pleas pleas court court dealt matters equity set legal principles based natural law common law england wales originally pleas split sit independent central court reputation expense resulted business transferring similar jurisdictions drew closer years argument 19th century having seemingly identical courts unnecessary result lost equity jurisdiction acts formally dissolved judicial body december jurisdiction times common law equity initially court common law equity lost common law jurisdiction formation concerned matters common law matters discretion try actions brought officials actions brought monarch non paying writ allowed look common cases subject subject area significantly expanded soon regained standing common law matters cases formally taken chancellor practice heard barons judicial officials led chief baron court officials included appointed officials kept records sworn acted attorneys parties case history origins originally claimed based similar norman court records work england evidence similar body pre conquest normandy reliable records come time henry sole surviving pipe roll reign shows working king palace followed king travelled sitting fixed location held york london times late 12th century taken sitting fixed location body government england possible distinguish work parts king time considered simply element referred word derives cloth laid table purposes counting money began separating process continued beginning 13th century academics suggested increasing demand revenue court led common law element split form pleas common law court separate increasing work transformation records known date bills dated 16th century carried duties little variation function practice small court handled cases year compared bench political judicial fiscal importance increased partially thanks lord high treasurer lord chancellor traditionally important lord high politically influential figures including lord high treasurer head treasurer increased influence came increased importance appointment second norfolk lord high led gradual reduction power seen government independent trusted real power useful removed result indirectly reduce power deliberately weakened appointed treasurer increased power absorbing tenths assisted period queen capable man consulted barons best way administer court helped allowing cope period increased business administrative reforms considered excellent work continued standard 1830s business increased james charles english civil war disrupted courts increasing use writ allowed royal bring case party owed money lack money prevented paying king new regime actively transformed tax court dealing civil cases dedicated court equity common law civil war caused courts dissolved formally dissolved marches equity jurisdiction stripped act parliament invalid outcome english civil war dependent seal authority war ended equity courts remaining publicly slow pace led lord chancellor political figure involved conflict result increased importance court known active transformation judicial political decision loss equity jurisdiction dissolution beginning 18th century equity jurisdiction pleas firmly cemented considered viable alternative result court cited cases precedent drew closely addition 18th century acts parliament treated way merely referring courts equity mentioning individually time treasury important leading reduction inferior influence despite warning signs continued flourish maintaining large business entirely equity court having little common law work court equity deeply unpopular 1830s cases heard single judge real prospect appeal cases taken house_of_lords highly expensive time consuming long established method appealing lords later introduced court time elements equity business dried act ending cases act establishing removing cases fees higher courts identical precedent seen unnecessary maintain courts result formally dissolved jurisdiction court loss jurisdiction dedicated common law court fell prey fate common law courts bench late 19th century long calls merger courts member parliament complained parliament long courts inevitable saying power courts restrictions away distribute business equally long left free choose tribunal favourite court attract best lawyers judges position commission created look issues central courts outcome acts central courts single central common law courts divisions supreme_court designed permanent avoid having retire chief justices allow single head supreme_court violated constitutional principle senior justices sheer chance lord chief baron lord chief justice england respectively died allowing merger common law divisions supreme_court single division queen lord chief justice common pleas lord chief justice england december point pleas formally ceased exist jurisdiction relationship courts position court originally came informal process argument king money owed 13th century evolved formal court proceedings initial jurisdiction defined statute court king bring cases tax court king defendant king represented attorney general allowing avoid legal costs associated court case logical step allow collect debts better pay king sole jurisdiction try cases officials figures engaged collecting royal revenue court prosecute innocent come close committing represented attorney general costs reduced attorney general incentive compromise threatening formally extended common law equity jurisdiction fully fledged court law able hear civil case main focus collection royal revenue greater officially undertaken lord high treasurer unique having jurisdiction matters equity common law initially curtailed reserved bench court common pleas later grew process common law equity reversed 16th century solely common law body equity jurisdiction relevant near end tudor period argues happened reign jurisdiction equity cases confirmed handling significant number year including disputes taxation present difficult dispute prevented payment debt monarch allowing writ stood equal westminster courts court king bench cases transferred easily problems case bench traditional method moving case writ king bench represented monarch placed instead clerk bring red book king bench assert case officer necessitating trial king bench maintained clear rule equity court case heard heard apart cases equity heard court superior status inferior courts equity able cases decisions jurisdiction ecclesiastical courts overlapped particularly relation collection records disputes appeals court allowed appeals house_of_lords case confirmed officers treasurer formal head existence lord high treasurer tasked collecting royal revenues originally clerk supervised chief head court position abolished reign reign elizabeth treasurer duties began increase played role affairs 17th century lord high treasurer replaced dedicated treasurer earlier lord high treasurer independently given title presented white staff monarch treasurer active revenue played little active role pleas chancellor chancellor independently head involved pleas check lord high treasurer evolved lord chancellor clerk sat responsible sealing summons holding copy great seal earliest appearances clerk records come document signed lord time little interest judicial fiscal matters result clerk independent chancellor royal appointment holding seal independently lord chancellor known chancellor chancellor additionally confirmed treasurer allowing carry treasurer duties unavailable chancellor appointed letters patent life appointment changed office hold pleasures crown english civil war chancellor judicial office little political standing war seen stepping stone higher political appointments administrative judicial office chancellor position head treasury important appointment barons main judicial officers barons originally judges bench independent positions separation early years existence barons chief accounts england role passed dedicated reign expansion tudor era barons important previously chief baron appointed law barons mere practice barons increased standing time level bench judges required baron sat hear case convention insisting maximum barons rule mere convention occasionally broken baron ill unable sit felt appropriate appoint fifth ill called edinburgh temporary chief baron scottish fifth baron permanently added relieve court congestion time fifth judge added baron chief baron chancellor treasurer unavailable head court absent second baron took charge case fourth baron judge available second known barons initially treated individual offices time james order determined judges unlike bench different positions different degrees power baron equal vote decisions barons appointed letters patent sworn lord chancellor head judiciary 16th century held offices good behaviour baron leave situations resignation death appointment court automatically office void letters patent expired death monarch new crowned baron receive new patent leave office routine event continued office new monarch king chief clerk handling bills equity equivalent master rolls headed clerical court duties judicial body handled revenue jurisdiction established 14th century originally able appoint sworn 16th century jurisdiction limited appointing sworn appointing rest similar way originally charge court records 17th century longer possessed keys record office sworn exclusive right search records main job instead quasi judicial examining certain witnesses taking minutes court settling disputes scandal appointed life qualified appoint deputy appointed sir office kept family starting ending broad duties split england etc act replace masters appointed general officials appointed chief baron years standing holding offices good behaviour unable appoint deputy masters handled taking minutes previously undertaken general overseeing money paid court deposited previously held complete discretion money offices offices included sworn clerk barons clerk sworn called sworn officers court held offices life worked clerk acted attorney parties court party required employ clerk known secondary administered sworn assisted sworn clerk appointed clerk studied sworn clerk years practising sworn clerk clerk chance promoted sworn clerk sworn tasked supervising witnesses bringing witness baron oath keeping files decided sworn officers court baron acted baron office dissolved equity jurisdiction came end addition baron clerk acted private secretary paid authorised fees work chief baron barons king employed clerk secretary received salary sworn officer court meaning replaced time
Exchequer of Pleas