Custos Brevium
The Custos Brevium was an official in the Court of Common Pleas and Court of King's Bench. In the Court of Common Pleas the Custos Brevium served as Chief Clerk, in charge of the officials that supported the Justices of the Common Pleas in their business.[1] In practice the position was a royal favour, and the actual clerking was done by the Custos Brevium's Deputy.[1]
The Custos Brevium of the King's Bench is a much more obscure figure because he was not appointed by the King. The office of Custos Brevium of the King's Bench was combined with the Clerk of the Treasury and Clerk of the Warrants by the 17th century, and there is enough evidence to suggest this had probably occurred by the middle of the 15th century.[2]
List of Custos Brevium of the Court of Common Pleas
| Term as Custos Brevium |
Name |
| 23 September 1501 – 23 April 1509 |
Richard Decons |
| 2 June 1506–July 1521 |
Richard Decons and Thomas Bonham |
| July 1521–18 June 1532 |
Thomas Bonham |
| 24 June 1532 – 11 April 1548 |
John Wellysbourne |
| 6 May 1548 – 27 January 1562 |
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley |
| 27 January 1562 – 12 March 1591 |
John Lennard |
| 2 February 1562 – 20 April 1586 |
Thomas Cecil |
| 22 April 1586–1629 |
Thomas Spencer and Richard Spencer |
List of Custos Brevium of the Court of King/Queen's Bench
| Term as Custos Brevium |
Name |
| 19 January 1579 – 21 December 1608 |
William Davison[3] |
| 1626–1645 |
Robert Dewhurst and Justinian Paget[4] |
References
Bibliography
- Baker, J.H (2003). The Oxford History of the Laws of England Volume IV. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 19 825817 8.
- Baker, J.H (1978). The Reports of Sir John Spelman Vol. II. Selden Society.