Editing Exchequer of Pleas (section)

===Barons===
The main judicial officers were the [[Baron of the Exchequer|Barons of the Exchequer]], or ''barones scaccari'', who were originally the same judges as those of the [[Court of King's Bench (England)|Court of King's Bench]], only becoming independent positions after the Exchequer's separation from the ''[[curia regis]]''.<ref>Thomas (1848) p.3</ref> In the early years of the Exchequer's existence, the Barons were the chief auditors of the accounts of England, a role passed to dedicated auditors during the reign of [[Edward II of England|Edward II]].<ref>Thomas (1848) p.9</ref> With the Exchequer's expansion during the Tudor era, the Barons became more important; where previously only the Chief Baron had been appointed from the [[Serjeant-at-Law|Serjeants-at-Law]], with the other Barons mere [[barrister]]s, it became practice for all Barons of the Exchequer to be Serjeants. This further increased the Exchequer's standing, since for the first time it put the Exchequer at the same level as the [[Court of Common Pleas (England)|Court of Common Pleas]] and [[Court of King's Bench (England)|Court of King's Bench]], where all judges were already required to be Serjeants.<ref>Guth (2008) p.151</ref>
[[Image:SirFitzroyKelly.jpg|thumb|upright|Sir [[Fitzroy Kelly]], the last [[Chief Baron of the Exchequer]]|alt=A man in a dated photograph in a suit with a white court wig.  His expression does not portray an emotion.]]

At least one Baron sat to hear a case, with convention insisting on a maximum of four Barons after the rule of [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]]; as a mere convention, it was occasionally broken. When one Baron was ill or otherwise unable to sit it was felt appropriate to appoint a fifth, as in 1604 when [[John Sotherton|Baron Sotherton]] was ill, and in 1708, when [[John Smith (English judge)|Baron Smith]] was called to Edinburgh to be a temporary [[Court of Exchequer (Scotland)|Chief Baron of the Scottish Exchequer]]. In 1830 a fifth Baron was permanently added to relieve court congestion; at the same time, a fifth judge was added to the Court of Common Pleas and King's Bench.<ref>Bryson (2008) p.46</ref> 

The First Baron was the [[Chief Baron of the Exchequer]]; if the Chancellor and Treasurer were unavailable, he was the head of the court. When he was also absent the Second Baron took charge, and so on; in one case in 1659, the Fourth Baron was the only judge available. The Second, Third and Fourth Barons were known as puisne Barons; initially treated as individual offices, after the time of [[James I of England|James I]] the order was determined by the judges' seniority. Unlike in the [[Court of King's Bench (England)|Court of King's Bench]], the different positions did not equate to different degrees of power; each Baron had an equal vote in decisions.<ref>Bryson (2008) p.47</ref>

Barons were appointed by [[letters patent]] and sworn in by the [[Lord Chancellor]], head of the judiciary. During the 16th century they held their offices ''quamdiu se bene gesserint'', or "during good behaviour".<ref>Bryson (2008) p.54</ref> A Baron could leave the Exchequer in one of three situations; resignation, death, or appointment to another court, which automatically made their office void.<ref name="Bryson 2008 p.58">Bryson (2008) p.58</ref> The letters patent expired after the death of each monarch; when the new one was crowned, a Baron would have to receive a new patent or leave his office. This was mostly a routine event; from 1550 to 1714 all but nine continued in office after the crowning of a new monarch.<ref name="Bryson 2008 p.58"/>