CLERK (clericus), a word formerly used to signify a learned man, or man of letters. The word comes from the Greek xXrcgo¢, used for clergy, but more properly signifying lot or heritage, because the lot or portion of clerks or ecclesiastics is to serve God. Accordingly clerus was at first used to signify those who were particularly attached to the service of God. The origin of the expression is derived from the Old Testament, where the tribe of Levi is called the lot or heritage, r.λr l ξος ; and God is reciprocally called their portion, by reason of that tribe having been consecrated to the service of God, and lived on the offerings made to God, without any other settled provision. Thus Pasquier observes, that the officers of the counts, or comites, were anciently created under the title of clerks of accompts, and secretaries of state were called clerks of the secret. So clericus domini regis, in the time of Edward I., was rendered, the kings secretary, or clerk of his council. The term was applied indifferently to all who made any profession of learning, or who knew how to manage the pen; though originally it was applied only to ecclesiastics. As the nobility and gentry were usually brought up to the exercise of arms, there were none but the clergy left to cultivate the sciences; and hence, as it was the clergy alone who had made any profession of letters, a very learned man came to be called a great clerk, and a stupid, ignorant man, a bad clerk. Clerk is also applied to such as by their course of life exercise their pens in any court or office; of which there were, and still are, various kinds.

Clerk of the Pails, an officer in the Court of King’s Bench, whose business it is to file all bail pieces taken in that court, where he constantly attends.

Clerk of the Check, an officer belonging to the king’s court, and so called because he has the cheek and controlment of the yeomen belonging to the king, queen, or prince. He likewise, by himself or deputy, sets the watch in the court. There was also an officer of the same name in the navy, belonging to the king’s yards.

Clerk of the Crown, an officer in the King’s Bench, who frames, reads, and records all indictments against offenders there arraigned or indicted of any public crime. He is likewise termed Clerk of the Crown Office, in which capacity he exhibits, by order of the court, informations for divers offences.

Clerk of the Crown, in Chaneery, an officer whose business it is constantly to attend the Lord Chancellor in person or by deputy, and to write and prepare for the great seal special matters of state by commission, both ordinary and extraordinary, as commissions of lieutenancy, of justices of assize, of oyer and terminer, of jail-delivery, and of the peace; as also all general pardons, granted either at the king’s eoronation or in parliament: and the writs of parliament, with the names of the knights, citizens, and burgesses, are returned into his office. He also makes out special pardons and writs of execution on bonds of statute-staple forfeited.

Clerk of the Errors, in 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 cursitor, is brought there to be determined. In the King’s Beneĥ, 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 [7:6:742]records certified thither out of the King’s Bench, and to prepare them for judgment in the Exchequer chamber.

Clerk of the Essoins, in the Court of Common Pleas, the officer who keeps the essoin roll, or enters essoins. He also provides parchment, cuts it into rolls, marks the numbers on them, delivers out all the rolls to every officer, and receives them again when written.

Clerk of the. Estreats, an officer in the Exchequer, who every term receives the estreats out of the lord-treasurer’s remembrancer’s office, and writes them out to be levied for the crown.

Clerk of the Green Cloth, formerly an officer in Chancery, but now abolished.

Clerk of the Hamper or Hanaper, an officer in Chancery, whose business it is to receive all money due to the king for the seals of charters, letters-patent, commissions, and writs, and 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, authorized to allow or disallow the charges of pursuivants, messengers of the green-cloth, and such like, 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 Kings Silver, an officer of the Common Pleas, to whom every fine is brought, after it has passed the office of the custos brevium, and who enters the substance 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 weights and measures, and the standards of those which ought to be used all over England.

Clerk of theNichils or Nihils, an officer of the Exchequer, who makes a roll of all such sums as are nichilled by the sheriffs upon their estreats of green wax, and delivers them to the remembrancer of the treasury, in order to have execution done upon them for the king.

Clerk of the Outlawries, an officer of the Common Pleas, and deputy to the attorney-general, for making out all writs of capias ut legatum, 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 it is to make up the paperbooks of special pleadings in that court.

Clerk of the Peace, an officer belonging to the sessions of the peace, whose business it is to read indictments, enrol the proceedings, and draw the process. 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 custos rotulorum, and may be executed by deputy.

Clerk of the Pells, an officer belonging to the Exchequer, whose business it is to enter every teller’s bill into a parchment roll called pellis receptorum, and to make another roll of payments called pellis exituum. Clerk of the Petty Bag, one of three officers of the Court of Chancery, 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, gauger, comptrollers, &c., liberates upon extent of statutes-staple, conges delire for bishops, summons of the nobility, clergy, and burgesses to parliament, and commissions directed to knights and others of every shire, for assessing subsidies and taxes.

Clerk of the Pipe, an officer of the Exchequer, who having the account 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 such debts on the goods and chattels of the debtors; and if they have no goods, then he draws them down to the treasurer’s remembrancer to write estreats against their lands.

Clerk of the Pleas, a functionary of the Exchequer, in whose office all the officers of the court, having special privilege, ought to sue or to 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 who 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 passed 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 Bolls, an officer of the Chancery, whose business is to make searches after, and copies of deeds, and the like.

Clerk of the Signet, an officer attending upon his majesty’s principal secretary, who has the custody of the privy signet, as well for sealing the king’s private letters as for those grants which pass the king’s hand by bill signed.

Clerk of the Treasury, an officer belonging to the Court of Common Pleas, who has the charge of keeping the records of the court, and who makes out all records of nisi prius, and likewise all exemplifications of records existing in the treasury. He receives the fees due for all searches; and he 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 enrol deeds of bargain and sale, which are acknowledged in court, or before a judge. His office is likewise to estreat into the exchequer all issues, fines, estreats, and amercements, which fall due to the crown in that court.