Welsh Journals

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Introduction. THE Accounts published in this volume are those which were periodically submitted by the Chamberlain of Chester to the auditors appointed to scrutinise the finances of the royal possessions in Wales and the Marches.1 Under the scheme of government set up by the Statute of Wales Chester became the administrative centre for Flintshire as well as Cheshire, and Flintshire officials had to answer for the issues of the county at the Exchequer of Chester. Consequently, when the Chamberlain of Chester in his turn came to answer for the finances of the Exchequer before the King's auditors, he presented at one and the same time the Accounts of both Chester and Flint. Thus the two sets of Accounts came to be recorded on the same rolls and the Flintshire Ministers' Accounts must be sought at the Public Record Office under the head of the Chamberlain of Chester's Accounts. 1 Copies of the auditors' patents are found on the back of several of the rolls. A typical one on the 1st membrane, Roll 6, Bundle 771, runs Edward us, etc., dilectis et fidelibus snis Willelmo de Bliburgo Waltero Reginaldo Johanni de Foxli et Thomae de Cantebrigg salutem. De vestris circumspectione et indus tria plenius confidentes assignavimus vos ad audiendum et recipiendum ratiocinium sive compotum de diversis et singulis camerariis vicecomitibus et receptoribus ballivia et omnibus aliis ministris nestris quibuscunque comitatus Cestriae Nortwalle Sutwalle Montis Gomeri ville et terre de Hauerford qui nobis compotum reddere tenentur de toto tempore quo iidem ministri nostri ratiocinia sine corapou nobis reddere tenentur et ad debitas allocationes et acquietaciones faciendas ministros inutiles iuxta discretionem veram removendo. Et ideo vobis manda- mus quod compota praedicta audiatis et ea qnae ad huiusmodi compote praedicta pertinent facienda iuxta legem compoti fieri faciatis. In euius rei testimonium has litteras nostras fieri fecimus patentee. Datum apud Lambeth x die Marcii anno regni domini regis patris nostri tricesimo quinto.