King's Remembrancer
Encyclopedia
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
. Since the Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
no longer sits as a judge, the Remembrancer is the oldest judicial position in continual existence. The post was created in 1154 by King Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
as the chief official in the Exchequer Court
Exchequer of pleas
The Exchequer of Pleas or Court of Exchequer was a court that followed equity, a set of legal principles based on natural law, and common law, in England and Wales. Originally part of the curia regis, or King's Council, the Exchequer of Pleas split from the curia during the 1190s, to sit as an...
, whose purpose was 'to put the Lord Treasurer and the Barons of Court in remembrance of such things as were to be called upon and dealt with for the benefit of the Crown', a primary duty being to keep records of the taxes, paid and unpaid. The first King's Remembrancer was Richard of Ilchester
Richard of Ilchester
Richard of Ilchester , also called Richard of Toclyve or Richard of Toclive, was a medieval English statesman and prelate-Life:He was born in the diocese of Bath, where he obtained preferment...
, a senior servant of the Crown and later Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
. The King's Remembrancer continued to sit in the Court of the Exchequer until its abolition in 1882. The post of Queen's Remembrancer is held by the Senior Master of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
.
The present holder of the office is Master Steven Whitaker.
Quit Rents ceremonies
The Exchequer Court is reconstituted every year for the ancient ceremonies of the "Rendering of the Quit RentsQuit-rent
Quit rent , Quit-rent, or quitrent, in practically all cases, is now effectively but not formally a tax or land tax imposed on freehold or leased land by a higher landowning authority, usually a government or its assigns....
to the Crown" by the City of London at the Royal Courts of Justice. There are three of these; the oldest dating from 1211. In this ceremony, the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
pays service for two pieces of land: The Moors near Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, for which the City must pay two knives, one blunt and one sharp.
The second oldest has been made, entered in the Great Roll of the Exchequer, since 1235. This is for 'The Forge' (forge) in Tweezer's Alley, just south of St Clement's Dane, near the Strand
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
in London, for which the City must pay six horseshoes and 61 horseshoe nails.
These two Quits are paid together as one ceremony. During the ceremony, a black-and-white-chequered cloth is spread out — it is from this that the word "Exchequer" derives. These two events are combined with the introduction to the Remembrancer of the City's newly elected Sheriffs.
The six horseshoes and the sixty-one Nails are themselves over 550 years old, since after being rendered to the Queen’s Remembrancer, they are preserved in his Office and with the permission of the Crown, they are loaned to the Corporation of London to be rendered again the following year.
The Solicitor & Comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
of the City of London presents the horseshoes and nails and counts them out to the Remembrancer who then pronounces "Good number." The knives are tested by the Queen's Remembrancer by taking a hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
stick, one cubit
Cubit
The cubit is a traditional unit of length, based on the length of the forearm. Cubits of various lengths were employed in many parts of the world in Antiquity, in the Middle Ages and into Early Modern Times....
in length, and bending it over the blunt knife and leaving a mark. Then the stick is split in two with the sharp knife. This practice stems from the creation of tally sticks where a mark was made in a stick with a blunt knife for each payment counted and then, when payment was complete, the stick was split down the middle, leaving each party with half of the marked stick and creating a receipt (or foil and counter-foil). After the knives are tested the Remembrancer pronounces "Good service."
The third quit rent rendered ceremonially (of all other payments) to the Crown by the City of London dates from 1327, and is for £11 in regard to the reserved interest of the Crown for the 'town of Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
. '. In that year the City was granted its fourth oldest Royal Charter to acquire Southwark from Edward III for this annual payment. It was specifically retained by Edward VI in the 1550 charter to the City which extended its jurisdiction over the outlying parts of Southwark. This Quit is rendered by the Foreman of the City of London's Court Leet
Court leet
The court leet was a historical court baron of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the "view of frankpledge" and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts.-History:...
Jury of the 'Town and Borough of Southwark' alias Guildable Manor, which is the same area as defined in 1327. The continuation of this body is sanctioned under the Administration of Justice Act 1977. The ceremony takes place in a suitably dignified venue in the manor, the Cathedral library, the Glaziers Hall or the new Greater London City Hall. This sum is rendered onto the Exchequer Cloth in the form of Crowns (5 shilling / 25 pence pieces), which are still legal tender. The Remembrancer pronounces "Good service" and this is witnessed by the Clerk of the Chamberlain of London's Court as well as the Manor Jurors to note that the payment has been made.
Trial of the Pyx
The Trial of the Pyx is a ceremony dating from 1249, formerly held in the Exchequer Court but now held in Goldsmiths HallWorshipful Company of Goldsmiths
The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company, which has origins in the twelfth century, received a Royal Charter in 1327. It ranks fifth in the order of precedence of Livery Companies. Its motto is Justitia Virtutum Regina, Latin for Justice...
. The Queen's Remembrancer swears in a jury of 26 goldsmith]s who then count, weigh and otherwise measure a sample of 88,000 gold coins produced by the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
. The term "Pyx" refers to the name of the box in which the coins are kept.
Forest of Dean
In 1688, King James IIJames II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
directed the King's Remembrancer to appoint commissioners to supervise the planting of trees in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
. The Forest was an important source of iron, coal and timber to the Monarch, but had been neglected during the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
.
Other responsibilities
The Queen's Remembrancer is also responsible for nomination of the High SheriffHigh Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
s of each County of England and Wales (except Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
), who are later selected by the monarch via the pricking ceremony.
The Remembrancer presents the Lord Mayor of the City of London to the Lord Chief Justice, Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
and other High Court judge
Judiciary of England and Wales
There are various levels of judiciary in England and Wales — different types of courts have different styles of judges. They also form a strict hierarchy of importance, in line with the order of the courts in which they sit, so that judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales are generally...
s at the Royal Courts of Justice
Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is the building in London which houses the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the High Court of Justice of England and Wales...
on Lord Mayor's Day
Lord Mayor's Day
Lord Mayor's Day, in England, is the day marked by a pageant known as the Lord Mayor's Show for the Lord Mayor of the City of London. It is actually styled "The Presentation of the Lord Mayor at The Royal Courts of Justice". When King John allowed the City to choose its Mayor it was with the caveat...
.
The Queen's Remembrancer also presents newly appointed Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
s of the City of London with a Writ of Approbation from the Monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
, sealed with the great silver seal
Seal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
of the Exchequer. This takes place at the same time as the Quit Rents.
List of Remembrancers
- Humphrey SalweyHumphrey SalweyHumphrey Salwey was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1652. He supported the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War....
28 September 1644 – 6 December 1652 - John DodingtonJohn DodingtonJohn Dodington is a Canadian operatic bass. Born in Toronto, he studied singing at The Royal Conservatory of Music with George Lambert from 1965-71. He then studied singing at the University of Toronto under Louis Quilico where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1972. From 1972-1975 he...
29 July 1568 – c. 1659 - Thomas Fanshawe, 1st Viscount FanshaweThomas Fanshawe, 1st Viscount FanshaweThomas Fanshawe, 1st Viscount Fanshawe was an English politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Hertford in the 1620s, and as a royalist in 1640.-Life:He was eldest son of Sir Henry Fanshawe, and brother of Sir Richard Fanshawe...
7 August 1660 – 26 March 1665 - Thomas Fanshawe, 2nd Viscount Fanshawe 26 March 1665 – 19 May 1674
- Vere Bertie 19 May 1674 – 4 June 1675
- Henry Ayloffe 4 June 1674 – 13 September 1708
- Henry StevensHenry StevensHenry Stevens , American bibliographer, was born in Barnet, Vermont.He studied at Middlebury College, Vermont, in 1838–1839, graduated at Yale in 1843, where he was a member of Skull and Bones, and studied at Harvard Law School in 1843–1844...
23 October 1708 – 25 June 1709 temporarily appointed by the Barons of Exchequer while the rights of Charles Fanshawe, 4th Viscount Fanshawe and Simon Fanshawe to the office were settled; Charles, who had the next reversion, was a JacobiteJacobitismJacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
and would not subscribe to the oaths required
- Henry Stevens
- Simon Fanshawe, 5th Viscount Fanshawe 13 September 1708 – 23 October 1716 appointment retroactive
- Samuel Masham, 1st Baron MashamSamuel Masham, 1st Baron MashamSamuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham , was a courtier in the court of Queen Anne, and the husband of her favourite, Abigail Masham , Baroness Masham....
23 October 1716 – 16 October 1758 - Samuel Masham, 2nd Baron Masham 16 October 1758 – 14 June 1776
- Felton Lionel Hervey 14 June 1776 – 9 September 1785
- Edward James EliotEdward James EliotThe Honourable Edward James Eliot was an English Member of Parliament.Eliot was born in Cornwall, the son of Edward Craggs-Eliot , politician, created Baron Eliot in 1784....
4 October 1785 – 20 September 1797 - Thomas SteeleThomas Steele (politician)Thomas Steele was a British politician at the turn of the nineteenth century.After Westminster School and Cambridge, he was elected as MP for Chichester in 1780, holding the seat until 1807....
2 November 1797 – 8 December 1823 - Henry William Vincent 18 December 1823 – 1 February 1858
- William Henry Walton 1858–1874
- Sir William Frederick Pollock, 2nd Baronet 1874–1886
- George Frederick Pollock 1886 – December 1901
- Robert St John Fitzwalter Butler, 16th Baron Dunboyne December 1901–1905
- James Robert Mellor 1905–1912
- Sir John MacdonellJohn Macdonell (jurist)Sir John Macdonell K.C.B. was a British jurist. He was King's Remembrancer and a Knight Commander in the Order of the Bath.-External links:...
1912–1920 - Thomas Willes Chitty 1920–1927
- George A. Bonner 1927–1937
- Ernest A. Jelf 1937–1943
- W. Valentine Ball 1943–1947
- Sir Percy Reginald Simner 1947–1950
- F. Arnold Baker 1951–1957
- Sir (Richard) Frank Burnand 1958–1960?
- Sir Anthony Highmore King 1960–1962
- Claude Herbert Grundy 1962–1965
- B.A. Harwood 1965–1970?
- Sir (William) Russell Lawrence 1970-1975
- Sir Jack Jacob 1975–1980
- John Ritchie 1980–?
…
- J.R. Bickford Smith (in 1988)
…
- Keith Topley 1990–1996
- Robert Lockley Turner 1996 – 1 October 2007
- Steven Dixon Whitaker 2 October 2007 – present
See also
- Queen's and Lord Treasurer's RemembrancerQueen's and Lord Treasurer's RemembrancerThe Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer is an officer in Scotland who represents the Crown's interests in bona vacantia, ultimus haeres and treasure trove....
- successor to the Queen's Remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer in Scotland - City RemembrancerCity remembrancerThe Remembrancer is one of the City of London’s Chief Officers and the role dates back to 1571. His traditional role is as the channel of communications between the Lord Mayor and the City of London on the one hand and the Sovereign, Royal Household and Parliament on the other...
- a senior officer of the City of London Corporation.
External links
- About the Queen's Remembrancer
- King`s Remembrancer: Memoranda Rolls and Enrolment Books online records of The National Archives
- The Trial of the Pyx