Master

One who has control over an apprentice. A master stands in relation to his apprentices in loco parentis, and is bound to fulfill that relation, which the law generally enforces. He is also entitled to be obeyed By his apprentices as if they were his children, Bouv. Inst. Index. See "Apprenticeship." - One who is employed in teaching children; known, generally, as a "schoolmaster." One who has in his employment one or more persons hired by contract to serve him, eitjier as domestic or common laborers. common law (each court having five), whose principal duties, when attending court, consists in taking affidavits sworn in court, in administering oaths to attorneys on their admission, and in certifying to the court, in cases of doubt or difficulty, what the practice of the court is. Their principal duties out of court consist in taxing attorneys' costs, in computing principal and interest on bills of exchange, promissory notes, and other documents, under rules to compute, in examining witnesses who are going abroad for the purpose of obtaining their testimony, in hearing and determining rules referred to them by the court in the place of the court itself, and in reporting to the court their conclusions with reference to the rules so referred to them.

Holthouse.

MASTER IN CHANCERY (anciently master of the chancery) (Law Lat. magister eancellariae).

In equity practice

An important officer of courts of equity, who acts as assistant to the chancellor or judge, and whose principal duty consists in inquiring into various matters referred to him for the purpose, and reporting thereon to the court. Wharton; Holthouse.

180 111. App. 538; 169 111. 495.

In England, there are twelve of these masters, of whom the master of the rolls is the chief. These officers were originally the chief clerks of the chancery (clerici de prima forma), 180 111.

App. 538; 169 111.

495; who acted as the assessors or council of the lord chancellor {collaterales et socii cancellarii).

2 Reeve, Hist. Eng. Law, 251.

According to Mr. Spence, they obtained the title of "masters" in the reign of Edward III.

1 Spence, Ch. 360.

But they appear to have had the title of praeceptores at a much earlier period. 2 Reeve, Hist. Eng. Law, ubi supra; Crabb, Hist. Eng. Law, 1§4.