Obs. [App. a later variant of CHECKER-ROLL; perhaps partly phonetic, through running together of the two r’s in checker-roll, but probably established by being associated in thought with CHECK v. Checker-roll is the form first occurring in official documents; later quotations of these often change it to check-roll.]
1. = CHECKER-ROLL: a roll or list containing the names, etc., of persons in the service of the sovereign and chargeable to the royal exchequer; used to check their payment, performance of duty, etc.
1450. Paston Lett., 117, I. 157. It is seid that he [K. Hen. VI.] hath do wretyn to alle his men that be in the chekroll to awayte on hym atte parlement in theer best aray.
1539. Househ. Ord., in Thynne, Animadv. (1865), Introd. 34. The said Clerkes-Comptrollers shall make for every Quarter in the Yeare, a roule of Parchment that shall be called the Check-Roll.
1642. W. Bird, Mag. Honor, 156. The Check-Roll of the King’s honourable houshold [a quot. of Statute 1486, which has Cheker-roll].
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. 273.
2. A list of the servants of any large household.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1257/2. His [Earl of Derby’s] famous housekeeping, and eleuen score in checkroll.
1622. F. Markham, Bk. Warre, V. ii. 165. So shall you … adde to the check-role of your seruants another faithfull Obseruer.
1636. J. Trussell, in Ann. Dubrensia (1877), 7. This carefull thriving age, In which a Coach, a Foote-boy and a Page, Makes up a great mans Check-rowle.
3. fig. A muster-roll, call-roll; a list whereby persons or things may be checked off as present.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 32. In the checkroule of his Ianissaries.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXIV. xviii. 520. To rase out of the publicke checkroll [tabulis] of the younger cittizens, the names, [etc.].
1603. Florio, Montaigne, III. iii. (1632), 462. Arte is but the Checke roule, and Register of the Productions uttered … by them [Wits].
1626. T. H., trans. Caussin’s Holy Crt., 382. The Hymne of the 3 Children in the furnace, who called al creatures, as by a check-rowle, to the prayses of God.
1653. Holcroft, Procopius, II. xii. 44. Germanus … mustered the forces, and by the Check Roll of the soldiers names, he found a third part of them to be in Carthage.
