Catalogue description Records of the Chancery as central secretariat

Chancery had its origins as the secretariat of the royal household, and, despite the development of many subsidiary functions which came to have semi-autonomous departments within Chancery, this general secretarial role continued throughout the medieval period. In consequence, many Chancery records cannot be attributed specifically to any single sub-department.

As late as the end of the fourteenth century, Chancery had a 'flat' hierarchy, with only two clearly differentiated departments, which later became the Enrolments Office and the Hanaper. All other business was transacted by grades of clerks whose specialist duties only gradually came to be segregated into distinct specialist posts.

This was particularly the case because of Chancery's all-purpose procedure of writ and return. If the Crown wanted information, a writ issued from Chancery to the relevant official, body or individual, and the writ was returnable into Chancery with a return containing the information required. If the Crown wanted something done, a writ was issued similarly, and the return detailed compliance or the reasons for non-compliance.

Some of the circumstances giving rise to such writs were, or became, routine, and standardised writs emanated from specialised branches of Chancery. Others, however, were outside the run of set procedures, and these seem to have been handled ad hoc by any of the clerks of the relevant grades, with frequent and informal shifts of business from one clerk to another as occasion, opportunity or private arrangements dictated. Altogether, until the late fifteenth century, Chancery was not a department of small, watertight branches.

By that time, Chancery had largely lost its place as the royal secretariat. From the late fourteenth century onwards, kings made increasing use of the privy seal, and of the signet, for the authentication of royal commands, demands and correspondence. This had two effects on the business of Chancery.

Firstly, many routine (non-judicial) Chancery procedures which had been originated by Chancery writ came to be originated by writ of privy seal instructing Chancery to act, thus depriving Chancery of its distinctive autonomy.

Secondly, more and more non-routine business came to be transacted directly under the authority of other seals, without Chancery involvement at all. In particular, Chancery's role as a secretariat was progressively undermined by the developing role of the king's secretary, first in evidence under Richard II and, throughout the fifteenth century, gradually accreting powers, formally as keeper of the signet and, less formally, as an officer with close and constant access to the king and increasing responsibility for the king's day-to-day written business.

By the 1530s in theory, and in practice somewhat earlier, the king's secretary had become an officer of state, and Chancery's original role had been shed completely.