Court of King's Bench: Plea Side: Brevia Billarum Files

Brevia Billarum files of the Plea Side of the Court of King's Bench. These files are the successors of the Bille files (KB 147) when the declarations and the latitats returned endorsed 'non sunt inventi' were removed to KB 152 and KB 153 in 1549. The title of the Brevia Billarum series of files was established in the 1550s, and they became very large by 1571, at which point the jury process and panels were removed to what is now KB 154. At Michaelmas 1574 the Habeas Corpora were also removed to form a different series, now KB 155, and at Michaelmas 1589 the Cepi Corpora were also removed to a new series, now KB 156. From 1589 the Brevia Billarum became known as the Brevia Judicialia, and came to be restricted to the post-judgment writs and returns. In 1607 a final loss was the Capias ad Satisfaciendum writs, when they went into another new series, now KB 157. They continue to 1688, with a big gap from 1631 to 1646.

Each file generally corresponds to a legal term.

The surviving files are numbered on a systematic basis. The first element is a reign number, running from 1 (Edward VI). The second is the regnal year, the third represents the term within the year. The numbers used to represent the different terms varies from reign to reign, according to the point in the calendar year at which the new monarch succeeded to the throne.

Panels and jury process later than Michaelmas term 1571 are in KB 153

Topics

Litigation