Welsh Journals

RECORDS MONTGOMERYSHIRE CASES EXTRACTED FROM THE COURT OF REQUESTS (P.R.O. REF. REQ. 2) These introductory notes are a summary from the Preface to a printed volume of proceedings in bundles 1-136 of the Court's Records. The records of the court, like those of the Star Chamber, belonged to the Treasury of the Exchequer, and were therefore preserved in the Chapter House at Westminster before their transfer to the Public Record Office. The bills are addressed to the Sovereign, and habitually refer to the Court as his council. Thus the earlier suits are almost indistinguishable from those of the Star Chamber, except that the form of process sought is generally descrbed as a writ of privy seal, and not as a writ of subpoena. A somewhat later designation is "the Court of Whitehall" or "your Majesty's Council in the White Hall". This was not the palace of Whitehall, but the hall in the Palace of Westminster. The phrase "Court of Requests", though known earlier, does not become common until near the end of the reign of Edward VI, and, like the title of the Star Chamber, is generally joined with the word "Council". The proceedings show that the court dealt with civil business of every kind. But it seems to have been intended for particular classes of suitors. In a small volume ascribed to Sir Julius Caesar, himself a master of Requests, printed in 1597, and entitled "The Ancient State, Authoritie, and Proceedings of the Court of Requests", is the following paragraph:- "The persons, plaintifs, and Defendants, betwene whom they judged, were alwayes either priv- iledged as officers of the Court, or as servants, or as the Kings servants, or necessarie attendants on them; or else where the plaintifs povertie, or mean estate was not matchable with the wealth, or the greatness of the Defendantl or where the cause meerly contained matter of equity, and had no proper remedy at Common law; or where the cause was specially recommended from the King, to the examination of his Council 1 or causes concerning Universities, Colledges, Schooles, Hospitalls, and the like". The frequent appearance of men of rank and wealth as plaintiffs proves that these limitations were not observed, but that the Court of Requests imitated all the other courts in a vigorous competition for business. Not surprisingly, the Court of Requests came into conflict with other courts, in particular the Court of Common Pleas, and the latter in Michaelmas term 40-41 Eliz. decided that the Court of Requests had no power to issue warrants for arrest under the Privy Seal. In spite of this the Court of Requests continued to do business until it was abolished with the Star Chamber by Parliament in 1640. J. W. DAVIES, F.R.G.S., Aylesbury Abbreviations: Refs. 144/53 to 156/42 The numbers after the date indicate the Regnal Year. B = Bill C = Commission A = Answer Exc. = Exceptions Dem = Demurrer I = Interrogatories Rep. = Replication D = Deposition Rej. = Rejoinder