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Recorders of the City and County of the City of Exeter

Richard Izaake, Chamberlain in 1681 wrote in The Remarkable Antiquities of the City of Exeter -

The Recorder is an Office of later Institution than the Mayor, for (as it seems by the course of the Records) some one of the Officers was of ability to direct the Court according to the Laws of the Land, and Customs of the said City; but at length matters in Law encreasing, by good advice 'twas held expedient that a Learned Man should be chosen to be always attendant upon the Court and Chamber of this City, to direct them in all Matters of difficulty according to Law, whereon an Act was made, that a Recorder should be here chosen yearly, as the Mayor and other Officers are, and then was Elected accordingly (being the first Recorder of the said City)

In short, the Recorder was the Legal Adviser or Solicitor to the Chamber, later the Council. He was elected annually, but unlike other officers, could be repeatedly elected.

Izaake states that in 1313 the Recorder received 1 shilling and 8 pence indicating that the office of Recorder was extant, although Jenkins asserts that the first Recorder was appointed in 1354 - 28th year Edward III.

1354 John Weeks (Wekes) Esq - he was given £3 as a fee
1379 John Hull, Esq
1404 William Wynard, Esq
1453 Nicholas Radford Esq
1454 John Moor, Esq of Colhampton - this was a controversial election.
1468 Thomas Dowrish (Douriche), Esq - in 1470 he complimented Edward IV in a speech when the King entered the City in the pursuit of the Duke of Clarence.
1479 William Huttesfield, Esq - surrendered office after he was appointed the King's Solicitor
1482 Thomas Hext Esq - was given a scarlet gown by the City when Richard III congratulated him on his elegant oration in 1483; Richard was feared, therefore the speech was probably an attempt to butter him up. Hext died in office
1496 William Burgoyn (Burgayn) Esq - died in office
1498 Roger Holland, Esq - elected 13th March
1513 Sir Thomas Dennys (Dennis) - he was said to lived through the reigns of seven Kings and Queens and was seven times Sheriff of Exeter. It was Dennis who sanctioned the execution of Thomas Benet at Livery Dole. It was the later Sir Thomas Dennis who founded the almshouses at Livery Dole in 1591 as a penance..
1544 John Harris, Esq - Sergeant-at-Law
1548 Lewis Pollard Esq
1554 Edmund Sture Esq
1558 John Charles Esq
1563 Jeffrey Tothill Esq
1574 Sir Robert Dennys - surrendered this office.
1592 Edward Drew, Esq - Sergeant-at-Law after just six weeks in office he was appointed Recorder of London.
1593 John Hele, Esq - Sergeant-at-Law, appointed 29th June, surrendered this office.
1605 William Martin, Esq
1617 Nicholas Duck Esq - appointed 25th April; he lived in Mount Radford House where he died.
1628 Richard Waltham Esq - resigned.
1632 Peter Balle, Esq - appointed 21st August; afterwards made the Queens Solicitor, then her Attorney and Knighted. He was ousted in a vote in favour of Prydeaux for his loyalty to the King.
1648 Edmund Prydeaux Esq - surrendered the office.
1654 Thomas Bampfylde, Esq - surrendered the office and made a voluntary restitution of the profits of the said Office to the Poor.
1560 Sir Peter Balle - he was reinstated as Recorder, 11th October, when Charles II was crowned. Surrendered the Office.
1676 Sir Thomas Carew - elected 9th May.
1681 Edward Seymour Esq - elected 6th August
1684 Thomas Gibbon Esq - appointed by the Crown on the surrender of the City Charter.
1688 Hugh Westlake Esq
1689 Sir Edward Seymour Esq - restored by William of Orange for his support, when the King passed through Exeter, on the way to taking the Crown from James II. He resigned due his great age. Obituary 1707
1704 Sir Nicholas Hooper - Sergeant-at-Law to Queen Ann. Buried at Barnstaple in 1731
1728 John Belfield, Esq - Sergeant at Law, elected 21st September
1751 John Cholwich, Esq
1764 John Glynn, Esq - Sergeant at Law Obituary 16th September, 1779
1779 John Heath, Esq - Sergeant-at-Law elected 25th September, appointed 8th July 1780 Judge of the Common Pleas. Ob 16th January 1816, aged 83
1780 Stephen Hawtry, Esq - elected 7th August; in 1789 George III was greeted with a speech of loyalty by Hawtry when he entered the City in his coach.
1794 Charles Fanshawe, Esq - elected 31st July; he lived at Franklin House, Cowick.
1814 William Courtenay, Esq M.P - elected 23rd June Resigned 20th December. 1820 Became Earl of Devon.
1820 Thomas Moore Stevens, Esq - elected 30th December died 14th January 1832 and buried at Little Torrington, 19th Jan. 1832. age 49
1832 John Taylor Coleridge, Esq - 26th January. Appointed a Judge of the King's Bench Division in March 1835.
1835 Francis James Newman Rogers, Esq. - the power of appointing the Recorder was removed from the Corporation and vested in the Crown. Obituary 19th July 1851 aged 59.
1851 John Alexander Kinglake, Esq - Sergeant-at-Law, resigned.
1856 John Shapland Stock, Esq - was appointed 28th November.
1867 H C Lopes, Esq
1877 C G Prideaux, Esq
1885 T T Bucknill, Esq
1899 J A Foote, Esq
1922 E Percival Clarke, Esq..
1933 G D Roberts, Esq - King's Counsel
1846 H H Elam, Esq
1954 J T Moloney, Esq - appointed Recorder of Portsmouth.
1960 H E Park, Esq - Queen's Counsel
1964 Raymond Stock, Esq - Queen's Counsel

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