Forms: 5–6 eschetour(e, exchetour, -er, 5–7 escheatour, -etor, exchetor, (5 echetour, eshetour, 7 excheator), 7–8 escheater, (7 eschaetor), eþcheitour, 7– escheator. [ME. eschetour, a. AF. eschetour, f. eschete: see ESCHEAT sb.]
An officer appointed yearly by the Lord Treasurer to take notice of the escheats in the county to which he is appointed, and to certify them into the Exchequer. Escheator-general: a superintendent or chief of escheators.
The office having practically fallen into disuse, procedure in cases of escheat, is now regulated by the Escheat Procedure Act, 1887.
[1292. Britton, I. ii. § 2. En office de nos Eschetours, et en presence de nous devaunt noster Seneschal.]
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. cxxviii. (1495), 934. Fiscus is a comyn sacke or a bagge in whiche the Eschetour and rente gaderers put the comyn dette and custome that is payed to kynges.
1463. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (1841), 187. Edward be the grace of God Kyng of Yngland … to alle sryftes, mayrys, escheatours [etc.].
1500. Plumpton Corr., 147. Ralfe Sauchevereth of Hopwell is eschetour of Notinghamshire and Derby.
1593. Norden, Spec. Brit. M’sex & Herts., II. 1. It [Herts.] was annexed to Essex. And one Sheriffe supplied both Counties, and did also one Eschetor.
1667. E. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. II. ix. (1743), 78. He [the Lord-Treasurer] hath the Nomination of the Escheators in every County.
1755. Carte, Hist. Eng., IV. 375. He had got into the service of one Kenny escheator general of the kingdom [of Ireland].
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), I. i. 15. The king’s title was to be found by the inquest of a jury, summoned at the instance of the escheator.
Hence Escheatorship, the office of escheator.
1570. Act 13 Eliz., c. 4 § 13. His Office of Sheriffwick, Escheatorship or Bailiffwick.
1887. T. Dunbar Ingram, in 19th Cent., XXII. 789. When he applied for the escheatorship he informed Lord Castlereagh that he intended to have his seat transferred to Mr. Balfour.
