1H The role of the Exchequer and the Chamber Flashcards
The medieval Exchequer was
the bureaucratic institution that
dealt with matters of royal nance. Its primary functions were to
receive, store and pay out money on behalf of the crown, and to
audit the roval accounts. The Chief Officer of the Exchequer was
the treasurer and subordinate to hir was the Chancellor of the
Exchequer
Who were in charge of
collecting taxation and other forms of revenue from the localities.
Local officers (usually sheriffs). They brought the money gathered to the Lower Exchecuer, where
an official called the Chamberlain of the Exchequer presided.
In return, the sheriffs reccived a piece of marked wood, called
a tally. which acted as a receipt for the amount they had paid.
Tallies were then taken to the Upper Exchequer, where they were
checked by the clerks to ensure the correct amount of money
had been handed in by cach locality These returns were recorded
in medieval manuscripts called the pipe rolls.
The bureaucratic hierarchy was complexed and focused on preventing fraud. What did this mean
Functioned in an honest fashion but was slow to process and audit money so Edward IV developed an alternative financial department, under the management of the Chamber.
‘The King’s Chamber’ was originally a phrase that referred to
the
king’s private apartments, where he slept, washed and dressed.
Because of the nature of personal kingship, however, this private
area could also be a place where the king met with his closest
advisers and made political decisions. Consequently, the member
of staff in change of this area - the chamberlain - was a highly
influential figure, as he largely controlled access to the king. own income and permanent staff.
The Chamber also had a financial role.
Traditonally, while the
Exchequer organised and audited royal income, the Chamber
arranged the spending of this money as directed by the king,
although increasingly this division broke down in the 15th century.
Changes to the Chamber under Edward IV
it is clear that Edward IV made a key alteration in the roles of
the Exchequer and Chamber, making the latter the leading financial department. He particularly
favoured it as a speedy method of circumventing the slower bureaucracy of the Exchequer officials,
increasingly using it to control royal income and expenditure. The increased flexibility provided
by this system enhanced Edward’s financial position, allowing him to restore the crown finances
during his second reign from the precarious state they were left in by Henry VI. This meant that
the monarchy was solvent by the 1480s, despite Edward’s reputation for personal extravagance.
Changes to the Chamber after Edward IV
In the upheaval of the Tudor takeover in 1485, Exchequer officials reinstated the old system, but once
Henry VI became established he returned to the use of Chamber finance, and the greater control
this gave the king over royal revenues was influential in helping him to increase crown income and
gain a strong reputation as an intelligent financial operator
