IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0074 ACC/0975
Held at: London Metropolitan Archives
Title: KING'S BENCH AND EXCHEQUER COURTS
Date(s): 1809
Level of description: Collection
Extent: 0.08 linear metres
Name of creator(s): Court of King's Bench x Court of Queen's Bench
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
The Court of King's Bench was founded circa 1200 to hear common pleas, although it came to specialise in pleas of special interest and concern to the king, such as those which involved his own property interests, or breach of his peace, or an error of judgment by another royal court. By 1675 the King's Bench was the highest court of common law in England and Wales, with jurisdiction over both civil and criminal actions. Civil business was conducted on the 'Plea Side' and criminal business on the 'Crown Side'. It was absorbed into the High Court in 1875 (source of information: The National Archives Research Guides "Legal Records Information 34" and "Legal Records Information 36").
The Court of Exchequer originated after the Norman Conquest as a financial committee of the Curia Regis (the King's Court). By the reign of Henry II it had become separate, and was responsible for the collection of the king's revenue as well as for judging cases affecting the revenue. By the 13th century the court proper and the exchequer or treasury began to separate. The court's jurisdiction over common pleas now steadily increased, to include, for example, money disputes between private litigants. A second Court of Exchequer Chamber was set up in 1585 to amend errors of the Court of the King's Bench. These were amalgamated in 1830 when a single Court of Exchequer emerged as a court of appeal intermediate between the common-law courts and the House of Lords. In 1875 the Court of Exchequer became, by the Judicature Act of 1873, part of the High Court of Justice, and in 1880 was combined with the Court of Common Pleas (source of information: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008).
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Extract from the King's Bench Plea Roll 274, relating to an action for debt (Slackford v Bromley) at Westminster, with writ of error bringing judgement in this action before the Court of Exchequer Chamber.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Two documents.
Conditions governing access:
Available for general access.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.
Physical characteristics:
Fit
Finding aids:
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
Gifted to the Archive in September 1967.
ALLIED MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Date(s) of descriptions: November 2009 to February 2010