Having got rid of their dissolute keeper, the guardians of the County Hall relaxed the severity of their previous decrees against players, for in 1713 the Court, at their Michaelmas Sessions, ordered that the County Hall be granted for the use of "the Players now in Derby, they putting down a pawn that they will repair the Damage they shall do to the same." Nor was the Court above bargaining for free passes to the play, as they at the same time ordered that "the Clerk of the peace and the Treasurer and their family shall go in gratis at any time."

The experiences, however, of suffering the County Hall to be again used for amusements, even when county officials were admitted gratis, does not seem to have answered, and at the Epiph. Sessions, 1738, "before Sir Thomas Abney, Knt, Samuel Sanders and others their fellow Justices," the following stern order was entered on the minutes:-" Whereas many Inconveniences have arisen and may arise by permitting Fencers, Bearwards, Dancers, Common Players of Interludes, and other loose Idle and disorderly persons to expose practice or Exercise their Severall crafts Arts interludes plays Games pastimes and Shows in ye Shire Hall of this County and the Rooms and Yard thereunto belonging Now to prevent such Inconveniences for the future It is Ordered by this Court that for ye future no person or persons whatsoever shall be permitted to Act, represent, perform, practise, use or Exercise any Craft, Interlude, play pastime Game or Show in the sd Shire Hall or in any of the Rooms Yards or Courts thereunto belonging And it is further Ordered that a Copy of this Order be delivered by ye Clerk of the peace for ye time being to every Justice of the Peace on his first being Sworn into ye Comission And all persons whatsoever are required to pay obedience hereunto.

By the Court Hayne."

The wide space of the large Hall afforded tempting accommodation for a variety of purposes, and occasionally the Court was successfully approached to grant it for various curious uses. Thus, in 1714, it was ordered "that Isaac Borrow* Esqr have liberty to sett his sach windows in the County Hall in order to have them painted there." In 1743, the use of the Hall was granted for a very different purpose, namely, for "the organist now making an organ for All

Isaac Borrow was one of the chief inhabitants of the town. in 1730, when he rebuilt the Town Hall, and again in 1742. Gate, near to the County Hall, and was probably at this time windows were then a novelty.

He was Mayor of Derby He resided in St. Mary's rebuilding his house; sash

Saints

the parishioners agreeing to make good all injury or damage done." *

The Orders of Sessions, and other papers, contain, also, incidental references from time to time, relating to changes or repairs in the furnishing and interior arrangements of the Hall. Thus, in 1702, £6 Is. 6d. was expended "for the repair of the Nisi Prius Barr in the County Hall and for new lockes to the Gaole doores." In 1713 the sum of £9 was voted to the Treasurer to lay out the same in "making a Gallery on the Nisi prius side of the County hall for the petty Jury to stand in." The pavement of the Hall was relaid in 1717 at a cost of £20. A more interesting entry of 1763, provides £20 to be expended in "erecting a chair in the Court of the Nisi Prius side near to the Door going into the Garden for the convenient Sitting of the High Sheriff in that court, and in widening the Gates leading into the Court so as to admitt of Coaches coming to the foot of the Stairs leading up to the door of the County Hall."

In the open court in front of the Hall there used to be a double row of pollard lime trees. At the Mich. Sessions, 1712, it was ordered "that the Trees in the Shire hall yard be lopt & cutt at a seasonable time of the year And the Treasurer cause the same to be done." These trees had, however, disappeared when Hutton wrote in 1791, and the whole area of the courtyard was flagged.

A projecting public house, on the east side of the courtyard, "The Marlborough Head," had long been regarded as an eyesore. At the Mich. Sessions, 1808, the question of its purchase was taken into consideration, and at the next sessions we find that it had been bought for £925. The county was now in possession of the whole of that side of the courtyard, and thereon they erected the present range of Judges' Lodgings, at an eventual cost of £16,000.

In 1828, the Justices ordered the courts, as at present in use, to be built. In erecting these, and the commodious buildings behind them, the whole of the space that used to be garden was occupied, as well as two houses and stables in Walker Lane, that had to be purchased for the site. The old County Hall of Charles II, time still remains in front of the new courts, but a good deal altered and renewed. The extensive new buildings and alterations, of which Mr. Habershon was the architect, cost nearly £19,000, and were first opened for business on April 11th, 1829.

* See the Chronicles of All Saints', Derby, p. 195.

SECTION II.-ADMINISTRATIVE.

Custos Rotulorum and Lord-Lieutenant.

These offices, though generally now held together, and associated in men's minds as one and the same, are wholly dissimilar in their purport, for the one is Civil, and the other Military. The former was established by a distinct Act of Parliament,* the latter had no statutable warranty till after the Restoration. The patent of the Custos is signed by the Sovereign, the commission of the Lieutenant is by writ of Privy Seal. Before the first year of the reign of William and Mary, the two appointments had never been held in Derbyshire by the same person.

Custos Rotulorum.

The Keeper of the Rolls and Records of the Session of the Peace, is without doubt an office of great antiquity, probably coeval with the first Commission of the Peace granted by Edward III. (the office of Clerk of the Peace who is appointed by the Custos, can be traced to that period under its present title).+ Previous to the year 1542, the Custos had been appointed by the Lord Chancellor; abuses having then crept in, it was enacted for the reformation thereof, and to the intent that the offices of Custos Rotulorum and Clerk of the Peace be occupied by persons learned in the laws of the realm, that the appointments of Custos should be by Bill signed by the King's own hand.‡ In 1548 this Act

* 37 Henry VIII., Cap. I. + Lambard's Eirenarcha, p. 373.

37 Hen. VIII., Cap. 1.