Legal Definitions - summonitores scaccarii

The term summonitores scaccarii refers to historical officials within the English Exchequer, which was a governmental department responsible for managing the nation's finances and collecting revenue. Their primary role was to assist in the collection of taxes, fines, and other debts owed to the Crown by identifying individuals or entities who had defaulted on their payments and formally summoning them to appear before the court to address their outstanding obligations.

Here are some examples illustrating the function of the summonitores scaccarii:

• Example 1: Unpaid Feudal Dues
  Imagine a powerful medieval lord, Lord Ashworth, who owned vast estates but consistently neglected to pay his annual feudal dues to the Crown. The summonitores scaccarii would investigate this delinquency, often after reports from local officials or audits of royal accounts. They would then issue a formal writ, compelling Lord Ashworth to appear before the Exchequer court to account for his unpaid obligations and face potential penalties. This illustrates their role in pursuing landowners who failed to contribute their required revenue to the royal treasury.

• Example 2: Customs Duty Evasion
  Consider a merchant named Eleanor who imported valuable spices from overseas but attempted to underreport their quantity to avoid paying the full customs duties owed to the King. When this discrepancy was discovered by royal auditors examining port records, the summonitores scaccarii would be tasked with serving a summons on Eleanor. This summons would require her presence in the Exchequer court to explain the shortfall in customs payments and settle the outstanding amount, demonstrating their function in ensuring merchants paid their due taxes on trade.

• Example 3: Delinquent Local Officials
  Suppose a local sheriff was responsible for collecting various fines and levies imposed in his shire's courts and remitting these funds to the central Exchequer. If the sheriff's accounts showed a significant deficit, or if he repeatedly failed to transfer the collected funds by the due date, the summonitores scaccarii would issue a summons for the sheriff himself to appear before the Exchequer's barons. They would demand an explanation for the missing revenue and immediate payment, highlighting their authority over even local officials who mishandled royal funds.