Chief Baron of the Exchequer

The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (i.e., judge) of the English Exchequer 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, the division and that of Common Pleas were merged into the Queen's Bench Division.^[2]

Chief Barons of the Exchequer

• 1344 Sir William de Shareshull
• 1346 Sir John Stowford
• 1362 William de Skipwith
• 1386-8 Sir John Cary (d.1395) of Cockington, Devon.^[3]
• 1423 Sir John Juyn
• 1483 Humphrey Starkey
• 1486 William Hody
• 1526 Sir Richard Broke
• 1529 Sir Richard Lyster
• 1545 Sir Roger Cholmley
• 1552 Henry Bradshaw Esq
• 1553 David Brooke
• 1558 Sir Clement Higham
• 1559 Sir Edward Saunders
• 1577 Sir Robert Bell
• 1577 Sir John Jefferay, of Chiddingly, Sussex
• 1578 Sir Roger Manwood
• 1593 Sir William Peryam
• 1604 Sir Thomas Fleming
• 1607 Sir Lawrence Tanfield
• 1625 Sir John Walter
• 1631 Sir Humphrey Davenport
• 1645 Sir Richard Lane
• 1648 John Wilde
• 1655 William Steele - appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1656 ^[4]
• 1658 Sir Thomas Widdrington
• 1660 John Wilde
• 1660 Sir Orlando Bridgeman
• 1660 Sir Matthew Hale
• 1671 Sir Edward Turnor
• 1676 Sir William Montagu
• 1686 Sir Edward Atkyns
• 1689 Sir Robert Atkyns
• 1695 Sir Edward Ward
• 1714 Sir Samuel Dodd
• 1716 Sir Thomas Bury
• 1722 Sir James Montagu
• 1723 Sir Robert Eyre
• 1725 Sir Jeffrey Gilbert
• 1726 Sir Thomas Pengelly
• 1730 Sir James Reynolds, junior
• 1738 Sir John Comyns
• 1740 Sir Edward Probyn
• 1742 Sir Thomas Parker
• 1772 Sir Sydney Smythe
• 1777 Sir John Skynner
• 1787 Sir James Eyre
• 1793 Sir Archibald Macdonald
• 1813 Sir Vicary Gibbs
• 1814 Sir Alexander Thomson
• 1817 Sir Richard Richards
• 1824 Sir William Alexander
• 1831 The Lord Lyndhurst
• 1834 Sir James Scarlett
• 1844 Sir Frederick Pollock
• 1866 Sir Fitzroy Kelly

See also

• Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer in Scotland

References

1. Bryson, W., The equity side of the Exchequer; Its jurisdiction, administration, procedures, and records; York prize essay for 1973.
2. Lord Mackay of Clashfern (ed.) (2002) Halsbury's Laws of England, 4th ed. Vol.10 (Reissue), "Courts", 603 'Divisions of the High Court'
3. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation 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
4. Ball, F. E., The Judges in Ireland, 1221-1921, Volume 1, P 342

Further reading

• 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).