any greater number In euery of the said Shires where the said Commission of the Peace is established There is also a Clarke of the Peace for the entring and ingrossing of all proceedings before the said Iustices and this Officer is appointed by the Custos Rotulorum Euery of the said Shires hath his Sheriffe which word being of the Saxon English is as much to say as a Sbire Reeue or minister or Bayliffe of the Countie his Function or Office is two fold Ministeriall or Iudiciall As touching his Ministeriall office he is the Minister and executioner of all the proces and precepts of the Courts of Law and thereof ought to make return or certificate And as touching his Iudiciall office he hath authority to hold two seuerall Courts of distinct natures the one called the Tourne because he keepeth a Tourne or Circuit about his shire holding the same in seuerall places wherein he doth inquire of all offences perpetrated against the Common Law and not forbidden by any Statute or Act of Parliament And the Iurisdiction of this Court is deriued from Iustice distributiue and is for criminall offences The other is called the County Court where he doth determine all petty and small causes Ciuill vnder the value of forty shillings arising within the said County and thereof it is called the Countie Court And the iutisdiction of this Court is drawne from Iustice Commutatiue and is held euery moneth The office of the Sheriffe is Annuall and by the Statute of 34. h. 8. it is ordained that the Lord President Councell and Iustices of Wales or three of them at the least where of the President to be one shall yeerely nominate three fit persons for that office of whom the Kings Maiestie may elect and chose one who thereupon shall haue his Patent and be Sheriffe of the said shire Euery of the said Shires hath an Officer called an Escheator which is an officer to attend the Kings reuenue and to seaze into his Maiesties hands all lands either escheated goods or lands for seited and therefore he is called Escheator and he is to enquire by good enquest of the death of the Kings Tenants and to whom their lands are descended and to seaze their bodies and lands for ward if they be within age and is accountable for the same And this Officer in Wales is named by the Lord Treasurer of England by the aduice of the Lord President Councell and Iustices or three of them at the least whereof the Lord President to be one There are also in euery of the said shires two Officers called Coroners they are to enquire by inquest in what manner and by whom euery person dying of a violent death came to his death and to enter the same of Record which is matter criminall and a plea of the Crowne and thereof they are called Coroners or Crowners as one hath written because their enquiries ought to be publique in corona populi These Officers are chosen by the Free-holders of the Shire by vertue of a Writ out of the Chauncery de Coronatore eligendo and of them I need not to speake more because these Officers are elsewhere Forasmuch as euery shire is diuided into hundreds there are also by the said Statute of 34. h. 8. cap. 26. ordained that two sufficient Gentlemen or Yeomen shall be appointed Constables of euery hundred Also there is in euery Shire one Goale or Prison appointed for the restraint of liberty of such persons as for their offences are therunto committed vntill they shall be deliuered by course of law Finally in euery hundred of euery of the said shires the Sheriffes thereof shall nominate sufficient persons to be Bayliffes of that hundred and Vnderministers of the Sheriffe and they are to attend vpon the Iustices in euery of their Courts and Sessions The Gouernment of the Marches of VVales after the Statutes of an 27. 34. H. 8. BY the said Statute of 34. H. 8. ca. 26. it is further ordayned that the President and Councell in the said Dominion and Principality of Wales and the Marches of the same with all Officers Clarks and incidents thereunto should continue and remaine in manner and forme as was then formerly vsed and accustomed And therefore the said Rowland Lee spoken of before being Lord President of the Councell of the Marches of Wales at the time of the making of the said Statute so continued after the making thereof vntill his death being in the foure and thirtieth yeere of the said King Henry the eight After whom succeeded in the office of the said President Richard Samson Bishop first of Chester and after remoued to Couentry and Litchfield who continued Lord President vntill the second yeere of King Edward the sixt at what time Iohn Dâ—dley then Earle of Warwick and after Duke of Northumberland was President of the said Councell who so continued vntill the fourth yeere of the said King And after him succeeded Sir William Herbert Knight of the noble Order of the Garter and after Earle of Pembrooke who continued President vntill the first yeere of Queene Mary Next succeeded Nicholas Heath then Bishop of Worcester and after Archbishop of Yorke and Lord Chancellor of England And vpon the remouing of the said Archbishop the said Sir William Herbert againe succeded as President of the said Councell vntill the sixt yeere of the said Queene Mary at what time followed him Gilbert Browne Bishop of Bath and VVels who so continued vntill the death of the same Queene In the beginning of the reigne of the late Queene Elizabeth Sir Iohn VVilliams Lord VVilliams of Tame of whom the Lord Norris is descended was appointed President of the said Councell and died the same yeere And after him succeeded Sir Henry Sidney Knight of the noble Order of the Garter whose loue to learning fauour to learned men need not here to be spoken he continued Lord President of Wales about foure and twenty yeeres and six moneths he serued in Ireland eight yeeres and six months being there three seuerall times Lord Deputy generall in that Country During some part of the time of the aboade in Ireland of the said Sir Henry Sidney there serued in Ireland as President or Vice-President Iohn Bishop of VVorcester and now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury After this succeeded Henry Earle of Pembrooke sonne in law to the said Sir Henry Sidney and father to the right honorable the Earle of Pembrooke that now is And after him Edward Lord Zouch now present Lord President of that Councell The President and Councell of the Marches of Wales haue power and authority to heare and determine by their wisdomes and discretions such causes and matters as bee or shall bee assigned to them by the Kings Maiesty and in such manner as shall be so prescribed vnto them by instruction signed with his hand The Councell assisting the Lord Prince consisteth of these the chiefe Iustice of Chester together
rebellions and disorders the kings of England deuised their Scutagium or Escuage as it is called in the Lawes of England that is to leuy ayd assistance of their tenants in England which held of them Per Seruitium militare to suppresse such disordred Welsh tanquaÌ„ Rebelles and Non hostes as Rebells and not as forraine Enemies And hence it is that King Henry the third vpon those often reuolts of the Welsh indeuored to resume the Territory of Wales as forfeit vnto him selfe and conferred the same vpon Edward the Longshanckes his heire apparant yet neuerthelesse rather in title then in possession or vpon any profit obteyned thereby For the former prince of Wales continued his gouernment notwithstanding this betweene whome and the said Edward warres were continued Whereof when the said Edward complained to King Henry the third his father the said King made this answer as recordeth Matthew Paris a Cosmographer liuing in that time Quid ad me terra tua est ex dono meo Exerevires primitiuas famam excita iuuenilem et de caetero timeant inimici c. But the Charter of this gift is not now readilie to be found among the Records For after this time it appeareth by the Records of the Tower of London that by the mediation of Othâ—bon Deacon Cardinal of S Andrews a peace was concluded between the then Prince of the Welsh blood and the said Henry the 3. which neuerthelesse as it seemeth continued not long for sundry battells were fought betweene the said Edward both before and after he was King of England Lewlyn the last Prince of the Welsh blood and Dauid his brother vntill both the said Prince his said brother were ouercome by the said Edward after he was King of England and who thereby made a finall and full conquest of Wales annexing the same vnto the Crowne of England diuiding some parts thereof into Shires and appointing Lawes for the gouernment of that people Although the Welsh nation doe not willingly acknowledge such conquest but referres it rather to composition The words of the Statute made in Wales at Ruthlan presently vpon the conquest are these Diuina Prouidentia quae in sui dispositione non fallitur inter alia dispensationis munera quibus nos regnum nostrum Angliae decorari dignata est Terram Waliae cum incolis suis prius nobis iure fendali subiectam jam sui gratia in proprietatis nostrae dominium obstaculis quibuscunque non obstantibus totaliter et cum integritate conuertit et corona Regni pradicti tanquam partem corporis eiusdem annexit et vniuit This Territory of Wales thus being vnited the said King Edward vsed meanes to obtaine the peoples good will to strengthen that which he had gotten by effusion of blood with the beneuolence of his Subiects of Wales who promised their harty and most humble obedience if it would please the King either to remaine among them him selfe in person or else to appoint vnder him a gouernour ouer them that was of their owne nation cuntrey The King thereupon purposing a pretty policie sendeth for the Queene then being greate with Child to come vnto him into Wales who being deliuered of a sonne in the Castle of Carnaruon in Wales called by reason thereof Edward of Carnarnon the King thereupon sent for all the Barons of Wales tooke their assurance and submission according to their offers formerly made if they should haue a gouernour of their owne nation affirming vnto them that he was then ready to name vnto them a Gouernour borne in their Countrey and who could not speake any word of English whose life and conuersation no man was able to staine and required their promise of obedience whereunto they yeelding the King thereupon named vnto them his said sonne borne at Carnaruon Castle a few dayes before vnto whom the Barons of Wales afterwards made their homage as appeareth Anno 29 E 1. at Chester The said Edward of Carnaruon after the death of his father was King of England by the name of King Edward the second liuing in a turbulent time betweene him and his Barons was afterwards deposed for his ill gouernment and came to a violent death in the Castle of Barkeley and Edward his sonne by the name of King Edward the third reigned in his steade Neuerthelesse this Edward the third being called Edward of Windsor in the life of his father was created Prince of Wales and Duke of Aquitane in a Parliamant holden at Yorke Edward the third in a Parliament holden at Westminster in the fifteenth yeare of his reigne created Edward his eldest sonne surnamed the blacke Prince Prince of Wales being then of tender yeeres and inuested him in the said Principalitie with these ensignes of honour and as in the Charter is conteined Per sertum in capite et annulum in digitâ— aureuÌ„ ac virgam argenteam iuxta moreÌ„ By a Chaplet of Gould made in the manner of a Garland for the word SertuÌ„ importeth by a gould ring set on his finger and by verdge Rod or Scepter of Siluer how be it in the inuesture of the succeeding Princes this Rod or Scepter as appeareth by the Charters of their seuerall creations was changed into a verge of gould The said King for the better maintainance of the said Prince his sonne in honorable support according to such his state and dignity gaue vnto him by his Charter dated the twelfth of May in the seuenth yeere of his reigne of England and in the fourth yeere of his reigne of France and inrolled in the Exchequer in the Terme of S. Hillary in the eighteenth yeere of the said King Edward the third The said Principality and the Mannors Lordships Castles and Lands ensuing to appertaine to the said Principalitie viz. All his Lordships and Lands in Northwales Westwales and Southwales 1 The Lordship Castle towne and County of Carnaruon 2 The Lordship Castle and towne of Conway 3 The Lordship Castle and towne of Crucketh 4 The Lordship Castle and towne of Bewmarish 5 The Lordship Castle and towne of Hardlagh 6 The Lordship Castle and townes and Countys of Anglesey and Merioneth 7 The Lordship Castle towne and County of Caermardin 8 The Lordship Castle and towne of Lampaderuaur 9 The Lordship and Stewardship of Cantermawer 10 The Lordship Castle towne and County of Cardigan 11 The Lordship Castle and Towne of Emelyn 12 The Lordship Castle and Towne of Buelt 13 The Lordship Castle and Towne of Hauerford 14 The Lordship Castle and Towne of Montgomery And all the Lands that were of Rice ap Meridick which came to the hands of King Edward the first together with all the Lordships Cities Castles Borrowes Townes Manours Members Hamlets Lands Tenements Knights fees Voydances of Bishopricks Aduowsons of Churches and of Abbeys Priories and of Hospitals with Customes and Prisages of wines The exercise and execution of
herein they haue the same iurisdiction that the Iustices of the Common place doe execute in the Hall at Westminster Also they may heare and determine all assizes vpon disseisons of lands or hereditaments wherein they equall the Iurisdiction of the Iustices of affize They may heare and determine all notable violences and outrages perpetrated or done within their seuerall Precyncts and therein they haue the power authority and iurisdiction of the Iustices of Oyer and Terminer Their Chauncery Seale and Writs FOrasmuch as no suit can commence between party and party nor orderly iustice can bee done without complaint of the Pursuant and summons and monition giuen vnto the defendant which summons the policy of England from the beginning of the first foundation of this Common-wealth hath appointed to be performed by that kinde of formulae Iuris which the common law calleth a Writ or Briefe so called as Bracton saith Breue quia rem quae est et intentioneÌ„ petent is breuiter â—narrat and which Writ is alwaies conceiued in forme in the Kings name in manner of a Precept royall and sealed with the Kings great Seale Therefore in the appointing of this iurisdiction there is ordained to euery Circuit or Precynct a seuerall Seale for the sealing of such Writs and Commissions as the case shall require within that Circuit And forasmuch as all Writs are either originall such as doe begin the Sute or else Iudiciall such as command and warrant the execution therefore it is by the said Statute made in 34. h. 8. ordained that the Seale seruing for Originall Proces in the seuerall Shires of Denbigh and Montgomery should be in the custody of the Chamberlaine of Denbigh and that the Originall Seale of Chester shall be and stand for the Originall Seale of Flint and shall be in the custody of the Chamberlaine of Chester The like Seale seruing for the seuerall Shires of Carnaruon Merioneth and Anglesey to be in the custody of the Chamberlaine of North-Wales The like Seale concerning the seuerall Shires of Radnor Brecknock and Glamorgan is committed to the custody of the Steward of Brecknock And finally the like Seale seruing the seuerall Shires of Carmarden Pembrooke and Cardigan is in the vsage of the Chamberlaine of South-Wales These Chamberlaines are as Chancellors in this behalfe and haue the sealing of all Originall Writs and Commissions within their seuerall Precyncts and these Chamberlaines may also award out seuerall Writs to all vnder-Receiuers of the reuenues and ministers to make their accounts The Seale for the sealing of Iudiciall Writs is appointed by the said Statute of 34. h. 8. to be and remaine by the Iustices of euery of the said Circuits for the more expedite execution of their iudgements Their Sessions and manner of Sittings EVery of these Iustices in their seuerall Circuits shall be Itinerant twice euery yeere and sit in euery of the Shires within their authority by the space of sixe dayes together at a place certaine by them to be appointed and vpon proclamation of summons to be made fifteen daies before the said sittings where all persons requiring Iustice may purchase their Writs and proceed in their suits And where adiournements of the Causes there depending shall be de die in diem and if the Cause can haue no end during the sitting then from Sessions to Sessions as the nature of the businesse shall require and according to the discretion of the said Iustices and these sittings are called the great Session And if there shall be such multitude of pleas personall as that they cannot be tried at the same great Sessions then the issues there in tryall shall and may be tried at some other Sessions before the Deputy Iustice which is therefore called the petty Sessions And if any erronious Iudgement be giuen by the said Iustices in any reall action the same shall be reuersed by Writ of error before the Iustices of the Kings Bench. And if the said erronious iudgement shall be in any action personall the same shall be reuersed by Bill before the Lord President of the Marches and Councell there Officers Ministers Clarkes and Writers for the expediting of the said great Sessions FIrst there are the Chamberlaines of euery of the said Circuits as hath beene said who are properly and originally the Treasurers of the reuenue within their charge and by the said Statutes are also keepers of the Seales as aforesaid wherein they doe vndertake in part the office of a Chauncellor And in euery of the said Circuits there is the Atturney or Regius aduocatus and Sollicitor There is a Prothonotary or chiefe Register who draweth all the pleadings entreth and ingrosseth the Records and Iudgements in ciuill causes and ingrossing Fynes And there is also a Clarke of the Crowne which draweth and ingrosseth all Inditements and Proceedings Arraignements and Iudgements in Criminall causes And these two Officers are at your Maiesties appointment There is a Marshall to attend the persons of the Iudges at their common sitting and going from the Sessions or Court There is a Cryer tanquam publicus preco to call forth such persons whose apparances are necessary and to impose silence to the people And these two Officers last remembred are disposed by the Iustices And thus much touching the Iustices of the great Sessions There are also other ordinary officers appointed for euery shire in Wales by the said Statute of 34. h. 8. such and in like manner as in other the Shires of England There is a Commission vnder the great Scale of England to certaine Gentlemen giuing them power to preserue the peace and to resist and punish all turbulent persons whose misdemeanour may tend to the disquiet of the people and these are called the Iustices of Peace and euery of them may well be termed Eirenarcha The chiefe of them is called Custos Rotulorum in whose custody all the Records of their proceedings are resident Others there are of that number called Iustices of the Peace and quorum because in their Commissions whereby they haue power to sit and determine Causes concerning breach of peace and misbehauiour the words of their Commission are conceined this quorum such and such vnum vel duos c. esse volumus and without some one or more of them of the quorum No Sessions can be holden and for the auoyding of a superfluous number of such Iustices for through the ambition of many it is counted a credit to be burthened with that authority The Statute of 34. h. 8. hath expresly prohibited that there shall be but eight Iustices of peace within euery of the Counties and Shires of Wales which if the number were not indefinite for the Shires of England it were the better These Iustices doe hold their Sessions quarterly And it is further ordained by the said Statute of 34. h. 8. that two Iustices of peace where of one to be of the quorum may hold their Sessions without
of Cardigan whose ancient fee was yeerly 40. l. The Sherife of the County of Cardigan whose yeerly fee is 5. l. The Clarke of the County Courts Tâ—rnes and small Sessions of the County of Cardigan his yeerly fee was 40. s. The Cryer of the County Courts and small Sessions in the said County fee 6. s. 8. d. The Clarke of the Hundreds in Cardigan his fee was yeerly 6. s. 8. d. The Steward of the VVelsh Courts in the County of Cardigan his fee was 10. l. The Clarke for writing the rols in the VVelsh Courts his yeerly fee was in the County of Cardigan 6. s. 8. d. The Clarke for writing of the rols in the Comets of Isherwen his yeerly fee 6. s. 8. d. The Bailife itinerant of Cardigan his ancient fee was yeerly 5. l. The Bailife itinerant for Lampaderne his yeerly fee was 6. l. 13. s. 4 d. The Captaine of the Towne â—f Abeenstowith his yeerly fee was 18. l. 5. s. he was allowed twelue Archers for the custody of the said Towne and Castle The Escheator for the two Shires of Carmarthen and Cardigan his yeerly fee 10. l. The Clarke of the great Sessions for both the Counties of Carmarthen and Cardigan his yeerly fee was 5. l. There was a Court of Exchequer likewise for the reuenewes of the Prince of Southwales kept in the Castle of Carmarthen and yeerly allowances for the expences thereof as in the Prouince of Northwales By this it appeareth that the Prouince of Southwales chargeable to the Prince extended for the most part into the two Counties of Carmarthen and Cardigan the rest of Southwales as Munmoth and Glamorgan c. were in the hands of others as before hath appeared The reason of the difference of the officers that were in Southwales from those that were in Northwales was for that Northwales was diuided in Counties and framed into Shires and ordered according to the English Lawes by the Statute made at Ruthlane called Statutum Walliae often before mentioned made in the time of King Edward the first whereas Southwales neuerthelesse remained gouerned in some things according to the Welsh Lawes and customes euen vntill the said Statute made in an 27. H. 8. Thus much concerning the officers of both Prouinces of Northwales and Southwales The Prouince of Wales had also diuers and sundry officers about his person and of his houshold which were these that follow as they are collected out of Records where mention is made of them The Councell of the Prince consisting of diuers Honourable Worshipfull and Learned persons to councell for the leasing and good disposing of his reuenues The Gouernour of the Princes person to whom the education and institution of the yong Prince was committed Such was the Lord Riuers vnto Prince Edward I 〈…〉 to King Edward the Fourth wherein also the Queene Mother vnto the Prince had a speciall interest for few things were done concerning the Prince without her priuity and advice The Chamberlaine to the Prince it appeareth that Richard â—e 〈…〉 B 〈…〉 e was Chamberlaine to the blacke Prince sonne and heire to King Edward the Third And Sir Thomas Poole was chiefe Chamberlaine to Prince Arthâ—re so was Thomas V 〈…〉 to Prince Edward sonne to King Edward the Fourth The Attourney generall to the Prince William Ruddall was sometimes Attourney to the Prince The Clarke of the Princes Councell or Secretary and the keeper of his Bookes Writings and Records his fee was 10. l. per annum and his dy 〈…〉 one Thomas Tamworth had this office The Vsher of the Councell Chamber of the Prince his fee was 10. l. per annum and his charges for attendance of the Councell there one Thomas 〈◊〉 sometimes and this office The Gentleman Vsher of the Princes priuie Chamber Sir Thomas Wroth had this office to Prince Edward in the life of King H. 8. and yet was that Prince neuer created Prince of Wales The keeper of the Princes Wardrobe who sometimes was one Giles Danies and had a Patent there of with a fee of 5. l. 10. s. yeerely These Officers that follow are principally necessary besides many other Officers inferiour left out and â—â— doubt did serue the Princes of this Realme although no mention of them of Record The Treasurer or Receiuer generall of the Prince of all his Reuenues which appeareth in this that he had his generall Exchequer at Westminster The Princes chiefe Secretary The Master of the Princes Horses vnder whom are his Equiryes and those that teach him to ride The School masters of the Prince as namely those that teach him The Arts and Philosophy The Tongues as the French Italian Spanish c. The principles of the Lawes of the Realme and of the ciuill and Ecclesiasticall lawes A note of the Officers both moderne and present of the locall Principality of Wales which Officers are allowed fees and other charges going out of the said Principality as doth appeare by diuers accounts before the Auditors the last yeere viz. the 44. yeere of Elizabeth THe Chamberlaine of North-Wales in the Counties of Carnaruon Anglesey and Merioneth his yeerely fee is 20. l. The Constable of the Castle of Carnaruon his yeerely fee is 60. l. 10. d. The P 〈…〉 â—f 〈…〉 of C 〈…〉 3. l. 10. d. The Porter of the Towne of Conway 6. l. 1. s. 8. d. The Constable of the Towne of Conway 1â— l. 6. s. 8. d. The said two Iustices are allowed yeerely white they are in Circuit in the time of the great Sessions 6. l. The two Iustices for the Counties of Carnaruon Anglesey â—â—d Merioneth each of them â—aâ—ing for his yeerely fee â—â— l. amounting in the whole to the summe of 100. l. The Attourney in the three Counties aforesaid is allowed for his yeerely fee 6. l. 6. s. 8. d. The chiefe Forrester of Snowdon his fee â—1 l. 8. s. 1. d. The 〈…〉 er of the Pleas Fines and Redemptions before the Iustices of North-Wales his yeerely fee was 12. l. 3. s. 4. d. The Fee of the Marshall and keeper of the Shâ—rehouse in the Counties of Carnaruon Anglesey and Merioneth 2. l. 6. s. 8. d. The Protonotary and Clarke of the great Sessions is allowed for a Reward for his labour in ingrossing of the estreats of the Sessions holden in the said three Counties 3. l. 6. s. 8. d. The Barons of the Exchequer of Carnaruon 13. l. 6. s. 8. d. For their attendance at Carnaruon yeerely 40. s. Towards the expences allowed the Clarke of the Exchequer attending the great â—â—ssioâ—â— in the said Counties of Anglesey and Merioneth for writing of the Originall Writs of euery Sessions 10. s. For the expences of Parchment Paper Inke and other necessaries spent in the office of the Clarke of the Crowne 26. s. 8. d. The Cryer whose yeerely fee is 13. s. 4. d. For expences of Paper