remembrancer
(rɪˈmɛmbrənsə(r))
[a. AF. remembrancer: see remembrance n. and -er1.]
1. † a. A local official of some kind. Obs. rare—1.
| 1430–1 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 386/1 Robt. Holme Esquyer, Remembrauncer of Guyen..suyng for the good of the Corone of oure Soverayn liege Lorde the Kyng, and for the parties of the Duche of Guyen. |
b. The name of certain officials of the Court of Exchequer.
(a) The King's (or Queen's) Remembrancer, an officer responsible for the collection of debts due to the sovereign; now an officer of the Supreme Court. (b) The Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer. Now only Hist. (abolished by Act 3 & 4 Will. IV, c. 99 §41). (c) The Remembrancer of the First Fruits, responsible for the collection of all compositions for first fruits and tenths. Now only Hist. (abolished by Act 1 & 2 Vict. c. 20 §1).
| [1354 Rolls of Parlt. II. 271/2 Que come en l'Escheqer soient diverses offices & places, Gardein de la Pipe, & de la Somons, Remembrancers.] 1455 Ibid. V. 342/2 Remembrauncer of the Kynges Eschequier. 1464 Ibid. 529/1 The Office of oure Remembrancer in oure Eschequer. 1566 Act 8 Eliz. c. 16 §2 Her or their Graces Officers of Remembrauncer and the Treasourers Remembrancer. 1607 Cowell Interpr. s.v., Remembrancers of the Exchequer (Rememoratores) be three officers, or clerks, one called the Kings Remembrancer... The third is called the Remembrancer of the first fruites. 1662 Act 14 Chas. II, c. 21 §3 That the several Remembrancers of the said Court..make true and perfect Copies of..such other Seizure and Inquisicion. 1724 Swift Drapier's Lett. Wks. 1755 V. ii. 68 The lord Palmerstown is first remembrancer, worth near 2000l. per annum. 1797 22nd Rep. Sel. Committee on Finance 4 Upon entering into the Details of the Constitution of this Court, the Officers who first present themselves are the Remembrancers. 1838 Act 1 & 2 Vict. c. 20 §11 Henry Warre Esquire, the present Remembrancer of First Fruits and Tenths. 1887 Pollock Land Laws 8 note, These rents are now received by the Queen's Remembrancer a few days before the beginning of Michaelmas term. |
† c. Queen's Remembrancer, an officer having the administration of the Queen Consort's affairs. Obs.
| [? 1644 Cal. St. Papers Chas. I, Dom. (1890) 212 There has always been an officer called the Remembrancer to the Queens of this nation.] 1647 Haward Crown Rev. 5 Clerke in the Office of the Queenes Remembrancer. |
d. An official of the Corporation of the City of London, whose chief duty now is to represent that body before Parliamentary Committees and at Council and Treasury Boards.
‘From the records of the City of London, in the Town Clerk's Office, it appears that the office of Remembrancer was instituted in 1570–1’ (Archaeologia, 1855, XXXVI. 106).
| 1710 J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. ii. iii. 631 Mr. John Johnson, Remembrancer [of the City of London]. 1770 in Examiner (1812) 4 May 286/1 Lord Denbigh came up to the City Remembrancer. 1802–12 Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) II. 590 note, In the official establishment of the city of London there still exists one officer, the remembrancer [etc.]. 1837 Municip. Corporations (Eng. & Wal.) 2nd Rep., London 45 The Remembrancer is elected by the Common Council. 1882 Times 1 Mar. 9/6 Mr. Robarts..was elected City Remembrancer in 1878, at a salary of 1,500l. per annum. |
2. One who reminds another; in former use, esp. one engaged or appointed for that purpose. (Common in 16–17th c.) Also, a memoirist, a chronicler.
| 1523 Skelton Garl. Laurel 864 To be your remembrauncer, madame, I am bounde. 1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. xxxix. 13 God knoweth welynough without a remembrancer, that men have but a short journey to walk upon earth. 1645 J. Dury Israel's Call 28 You have put me in this place, to be your remembrancer in the name of the Lord. 1687 R. L'Estrange Answ. Diss. 22, I think it would not do Amiss, if the Dissenter should Counter-Advise his Remembrancer upon Two or Three of these Last Points. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. 28 Apr., Let. ii, If I had not been an ass, I should not have needed a remembrancer. 1835 Browning Paracelsus ii. 42 What does this Remembrancer set down concerning life? 1865 Examiner 18 Mar. 161 It is his chosen office to be Remembrancer of all wrongs. 1951 [see continuity 6]. 1957 Times 8 Aug. 8/2 Both [wrote] personal portraits and reminiscences. In both cases Posterity will need to bear in mind that they are not always reliable remembrancers. 1968 G. Jones Hist. Vikings iv. ii. 356 Byrhtnoth's brave but..foolhardy stand..found no remembrancer among the victors. |
3. fig. a. of things; also, a thing serving to remind one; a reminder; a memento, souvenir.
| 1589 G. Harvey Pierces Supererog. Wks. (Grosart) II. 138 Consideration is a good Counsellour: & Reading, no badd Remembrancer. 1594 Kyd Cornelia iii. i. 13 Sweet teares of loue, remembrancers to tyme. 1607 Donne in Four C. Eng. Lett. (1880) 62 No searching vehemencies..made you need so shadowy an example or remembrancer. 1666 J. Davies Hist. Caribby Isles 297 Their stomacks are their Clocks and Remembrancers. 1778 W. H. Marshall Minutes Agric., Digest 144 This Diary is the basis of the other accounts, and serves as an almost-infallible Remembrancer. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas x. ii. ¶10, I fell dangerously ill there; and that timely remembrancer was the cause of bringing back your son to you. 1867 Howells Ital. Journ. 252 A bit of the sacred wood for a remembrancer. |
b. A reminder of something.
| c 1610 Sir J. Melvil Mem. (1735) 286, I had indited a long Letter..as a Remembrancer of his former Promises. 1682 Wheler Journ. Greece iii. 263 There are some Remains of noble Structures, Remembrancers of their prosperous State. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. iii, Premature consolation is but the remembrancer of sorrow. 1829 Southey Sir T. More (1831) II. 253 You have in them speaking remembrancers of mortality. 1851 Hawthorne Ho. Sev. Gables v, The..freckles, friendly remembrancers of the April sun and breeze. |
c. Used as the title of a book or pamphlet.
| 1585 Higins (title) The Nomenclator, or Remembrancer of Adrianus Iunius.., conteining proper names and apt termes for all thinges. 1628 Wither (title) Britain's Remembrancer, containing a Narration of the Plague lately past. 1670 Barksdale (title) A Remembrancer of Excellent Men. 1749 H. Walpole Lett. (1846) II. 288 There was a Remembrancer on that subject ready for the press. 1788 (title) Egerton's Theatrical Remembrancer, a list of all dramatic performances. 1867 (title) The Churchman's Daily Remembrancer, Meditations from Standard Divines. |
† d. A register or record. Obs.
| 1671 N. Philipot (title) Reasons..for a Registry or Remembrancer of all Deeds and Incumbrances of Real Estates. |
e. A memorandum-book.
| 1842 Thackeray Fitz-Boodle Papers, Dorothea, Taking from her waist a little mother-of-pearl remembrancer, she notes them down. |
† 4. One who sends remembrances to another.
| 1700 Pepys Let. 8 Feb., Captain Hatton, who was my guest to-day and your kind remembrancer. |
5. One who seeks to remember.
| 1798 Edgeworth Pract. Educ. (1811) II. 245 Here are things mentioned which will much assist the young remembrancer. |
Hence reˈmembrancership, the office of remembrancer.
| 1882 Times 1 Mar. 9/6 The Court of Common Council looked upon the Remembrancership as a post given for the term of a year only. |