The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (meaning
judge) of the
EnglishExchequer of Pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or
First Lord of the Treasury, and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who presided in the
equity court and answered the bar i.e. spoke for the court."[1] Practically speaking, he held the most important office of the Exchequer of Pleas.
The chief baron, along with the three
puisne barons, sat as a court of
common law, heard suits in the
court of equity and settled revenue disputes. A puisne baron was styled "Mr Baron X" and the chief baron as "Lord Chief Baron X".
From 1550 to 1579, there was a major distinction between the chief baron and the second, third and fourth puisne barons. The difference was in social status and
education. All of the chief barons had been trained as
lawyers in the
inns of court. With the exception of
Henry Bradshaw and
Sir Clement Higham, both
barristers-at-law, all of the chief barons who served
Queen Elizabeth I, had attained the highest and most prestigious rank of a lawyer,
serjeant-at-law.
In 1875, the Court of Exchequer became the Exchequer Division of the
High Court. Following the death of the last chief baron in 1880, the division and that of Common Pleas were merged into the
King's Bench Division.[2]
^Bryson, W., The equity side of the Exchequer; Its jurisdiction, administration, procedures, and records; York prize essay for 1973.
^Lord Mackay of Clashfern (ed.) (2002) Halsbury's Laws of England, 4th ed. Vol.10 (Reissue), "Courts", 603 'Divisions of the High Court'
^
abA Political Index to the Histories of Great Britain & Ireland; Or ..., Volume 2. p. 307.
^
abcdefghijkToone, Peter. The Chronological Historian. Vol. 1. p. 69.
^
abcdChapters in The Administrative History of Mediaeval England. Vol. 3. p. 46.
^
abcdeToone, Peter. The Chronological Historian. Vol. 1. p. 84.
^Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.150, pedigree of Cary; See also biography of his son Sir Robert Cary in
History of Parliament[1]
Walker, David M., The Oxford Companion to Law, Appendix I, list of Chief Barons 1660-1880
Sainty (comp.), Sir John, The Judges of England, 1272-1990: a list of the judges of the Superior courts (Selden Society: Supplementary Series 1993, 10).