REM EMBRANCERS (rememorutores), formerly called clerks of the remembrance (37 Edw. III. c. 4), are officers of whom, until recently, there were three in the exchequer, called respectively the king's remembrancer, the lord treasurer's remembrancer, and the remem brancer of first fruits; their duty being to put the lord treasurer and the barons of the exchequer, who are the judges of that court, in remembrance of such things as are to he called on and done for the king's benefit.
I. The office of the queen's remembrancer has relation to the pro. ceelings of the court of exchequer in the exercise of its original juris diction as a court of revenue, and of its incidental jurisdiction as a court of equity, founded upon the fiction that the party seeking for relief upon matters of equity is a debtor and an accountant to the crown, who by reason of the withholdiug of that to which he is equitably entitled, is the leas able (quo minus sapient existit) to pay his debts to the crown. On the revenue side, the queen's retnembrancer enters all the recogniumeca taken before the baron for any of the queen's for appearances, &e., and lie takes all bonds for such debts, and for the due execution of offices, and makes out process for breach of them ; he else writes process against the collectors of customs, excise, and other public payments, for their accounts. Informations for intrusior into the queen's lauds, and information for debts due to the crown, and on penal statutes, are entered and sued in his office ; and he makes the bills of composition on penal laws. Indentures and other evidence( which relate to the passing of any lauds to or from the crown are delivered into his office ; and commissions of nisi prim', by he majesty's warrant, on trial of any matters within his office, commission, to find debts due to the crown, and write of extent awarded in pun seance of 33 Hen. VIII. c. 39, are issued and prosecuted in this office also general process for the recovery of arrears of taxes and other debts duo to the crown, which issue twice a year. All differences as te irregularities in proceedings arc determined by the queen's remem brancer, with power to give coats against the party in fault, but subject to an appeal to the court. (5 Rich. II. at. 1, ce. 15,16 ; 13 & 14 Car 11. c. 21.) Ile is bound by a rule ,of court, 3 Jac. IL, to attend the
court during its sittings, to answer inquiries respecting the course es proceedings, and to enter the rules and orders of the court of excheque relating to Its fiscal or its equitable jurisdiction, and he executes the duties formerly performed by the lord treasurer's rernembmticer, non abolished by 3 & 4 Will. IV. c. 99. This office is now held by one o the masters. (22 & J3 Vict. c. 21.) II. The lord treasurer's remembraneer's office was the office prin cipehly concerned in matters relating to the landed end casual revenue of the crown. 11'hen the king's title was found by an inquest o office, it became the duty of the officer with whom the writ and in quieition remained, to send a transcript into the office, in order ti Lying put in charge fur the service of the crown ; he issued process, foi debts to the king, and against sheriff's, escheators, de., and others did not account. Ile took the accounts of all sheriffs, and made the record, whereby it eppeared whether sheriffs and other aeeomitant pail their proffers, that is, the balance appearing upon their emends lite at Easter and Michaelmas, and ho made another record eheiwing vilether niteriffis and other accountants kept their days prefixed. There were also brought into his office all the accounts of customers, tomptrollern, and accountanta, which were to be entered on record.
All estroats of fines, Lame', and runerciamenta, set or imposed in any if the courts at Westminster, or at the assisos or sessions, were cern Lai into his office, and by him delivered to the clerk et the estreat4, to nake out process on them ; and ho might isaue process for diaeovery if tenures and all revenue due to the crown by reason thereof, he. As loon as the estreate came into this office, the parties interested might ippear and deny the klug's right, upon which the pleadings between the crown and the claimant were carried on in this office according to '.11e course of the common law ; and the right was either detennined by the court upon denterrer or by verdict of n jury. The plesidings Ind judgments were entered on rolls called the' NIemoranda of each year. Those of the reign of Ediv. 1. were published by Serjeant Maynard, in the first volume of his edition of the Year-Books.