Petty Bag, petty-bag Obs. exc. Hist.
[See quot. 1658.]
An office formerly belonging to the Common Law jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery, for suits for and against solicitors and officers of that court, and for process and proceedings by extents on statutes, recognizances, scire facias, to repeal letters patent, etc.: see also clerk 6 c.
| 1631 in Crt. & Times Chas. I (1848) II. 102 Some forty officers more of the same court, as cursitors, filazers, petty bags, hanaper, &c. 1631 Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 440 Clarke of the Petit Bagge. 1648 C. Walker Hist. Independ. i. 83 Mr. Pury the Petty-bag Office, besides 1000l. formerly given him. 1654 Gataker Disc. Apol. 45 A Gentleman, one of the Petti-Bag, who pretended a Title. 1658 Phillips s.v., Clerks of the Petit bag, three officers of Chancery who record the return of all inquisitions out of every Shire, all liveries granted in the Court of Wards, make all Patents of Customes, Gaugers, Controllers, etc., each record being put in a petit or little leather bag; whence they had the denomination of Clerks of the Petit bag. 1797 Monthly Mag. III. 48 The specification of this bridge, as enrolled in the Petty bag office. 1852 Dickens Bleak Ho. i, Maces, or petty-bags, or privy-purses..all yawning. 1896 Scargill-Bird Guide Pub. Rec. (ed. 2) Introd. 14 By Stat. 11 & 12 Vict., c. 94, the Clerks of the Petty Bag were reduced to a single Clerk, and the office was finally abolished in 1889. |