Legal Definitions - apposer

Definition: An apposer is a historical term that refers to two different things:

1. A questioner or interrogator
2. An officer in the Exchequer who examined sheriffs' accounts

The second definition is more specific. The apposer was responsible for examining the sheriff's estreat, which was a book of fines. They would compare the entries in the estreat with those in court records and then interrogate the sheriff about each sum in the estreat. This office was abolished in England in 1833.

For example, if a sheriff had collected fines from people who had broken the law, the apposer would check to make sure that the fines were recorded correctly and that the money had been paid to the right place. They would ask the sheriff questions to make sure everything was done properly.