Add MS 48056

TREATISE ON THE CHANCERY, etc.; c. 1613-1618. See Ward, pp. 270-298. The present manuscript is quoted in W. J. Jones, The Elizabethan Court of Chancery, 1967, (see p. 33, n.1.). Contents table, f. i.

1. ff. 1-6. List of Lord Chancellors, 1046-1618, incomplete and inaccurate, with incomplete table of Masters of the Rolls, 1313-1523; aft. 1618 (the list refers to the appointment of Sir Francis Bacon as Lord Chancellor, 7 Jan. 1618). The list of Chancellors exists in various versions and may have been drawn up at the end of the 16th cent., see Ward, p. 295. For other examples, see Stowe MS. 415, ff. 192-193b, 207-218b.

2. ff. 6b-7. List of fees of the Lord Chancellors and other Chancery posts. Differs from shorter lists, derived from Lambarde's 'Archeion', in Stowe 415, f. 40, Hargrave MS. 227, ff. 192-193, etc.

3. ff. 7b-84b. Treatise known as 'A discourse of the High Court of Chancery'; c. 1613. Beg. 'As God doth dispose his government by justice and mercie' (f. 7). For a printed version of material on ff. 7b-46 see The practice of the High Court of Chancery unfolded, 1652, pp. 52-92 (STC 3156). See J. H. Baker, English Legal Manuscripts in the United States of America, ii, 1990, nos. 379, 561, 628, 1264, for attribution of a treatise with this incipit to William Lambarde (c. 1601). Coke's 9th Report is referred to (f. 11b), suggesting a date soon after 1613 for compilation, see Ward, p. 295, n.93. For another copy with minor differences, see Egerton MS. 2254, ff. 3-39b. The treatise is related to Sir Robert Bruce Cotton's treatise on the Chancery of similar date, see Ward, p. 295, n.93, and Stowe 415, ff. 219-257b. The present text varies substantially from Cotton's treatise, and articles are often in a different order. However, some material occurs in both treatises with little variation, for example articles on clerks of the Chancery (ff. 24b-27) and most of Part Two (ff. 38b-71). Arranged as follows: [Part One] (a) 'Chancery'. The first paragraph is printed at the beginning of an anonymous pamphlet Proposalls Concerning the Chancery, 1650 (STC 3718). ff. 7-

8b; (b) 'The Chancery and the Antiquitie thereof'. ff. 8b-11b; (c) 'The Chancellor & his Presidency'. ff. 11b-13b; (d) 'The Chancellor and his place and places power'. ff. 13b-14; (e) 'The M[aste]r of the Rolls and the rest of the M[aste]rs of chancery'. ff. 14-18b; (f) M[aste]rs of the Chauncery'. ff. 18b-24; (g) 'Clerke of the Crowne'. f. 24; (h) 'Clerke of the Petty Bagg'. ff. 24b-25; (i) 'Clerke of the Hamper'. ff. 25b-26b; (j) 'Controller'. f. 27; (k) 'Cursitorii'. ff. 27b-29; (l) 'Examiners'. f. 29; (m) 'Serieant of armes or at Mace'. ff. 29b-30; (n) 'Clarkes of the ffaculties'. ff. 30-31b; (o) 'Clerke of the Presentments'. ff. 31b-32b; (p) 'Clerke of the Appeales'. ff. 32b-33; (q) 'Clarke of the Pattents'. f. 33; (r) 'Certaine cases wherin Clerkes of the Chancery and their Attendants maye have priviledges and where not'. ff. 33b-36b; (s) 'Cases of Priviledge' for Chancery clerks and officers'. ff. 36b-38b. [Part Two] 'Divers observations concerninge . . . Chancerye and the Course there'. (a) Introduction. ff. 38-39b; (b) 'Warrants for the Great Seale'. ff. 39b-40b; (c) 'Exemplifications and Constats and their difference'. ff. 41-43b;

(d) 'Writs out of chancery'. ff. 43b-47; (e) 'The Chancellor hath an absolute power'. ff. 47-51; (f) 'Cases remediable in Chancerye'. ff. 66-71; (h) 'Observations concerning the Courses and formes used in ye Chancery'. ff. 71b-84b.

Paper; ff. i + 85. 17th-cent. pagination 1-168, probably by the writer of the contents table. Folio. Temp. Charles I. Written in one hand, which also occurs in Add. 48059 (e.g. ff. 407-408); contents table, f. i, in a different hand. Vellum binding. '62' on spine, written over an earlier number, possibly '65'.

Elizabeth I of England: Papers of R. Beale, Clerk of the Council: 16th cent.

Robert Beale, Clerk to the Privy Council: Correspondence and papers.

includes:

• ff. 1-6 Court of Chancery: List of Lord Chancellors and Masters of the Rolls: 17th cent: Copy(?).
• ff. 6b-7 Court of Chancery: Fees of the Lord Chancellor and other officers of the Chancery: 17th cent: Copy (?).
• ff. 7b-84b William Lambarde, antiquary: `A discourse on the High Court of Chancery', attributed to: 1613: Copy.
• ff. 7b-84b Court of Chancery: Treatise on, attributed to W. Lambarde: c. 1613: Copy.