Copyright notice

This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. Copyright © 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.

Printer-friendly page

Clerk of Court

by Louis P. Towles, 2006

The Clerk of Court in North Carolina is responsible for the day-to-day operation of courts. Appointed by the Crown clerk or secretary of the province, his duties in 1669 included recording deeds, leases, judgments, and mortgages. Later he was also responsible for reading charges in court, taking minutes, administering oaths, entering appeals, recording marks or bonds, and dismissing suits.

The clerk of the General Court served in multiple capacities. Among them, he kept the court calendar, dispatched constables, handled arrangements, and drew juries. The clerk also attended special courts, swore in the evidence, collected fines, drew up indictments, and recorded court proceedings.

Additional Resources:

Clerks of Court, North Carolina Courts: http://www.nccourts.org/Courts/OCO/Clerk/

Subjects: 
Law and legal history
Authors: 
Towles, Louis P.
From: 
Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press.

1 January 2006 | Towles, Louis P.