The King's Remembrancer (or Queen's Remembrancer) is an ancient judicial post in the legal system of

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the Law of the United Kingdom#Legal jurisdictions, three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Th ...

. Since the

Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...

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 as the chief official in the

Exchequer Court The Exchequer of Pleas, or Court of Exchequer, was a court that dealt with matters of equity, a set of legal principles based on natural law and common law in England and Wales. Originally part of the , or King's Council, the Exchequer of Plea ...

, 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, a senior servant of the Crown and later

Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' the offic ...

. The King's Remembrancer continued to sit in the Court of the Exchequer until its abolition in 1882. The post of King's Remembrancer is held by the Senior Master of the King's Bench Division of the High Court.

Quit Rents ceremonies

The Exchequer Court is reconstituted every year for the three ancient ceremonies of the "Rendering of the Quit Rents to the Crown" by the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

at the Royal Courts of Justice. The oldest dates from 1211, where the City pays service for two pieces of land, of which the oldest is ''The Moors'' near

Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the United Kingd ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...

, 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, for 'The Forge' in Tweezer's Alley, just south of St Clement Danes, near the Strand in London, for which the City must pay six horseshoes and 61 horseshoe nails – these are over 550 years old, since after being rendered to the King'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. These two quits are paid together as one ceremony, during which a black-and-white chequered cloth is spread out – it is from this that the word "

Exchequer In the Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil service of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's Exchequer, or just the Exchequer, is the accounting process of central government and the government's ''Transaction account, current account'' (i.e., mon ...

" derives – combined with the introduction to the Remembrancer of the City's newly elected sheriffs. The

Comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...

and

Solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...

of the

presents the horseshoes and nails and counts them out to the Remembrancer who then pronounces "Good number." The knives are tested by the King's Remembrancer by taking a

hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...

stick, one

cubit The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was primarily associated with the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Israelites. The term ''cubit'' is found in the Bible regarding Noah ...

in length, and bending it over the blunt knife and leaving a mark, and the stick is split in two with the sharp knife. This practice stems from the creation of

tally stick A tally stick (or simply a tally) was an ancient memory aid used to record and document numbers, quantities, and messages. Tally sticks first appear as animal bones carved with notches during the Upper Palaeolithic; a notable example is the Is ...

s where a mark was made on a stick with a blunt knife for each payment counted. 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 dates from 1327, and is for £11 in regard to the reserved interest of the Crown for the 'town of

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

'. In that year the City was granted its fourth-oldest Royal Charter to acquire Southwark from

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

for this annual payment. It was specifically retained by

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...

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's

Court Leet The court leet was a historical court baron (a type of manorial court) 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. Etymo ...

Jury of the "Town and Borough of Southwark", alias Guildable Manor, which is the area as defined in 1327. The continuation of this body is sanctioned under the Administration of Justice Act 1977. The ceremony takes place in the Cathedral library, the Glaziers' Hall or London's City Hall. This sum is rendered onto the Exchequer Cloth in the form of Crowns (five

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currency, currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 1 ...

pieces, equivalent to 25 new pence), which remain legal tender. The Remembrancer pronounces "Good service" and this is witnessed by the Clerk of the City's Chamberlain's Court and the manor

juror A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence, make Question of fact, findings of fact, and render an impartiality, impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a sentence (law), penalty or Judgmen ...

s 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, now in

Goldsmiths' Hall Goldsmiths' Hall is a Listed building#Categories of listed building, Grade I listed building at the junction of Foster Lane and Gresham Street in the City of London. It has served as an assay office and the headquarters of London's goldsmith gu ...

. The King's Remembrancer swears in a jury of 26

Goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

s who then count, weigh and otherwise measure a sample of 88,000 gold coins produced by the

Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's official maker of British coins. It is currently located in Llantrisant, Wales, where it moved in 1968. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly ow ...

. The term "Pyx" refers to the name of the box in which the coins are kept.

Forest of Dean

In 1688, King James II directed the King's Remembrancer to appoint commissioners to supervise the planting of trees in the

Forest of Dean The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the Counties of England, county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangle, triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and no ...

. The Forest was an important source of iron, coal and timber to the Monarch, but had been neglected during the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Other responsibilities

The King's Remembrancer is responsible for nomination of the high sheriffs to each

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

of England and Wales (except

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, who are selected by the

Duke of Cornwall Duke of Cornwall () is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British monarch, previously the English monarch. The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created i ...

(i.e. the eldest son of the

sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...

), and

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester. ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

and

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Wales, Welsh county of Flintshire across ...

, who are selected by the

Duke of Lancaster The dukedom of Lancaster is a former Peerage of England, English peerage, created three times in the Middle Ages, which finally merged in the Crown when Henry V of England, Henry V succeeded to the throne in 1413. Despite the extinction of the ...

(i.e. the

)), via the

Pricking During the height of the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, common belief held that a Witchcraft, witch could be discovered through the process of pricking their skin with sewing needle, needles, pins and bodkins – daggerlike i ...

ceremony. The Remembrancer presents the

Lord Mayor of the City of London Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

to the

Lord Chief Justice The Lord or Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary of England and Wales and the president of the courts of England and Wales. Until 2005 the lord chief justice was the second-most senior judge of the English a ...

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 President of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)#Civil Division, Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales ...

and other High Court judges at the

Royal Courts of Justice The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is a court building in Westminster which houses the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The High Court also sits on circuit and in other major cities. Designed by Ge ...

on Lord Mayor's Day. The King's Remembrancer presents newly appointed

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

s of the City with a

Writ In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrant (legal), Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, and ''certiorari'' are commo ...

Approbation Approbation may refer to: * Approbation (Catholic canon law), an act in the Catholic Church by which a bishop or other legitimate superior grants to an ecclesiastic the actual exercise of his ministry * Approbation (Germany), the process of grant ...

from the

monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

, sealed with the Great Silver

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

of the

. This takes place at the same time as the Quit Rents.

List of Remembrancers

* Richard of Ilchester (appointed 1154) * John Troutbeck and Thomas Daniel of Frodsham (appointed 1447) *John FitzHerbert (d. 1502), father-in-law of John Port, Justice of the King's Bench *John Jessop, 22 April 1513 – 21 April 1514 *William Forman, 22 April 1538 – 21 April 1540 * Sir Christopher More, 1542–1549 * Thomas Saunders, 1549–1565 * Henry Fanshawe, 1565–1568 * Thomas Fanshawe, 1568–1601 *Sir Henry Fanshawe, 1601–1616 * Christopher Hatton, 1616–1619 * Sir Thomas Fanshawe 1619–1641 * Richard Fanshawe 1641 – c. 1642 (deprived of office by Parliament as a Royalist) * Humphrey Salwey, 28 September 1644 – 6 December 1652 * John Dodington, 29 July 1658 – c. 1659 *

Thomas Fanshawe, 1st Viscount Fanshawe Thomas Fanshawe, 1st Viscount Fanshawe Order of the Bath, KB (1596 – 30 March 1665) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons at various times between 1621 and 1661. He supported the Cavaliers, ...

, 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 Stevens, 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 Jacobite and would not subscribe to the oaths required * Simon Fanshawe, 5th Viscount Fanshawe, 13 September 1708 – 23 October 1716 (appointment retroactive) * Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham, 23 October 1716 – 16 October 1758 * Samuel Masham, 2nd Baron Masham, 16 October 1758 – 14 June 1776 * Felton Hervey and his son Felton Lionel Hervey, 14 June 1776 – 9 September 1785 * Edward James Eliot, 4 October 1785 – 20 September 1797 * Thomas Steele, 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 Macdonell Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonell of Greenfield (19 April 1785 – 14 October 1812) was an aide-de-camp to British Major General Sir Isaac Brock during the War of 1812, dying in the Battle of Queenston Heights. Life He was born on 19 Apr ...

, 1912–1920 * Thomas Willes Chitty, 1920–1927 *Sir George A. Bonner, 1927–1937 * Ernest Arthur Jelf, 1937–1943 * W. Valentine Ball, 1943–1947 * Sir Percy Reginald Simner, 1947–1950 * Sir Frederick 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, 1980–1982 *John Bullen Elton, 1982–1983 *J. R. Bickford-Smith, 1983–1987 * Ian Warren, 1988–1990± * Keith Topley, 1990–1996 * Robert Lockley Turner, 1996 – 1 October 2007 * Steven Dixon Whitaker, 2 October 2007 – February 2014 (resigned from office after misconduct was proven in his work diary scheduling) *John Leslie, February 2014 – 19 October 2014 (Acting Queen's Remembrancer pending appointment of a permanent Remembrancer) * Barbara Fontaine, 20 October 2014 – September 2023 *Jeremy David Cook, 16 September 2023 – present

Citations

FANSHAWE, Henry I (c.1506-68), of London. HENRY FANSHAWE, QUEEN'S REMEMBRANCER HATTON, Christopher II (c.1581-1619), of Clay Hall, Barking, Essex and Kirby Hall, Northants.

References

* J. C. Sainty (comp.), ''Officers of the Exchequer'' (List and Index Society, Special Series 18, 1983), 40.

External links

King's RemembrancerKing`s Remembrancer: Memoranda Rolls and Enrolment Books
online records of The National Archives
The Trial of the Pyx
{{English Exchequer Judiciary of England and Wales Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom Exchequer offices 1154 establishments in England Forest of Dean Henry II of England