These were prisons immediately under the supervision and control of the Sheriffs (Lib. Albus, II. p. 307).
"Counter" is used in the sense of "Court" in Cal. L. Bk. G. p. 678.
The word "Compter" is defined in the N.E.D. as the name of certain prisons for debtors in London and Southwark, and as the prison attached to the mayor's court or the court itself.
Minsheu derives the word from "computare," because whosoever slippeth "in there must be sure to account and pay well too, ere he get out again."
Regulations as to the management of the Countours are set out in Cal. L. Bk. G. p. 566 and Liber Albus, I. 173, 174 et seq., and 522 et seq.
In early times in London records the Compters are designated by the names of the respective Sheriffs who presided over them, and it is probable that in many instances these Compters were in the houses of the Sheriffs, and not in fixed and permanent buildings.
Later on the practice of using the Sheriffs' houses seems to have been discontinued, and Stow mentions two Counters in his time, one in the Poultry and one inWood Street. The Wood Street Counter had been removed there from Bread Street in 1555 (S. 116, 265, 298, 352).
"La Brokenseld" (q.v.) is spoken of as the Counter in Bread Street in 1412.