C H A 
vity, jurifdifKon, and execution of laws, which the lord 
chancellor, or lord keeper, of right ought to ufe and exe¬ 
cute, &c. fince which ftatute this high office hath been le- 
veral times in commiffion. 
The office of lord chancellor or lord keeper, is now 
created by the mere delivery of the king’s great feal into 
his cuftody; whereby he becomes, without writ or patent, 
an officer of the greateft weight and power of any now 
-Jubfifting in the kingdom, and fuperior in point of pre¬ 
cedency to every temporal lord. And the adt of taking 
away this feal by the king, or of its being refigned or 
given up by the chancellor, determines his office. He is 
a privy counfellor by his office; and according to loru- 
chaiiceJlor Ellelinere, prolocutor of the houfe of lords 
by prefcription. To him belongs the appointment of all 
jultices of peace throughout the kingdom. Being for¬ 
merly almoft always an ecclefiaftic, (for none elfe were 
then capable of an office fo converlant in writings,) and 
prefid in g over the royal chapel, he became keeper of the 
king’s confidence 5 vifitor, in right of the king, of all 
liofpitals and colleges of the king’s foundation, and pa¬ 
tron of all the king's livings under the value of twenty 
anarks a-year in the king’s books. (38 Ed. 3. 3. though 
Hob. 214, extends this value twenty pounds.) He is the 
general guardian of all infants, ideots, and lunatics; and 
has the iuperintendance of all charitable ufes in the king¬ 
dom. And all this over and above the vaft and extenfive 
jurifdiftion, which he exercifes in his judicial capacity in 
the court of chancery. 3 Comm. 47. The ftat. 25 Edw. 
III. c. 2. declares it to be treafon toilay the chancellor (and 
certain other judges) being in their places doing their 
offices ; and it feems that the lord keeper and commiffion- 
ors of the great feal, are within this ftatute by virtue of 
ftatutes 5 Eliz. c. 18 5 and 1 W. & M. c. 21. The lord 
■chancellor, now there is no lord high fteward, is account¬ 
ed the firft officer of the kingdom ; and he not only 
keeps the king’s great feal, but all patents, commiions, 
■warrants, &c.. from the king, are perufed and examined 
by him before figned ; and lord Coke fays the lord chan¬ 
cellor is fo termed a cancellando, from cancelling the 
king’s letters patent, when granted contrary to law ; 
which is the higheft point of his jurildiftion. 4 Injl. 88. 
He by his oath lwears well and truly to ferve the king, 
and to do right to all manner of people. See. In his ju¬ 
dicial capacity, he hath divers afhftants and officers, viz. 
The mafter of the rolls, the mailers in chancery, &c. 
And in matters of difficulty, he calls one or more of the 
chief juftices and judges to affift him in making his de¬ 
crees j though in fuch cafes they only give their advice 
and opinion, and have no ffiare whatever of the judicial 
authority. See Chancery. 
CHANCELLOR OF A DIOCESE, or of a Bishop. 
A perfon appointed to hold the biffiop’s courts, and to 
affiil him in matters of ecclefiaftical law- This officer, as 
■well as ail other ecclefiaftical ones, if lay or married, muft 
be a doftor of the civil law fo created in fome univerfity. 
Stat. 37 H. 8. c. 17. 
CHAN'CELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCAS¬ 
TER. An officer before whom, or his deputy, the court 
of the duchy chamber of Lancafter is held. This is a 
Ipecial jurifdiflion concerning all matter of equity relat¬ 
ing to lands holden of the king in right of the duchy 
•of Lancafter. Hobj. 77. 2 Lev. 24. This is a thing very 
diftinid from the county palatine, which hath alfo its le- 
arate chanceiy for fealing of writs, and other fpecial 
ufinefs. 1 Ventr. 257. This duchy compriles much ter- 
ritoiy which lies at a vaft diltance from the county, as 
particularly a very large diftrifl furrounded by the city 
of Weftminfter. The proceedings in this court are the 
fame as on the equity fide in the courts of exchequer and 
chancery. 4 Inji. 206. So that it feems not to be a court 
of record: and it has been holden that thofe courts 
have a concurrent jurifdidlion with the duchy court, and 
may take cognizance of the fame caufes. 1 C- R. 55. 
45. Hard. 371. This court is held in Weftnun- 
C H A 87 
fter 7 hall, and was formerly much ufed. Under the chan¬ 
cellor of the duchy are an attorne)' of the court, one 
chief clerk or regifter, and ieveral auditors, &c. See 
Counties Palatine. 
CHAN'CELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER. A great 
officer, who, it is thought by many, was originally ap¬ 
pointed for the qualifying extremities in the Exchequer 
he- fometimfes fits in court, and in the exchequer cham¬ 
ber; and, with the judges of the court, orders things to 
the king’s beft benefit. Hehath; by the ftat. 33.Hen.VIII. 
c. 39, power, with others, to compound for the forfei¬ 
tures upon penal ftatutes, bonds and recognizances en¬ 
tered into to the king: he hath alfo great authority in 
the management of the royal revenue, &c. which feems' 
of late to be his chief bufinefs, being commonly the firft. 
commifiioner of the treafury; and hence it has become 
his province to invent, propofe, and regulate, the taxes 
for the current year, and to provide completely for the 
national expenditure. And though the court of equity 
in the exchequer-chamber, was intended to be holden 
before the treafurer, chancellor, and barons, it is now 
ufually before the barons only. When there is a lord- 
treafurer, the chancellor of the exchequer is the under 
treafurer. 
CHAN'CELLOR OF A CATHEDRAL, an officer that 
hears lectures read in the church, either by himfeLf or 
his vicar; to corredt and fet right the reader when he 
reads amifs; to infpeft fchools; to hear caufes ; apply 
the feal ; write and difpatch the letters of the chapter; 
keep the books ; take care that there be frequent preach¬ 
ings, both in the church and out of it; and affign the 
office of preaching to whom he pleafes. 
CHAN'CELLOR OF THE ORDER OF THE GAR¬ 
TER, is an officer who feals the commiffions and mandates 
of the chapter and afiembly of the knights, keeps the 
regifter of . their proceedings, and delivers adls thereof 
under the feal of their order. 
CHAN'CELLOR OF AN UNIVERSITY, the head or 
fenior officer, who feals the diplomas or letters of de¬ 
grees, proVifion, &c. given in the univerfity. The chan¬ 
cellor of Oxford is ufually one of the principal nobility, 
chofen by the Undents tliemfelves in convocation. He is 
the chief magiftrate of the place; his office is durante vita s 
to govern the univerfity, preferve and defend its rights 
and privileges, convoke aftemblies, and do juftice among 
the members under his jurifdidlion. Under the chancel¬ 
lor is the vice-chancellor, who is chofen annually, being 
nominated by the chancellor, and deeded by the univer¬ 
fity in convocation. He is always the head of fome col¬ 
lege, and in holy orders. His proper office is to execute 
the chancellor's power, to govern the univerfity accord¬ 
ing to her ftatutes, to fee that officers and ftudents do 
their duty, that courts be duly called, &c. When he 
enters upon his office, he choofes four pro-vice chan¬ 
cellors from the heads of the colleges, to execute his du¬ 
ty in his ablence. The chancellor of Cambridge is al¬ 
io ufually one of the firft of our nobility, and in molt re- 
fpedts the lame as that in Oxford; only he does not hold 
his office durante vita , but may be elected every three 
years. Under the chancellor there is a commifiary, who 
holds a court of record for all privileged perfons and 
fcholars under the degree of mafter of arts, where all 
caufes are tried and determined by the civil and ftatute 
law, and by the cuftom of the univerfity. The vice- 
chancellor of Cambridge is chofen annually by the fe- 
nate, out of two perfons nominated by the heads of the 
feveral colleges and halls. See Courts of the Univer¬ 
sities. 
CHANCELLORSHIP, f. The office of chancellor. 
CHANCERY, f. [Cancellaria,h at.] The higheft court 
of judicature in this kingdom next to the parliament, 
and of veiy ancient inftitution. The juril'didfion of this 
court is of two kinds; ordinary and extraordinary. 
The ordinary jurifdiftion, is that wherein the lord-chan¬ 
cellor, lord-keeper, &c. in his proceedings and judg¬ 
ment s 4 
