Duchy of Lancaster: Drafts and Particulars for Leases

From the beginning of the period covered by this series, authority for such leases was within the remit of the chancellor and council of the Duchy and the process would be initiated by a chancellor's warrant to the clerk of the Duchy to prepare a draft lease. Occasionally authority for leases would come from outside the Duchy from the monarch in the form of signet bills, a few of which occur in this series. Prior to the reign of Elizabeth I some drafts were checked by the auditor, who would write a note of the value of the property at the bottom, or on the dorse, of the draft. The chancellor would then check and sign the draft and add the term of the lease based on the auditor's advice.

From the reign of Elizabeth I, however, the chancellor's initial warrant would not be to the clerk but to the relevant auditor to draw up a particular of the property to be leased. A draft particular would be returned to the Duchy Chancery and the final particular would be drawn up for the attention of the chancellor. He would then, write his fiat or warrant on the bottom of the particular to the clerk, who would have a draft of the lease drawn up in the Duchy Chancery. This would then be checked and signed by the clerk and the attorney general, rather than the chancellor. A two part lease could then, finally, be prepared.