Legal Definitions - writer of the tallies

The writer of the tallies was a specific official within the medieval English government's treasury department, known as the Exchequer.

Their primary responsibility was to meticulously record financial transactions, such as payments made to or by the Crown, onto specialized wooden sticks called "tallies." These records were based on official documentation, or "bills," provided by the "tellers," who were the officers directly responsible for handling the actual money.

Essentially, the writer of the tallies played a crucial role in creating a physical, verifiable record of the treasury's financial activities, ensuring accountability and preventing fraud in an era before widespread paper documentation.

• Example 1: Recording a Tax Payment

  Imagine a wealthy landowner, Lord Ashworth, arriving at the Exchequer to pay his annual feudal dues to the King. A teller receives Lord Ashworth's payment and issues a formal "teller's bill" acknowledging the exact amount received. The writer of the tallies would then take this bill and carefully carve or mark the details of the payment—the amount, the date, and the purpose—onto a wooden tally stick. This stick would then serve as the official record of Lord Ashworth's payment within the treasury.

  This example illustrates the writer's function in transcribing a financial receipt from a teller's document onto a tally, thereby creating a permanent and verifiable record for the Crown's accounts.

• Example 2: Documenting an Expenditure for Royal Supplies

  Consider a situation where the King's household requires a large quantity of grain and wine. An authorization is given for payment to a merchant, Master Thomas. A teller at the Exchequer disburses the necessary funds to Master Thomas, generating a "teller's bill" that details the expenditure. The writer of the tallies would receive this bill and meticulously record the specifics of the payment—the amount, the recipient, and the reason for the expenditure—onto a tally stick. This tally would then be stored as proof of the Crown's outgoing funds.

  This scenario demonstrates the writer's responsibility for documenting outgoing payments, ensuring that all disbursements from the treasury were accurately recorded and accounted for.

• Example 3: Acknowledging a Loan to the Crown

  Suppose the Crown needed to borrow a significant sum of money from a powerful abbey to fund a military campaign. A teller would receive the funds from the abbey, and a "teller's bill" would be created to formally acknowledge this loan. The writer of the tallies would then record the details of this debt—the amount borrowed, the lender, and potentially the terms of repayment—onto a tally stick. Often, this tally would be split lengthwise, with one half kept by the Exchequer and the other given to the abbey as their proof of the loan.

  This example highlights the writer's role in documenting financial obligations, where the tally served not just as a simple receipt but also as a legal instrument of debt, with the writer ensuring its precise and accurate creation for both parties.