ABSTRACT
After the Conquest the king’s writs came from the Court that travelled with him in England and France, or from those parts of it that had become detached and settled in Westminster. The writs were usually short letters of instruction composed in the vernacular sent to royal officials or subjects with an address written on the reverse side or on a tag attached to the foot of the document. Under the Norman kings they came from a government which moved around the country - and those who wished to see the king had to find him - but in stages it transferred to a permanent location. The first section to separate was the Exchequer, which had been formed in the reign of Henry I as the place where the royal accounts were managed and monies received. It moved in the reign of Henry II. A royal messenger service was needed and was controlled by an official named the Usher who was compensated by a grant of fees and lands. Fitz Nigel’s account written in about 1179 describes it as sitting twice a year, though by the time of King John it was in continuous session and its messengers had become a charge on government.1
