the court of common pleas, an officer who transcribes and certifies into the king's bench, the tenor of the record of the action on which the writ of error, made out by the curtor, is brought there to be determined. In the king's bench, the clerk of the errors transcribes and certifies the records of causes, by bill, in that court, into the exchequer. And the business of the clerk of the errors in the exchequer, is to transcribe the records certified thither out of the king's bench, and to prepare them for judgment in the exchequer-chamber.

Clerk of the effoins, in the court of common pleas, keeps the effoin-roll, or enteis effoins: he also provides parchment, cuts it into rolls, marks the number on them, delivers out all the rolls to every officer, and receives them again when written. See Essoin.

Clerk of the effreats, an officer in the exchequer, who every term receives the effreats out of the lord-treasurer's remembrancer's office, and writes them out, to be levied for the crown.

Clerk of the green cloth. See Green-cloth.

Clerk of the hamper, or hanaper, an officer in chancery, whose business is to receive all money due to the king for the seals of charters, letters patent, commissions, and writs; also the fees due to the officers for enrolling and examining them.

Clerk-comptroller of the king's household, an officer of the king's court, authorised to allow or disallow the charges of pursuivants, messengers of the green cloth, &c., to inspect and control all defects of any of the inferior officers; and to sit in the counting-house with the lord-steward and other officers of the household, for regulating such matters.

Clerk of the king's silver, an officer of the common pleas, to whom every fine is brought, after it has passed the office of the cultus brevium; and who enters the effect of writs of covenant, into a book kept for that purpose, according to which all the fines of that term are recorded in the rolls of the court.

Clerk of the market, an officer of the king's house, to whom is given the charge of the king's measures and weights, the standards of those that ought to be used all over England.

Clerk of the nihilis, or nihilis, an officer of the exchequer, who makes a roll of all such sums as are nihilised by the sheriffs upon their effreats of green wax, and delivers them into the remembrancer of the treasury, to have execution done upon them for the king. See Nihil.

Clerk of the outlawries, an officer of the common pleas, and deputy to the attorney-general, for making out all writs of capias utlagatum, after outlawry, to which there must be the king's attorney's name.

Clerk of the paper-office, an officer belonging to the king's bench, whose business is to make up the paper-books of special pleadings in that court.

Clerk of the peace, an officer belonging to the sessions of the peace, whose business is to read indictments, enrol the proceedings, and draw the proceeds: he likewise certifies into the king's bench, transcripts of indictments, outlawries, attainders and convictions had before the justices of peace, within the time limited by statute, under a certain penalty. This office is in the gift of the cultus rotulorum, and may be executed by deputy.

Clerk of the pells, an officer that belongs to the exchequer, whose business is to enter every teller's bill into a parchment roll called pellis receptorum, and to make another roll of payments called pellis exitum.

Clerk of the petty bag, an officer of the court of chancery, whereof there are three, the master of the rolls being the chief: their business is to record the return of all inquisitions out of every shire, to make out patents of customers, gaugers, comptrollers, &c., liberates upon extents of statutes-staple, conge d'elires for bishops, summons of the nobility, clergy, and burgesses to parliament, and commissions directed to knights and others, of every shire, for afflicting subsidies and taxes.

Clerk of the pipe, an officer of the exchequer, who having the accounts of all debts due to the king delivered out of the remembrancer's office, charges them in a great roll folded up like a pipe. He writes out warrants to sheriffs, to levy the said debts on the goods and chattels of the debtors: and if they have no good, then he draws them down, to the treasurer's remembrancer, to write effreats against their lands.

Clerk of the pleas, an officer of the exchequer, in whose office all the officers of the court, having special privilege, ought to sue, or be sued, in any action. In this office also actions at law may be prosecuted by other persons, but the plaintiff ought to be tenant or debtor to the king, or some way accountable to him. The under clerks are attorneys in all suits.

Clerks of the privy-seal, four officers that attend the lord privy-seal, for writing and making out all things that are sent by warrant from the signet to the privy-seal, and to be paffed the great-seal; and likewise to make out privy-seals, upon special occasions of his majesty's affairs, as for loan of money, or the like.

Clerk of the rolls, an officer of the chancery, whose business is to make searches after, and copies of deeds, officers, &c.

Clerk of the signet, an officer continually attending upon his majesty's principal secretary, who has the custody of the privy-signet, as well for sealing the king's king's private letters, as those grants, which pass the king's hand by bill signed. There are four of these officers, who have their diet at the secretary's table.

Clerk, or Writer, to the signet, in Scots law. See Scots Law, title 3.

Six Clerks, officers in chancery, next in degree below the twelve masters, whose business is to enroll commissions, pardons, patents, warrants, &c., which pass the great seal; they were anciently clerics, and forfeited their places if they married. These are also attorneys for parties in suits depending in the court of chancery.

Clerk of the treasury, an officer belonging to the court of common pleas, who has the charge of keeping there records of the court, makes out all records of nisi prius, and likewise all exemplifications of records being in the treasury. He has the fees due for all searches; and has under him an under-keeper, who always keeps one key of the treasury door.

Clerk of the warrants, an officer of the common pleas, whose business is to enter all warrants of attorney for plaintiffs and defendants in suit; and to enroll deeds of bargain and sale, that are acknowledged in court, or before a judge. His office is likewise to effectuate into the exchequer all fines, fines, treasurers, and amercements, which grow due to the crown in that court.