Catalogue description Exchequer: King's Remembrancer: Appearance Books

Books of appearance of defendants to actions brought on the King's Remembrancer's side of the Exchequer. These include both defendants to actions in equity, and to actions on information, quo warranto, or other forms of process in revenue causes.

The name of the Exchequer clerk appearing for the defendant is entered in brief in the left hand margin of the page, as is the county in which the suit arose. The name of the defendant forms the subject of the entry, followed, in those entries referring to cases in equity, by the words 'ad sectam' (at the suit of) and the name of the plaintiff, with any explanatory detail concerning the nature of the action which the defendant was being called to answer.

From about 1660 the books are in general less detailed, recording only the names of the parties and the reason for appearance: to answer bill, information, or specified writ. The format of the entries makes them serve as a partial index, arranged chronologically, to defendants in equity causes in the Exchequer. The appearance books are far less useful as a guide to revenue suits.

For a discussion of the use of the appearance books, see R M Ball, 'The King's Remembrancer's office in the eighteenth century', Journal of Legal History, xi (1990), pp 90-113.