608.