ROLLS Master of the, is the third member of the Supreme Court of Judicature in England, the lord chancellor, president of the Chancery Division, being the first and the lord chief justice, president of the Queen’s Bench Division, being the second. At first he was the principal clerk of the Chancery and as such had charge of the records of the court, especially of the register of original writs and of all patents and grants under the great seal. Until the end of the 15th century he was called either the clerk or the keeper of the rolls, and he is still formally designated as the master or keeper of the rolls. The earliest mention of him as master of the rolls is in 11 Hen. VII. c. 18; and in 11 Hen. VII. c. 24 he is again described as clerk of the rolls, showing that his official designation still remained unsettled. About the same period, however, the chief clerks of the Chancery came to be called masters in Chancery and the clerk, master, or keeper of the rolls was always the first among them whichever name they bore. In course of time, from causes which are not very easy to trace, his original functions as keeper of the records passed away from him and he gradually assumed a jurisdiction in the Court of Chancery second only to that of the lord chancellor himself. In the beginning he only heard causes in conjunction with the other masters in Chancery and his decrees were invalid until they had been approved and signed by the lord chancellor. But later on he heard causes without assistance and his decrees held good until they were reversed on petition either to the lord chancellor or afterwards to the lords justices of appeal (15 and 16 Vict. c. 83). Before any judge with the formal title of vice-chancellor was appointed the master of the rolls was often spoken of as ...