The English Historical Review NO. CXLIV.— OCTOBER 1921 ' Adventus Vicecomitum 1258-72 'AFTER July 1263', says Professor Tout in his Chapters in J~ Mediaeval Administrative History, ■ the exchequer nearly collapsed. There was no treasurer and no resident baron until November 1263, when a provisional administration was set up under John Chishull, chancellor of the exchequer, and a baron appointed for the purpose.' x This being the case, an examination of the relations existing between the sheriffs and the exchequer during the Barons' War is of some interest, especially as the evidence of the Pipe and Memoranda Rolls has not hitherto been analysed. We are, however, at once confronted with difficulties on under- taking such an analysis, 2 for modern research has been directed towards a study of the exchequer in the twelfth rather than in the thirteenth century. The lack of printed evidence, combined with the enormous bulk of the rolls, has prevented students from giving the exchequer records of the thirteenth century the attention which they deserve. The purpose of this article is to examine certain summaries in the Memoranda Rolls, checking them, where necessary, by the Pipe Rolls, in order to ascertain the position of affairs at the exchequer at the end of Henry Ill's reign. These summaries are three in number, and occur regularly on the Memoranda Rolls between 1258 and 1272 : they are the Dies Dati, the Compoti Comitatuum, and the Adventus Vicecomitum. The Dies Dati are, as their name implies, a list of appointments which the exchequer made with the sheriffs, usually, but not always, for purposes of account. The Compotus Comitatus is entered for each county which accounted at the exchequer in any 1 i. 297. See also Madox, History of the Exchequer, ii. 55, and Memoranda Roll, King's Remembrancer, 47 & 48 Hen. Ill, mm. 1 d, 2. 2 I am deeply indebted to Mr. Hilary Jenkinson, of the Public Record Office, for his help in overcoming these difficulties. VOL. XXXVI. — NO. CXLIV. I i
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