William and Mary, 1692: An Act for the better discovery of Judgments in the Courts of Kings Bench Common Pleas & Exchequer att Westminster. [Chapter XX. Rot. Parl. pt. 5. nu. 2.]

Judgments to be docqueted.

Clerks of King's Bench and Common Pleas to bring Notes of Judgments.; Clerks of the Exchequer to bring like Notes to the Office of Pleas.; Officers of the Courts to docquet Judgments of preceding Terms.; Fee for search.; Officers neglecting Duty,; Penalty £100.

Whereas great Mischiefs and Damages happen and come as well to persons in their Life times but more often to their Heires Executors and Administrators and alsoe to Purchasers and Mortgagees by Judgments entred upon Record in Their Majesties Courts att Westminster against the persons Defendants by reason of the difficulty there is in finding out such Judgments. For remedy whereof be it enacted by the King and Queens most Excellent Majesties by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Co[m]mons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That the Clerke of the Essoignes of the Court of Co[m]mon Pleas every Clerk of the Doggets of the Court of Kings-Bench and the Master of the Office of Pleas in the Court of Exchequer for the time being shall before the last day of Easter Terme next comeing and so in every Easter Terme after make or cause to be made and put into an alphabetical Doggett by the Defendants names a particular of all Judgments for Debt by Confession Non sum Informatus or Nihil dicit entred in the said respective Courts of the Terme of Saint Hillary preceding which shall containe the name and names of the Plantiff and Plantiffs the name and names of the Defendant and Defendants his her or their place [and (fn. 1) ] places of Abode and Title Trade or Profession (if any such be in the Record of the said Judgment), and the Debt Damages and Costs recovered thereby and in what County City or Towne the respective Actions were laid and the Number Roll of the Entry thereof And alsoe that every Clerk of the Judgments and every other Clerk of the said Court of Co[m]mon Pleas and Kings Bench respectively shall within ten days before the time aforesaid bring to the respective Clerks of the Doggetts of the said respective Courts Notes in writeing of all the Judgments by them and every of them respectively entred of the said Terme of Saint Hillary upon Verdicts Writts of Enquiry Demurer and every other Judgment for Debt or Damags in all things as aforesaid And alsoe that the Clerk of the Judgments and every other Clerk of the said Court of Exchequer shall within the times aforesaid bring to the said Master of the said Office of Pleas the like note in writeing of all the like Judgments by him and them respectively entred of the said Terme in all things as aforesaid to the end the same may be (by the Clerk of the Essoigns of the said Court of Co[m]mon Pleas the Clerk of the Doggetts of the said Court of Kings Bench and Master of the Office of Pleas) respectively entred in the respective Doggetts before mentioned in manner and forme aforesaid And alsoe that the respective Officers and Clerks of the said respective Courts shall likewise before the last day of the Terme of Saint Michael also next comeing and in every Michaelmas Terme after make or cause to be made as aforesaid the like Doggetts containeing all such Judgments in the said respective Courts of the respective Terms of Easter and Trinity then last past and the names of the Plaintiffs and Defendants Titles and Additions Debt and Damags in all things as aforesaid And alsoe that the said respective Officers and Clerks of the said respective Courts shall likewise before the last day of the Terme of Saint Hillary which shall be in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety and three and so in every Hillary Terme after make or cause to be made the like Doggett containeing all such Judgments in the said respective Courts of the Terme of Saint Michael then last past with the names of the Plaintiffs and Defendants Titles and Additions Debt and Damags in all things as aforesaid And that the said respective Doggetts shall be fairely put into and kept in Books in Parchment in the respective Offices of the respective Officers before named to be searched and viewed by all persons att all reasonable times paying to the respective Officers in whose keeping the said Books respectively shall be for every Terms search for Judgments against any one person foure pence and no more upon pain that every Clerk of Essoigns of the Court of Co[m]mon Pleas Clerk of the Doggets of the Kings Bench and Master of the Office of Pleas in the Court of Exchequer Clerks of the Judgments and every Clerk before mentioned respectively shall for every Terme in which he shall omit or neglect to do his duty in the premisses forfeit the Sum of One hundred pounds the one moiety to the party or parties agrieved and the other moiety to him or them who shall sue for the same in any of Their Majesties Courts of Record att Westminster wherein no Priveledge or Essoigne or Protection of Law shall be admitted nor any more then one Imparlance.

II. Judgments not docquetted not to affect Purchasers, &c.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That no Judgment not doggetted and entred in the Books as aforesaid shall affect any Lands or Tenements as to Purchasers or Mortgagees or have any preferrence against Heirs Executors or Administrators in their Administration of their Ancestors Testators or Intestates Estates.

III. Fee to Clerk of the Judgments.

And whereas the Clerks of the Judgments of the said respective Courts are to be att great charge and trouble in the execuc[i]on of this Act for recompence whereof be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid that hereafter there shall be paid by the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs in every of the said Judgments upon Verdicts Writs of Enquiry Demurrer and every other Judgment by them respectively to be entred over and above the Fees now due for the same the Sum of Foure pence and no more.

IV. Continuance of Act.

Provided always and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That this Act shall continue and be in force for one yeare from the five and twentieth day of March One thousand six hundred ninety and three and from thence to the end of the next Session of Parliament and no longer.