The household below stairs: Spicery 1660-1818

Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Originally published by University of London, London, 2006.

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'The household below stairs: Spicery 1660-1818', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 574-576. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp574-576 [accessed 19 March 2024]

In this section

Spicery 1660–1818

The spicery was responsible for the delivery of spices, goods supplied by the grocer and oylman (`including Westphalia hams, olives, pickled cucumbers, mangoes, caviar, parmesan cheese, oysters, truffles, asparagus and ketchup') and, after the abolition of the chandry in 1702, wax candles. (fn. 1) Clerks of the spicery were appointed by royal warrant. Originally three in number, they were reduced to two in 1671 and to one in 1685. Two joint clerks served from 1689 to 1706. Thereafter there was one clerk. Under Charles II the first clerk received wages of £32 and board wages which fluctuated between £219 in 1662, down to just £80 in 1680. In addition, he was allowed a proportion of the goods delivered out of his office, as well as fees on new linen, groceries and wax candles, which were calculated to be worth more than £1,000 per annum. The second clerk made wages of £11 8s 1 1/2d and board wages which fluctuated between £164 (by the establishment of 1674) and £68 11s 10 1/2d (by that of 1680). In 1685 the sole clerk received £80. In 1689 the joint clerks divided wages of £32 and board wages of £168. In 1706 this was reduced to £16 and £84 for the sole clerk. In 1761 a salary of £200 was provided. By this time the office was recognised as a sinecure, the work being undertaken by the assistant clerk. In 1812 the clerk was reduced to sinecure status at St. James's with a salary of £145, increased to £170 in 1813 in compensation for loss of allowances in kind. The office was left unfilled on the death of its incumbent in 1818. (fn. 2)

The office of assistant clerk of the spicery, to which appointments were made by lord steward's warrant, was created in 1761 with a salary of £100. It was made redundant at St. James's in 1812 with a salary of £78 increased to £152 in 1813 in compensation for loss of allowances in kind. The office was left unfilled on the death of its incumbent in 1813. (fn. 3)

The porter, first established in 1761, was appointed by the lord steward and made £43 per annum. (fn. 4)

Clerks 1660–1818

1660 19 July Trethewy, J.
1660 2 Oct. Hope, R.
1660 3 Oct. Gretton, A.
1673 1 Jan. Fox, J.
1689 23 Mar. Somner, J. (joint)
1689 23 Mar. Toll, C. (joint)
1691 13 Nov. Bond, G. (joint)
1706 15 June Davenant, R.
1745 3 Aug. Bagshaw, W.
1760 17 Dec. Manners, E.
1761 1 July Burton, J.
1777 1 Jan. Ramus, J.
1789 4 Nov. Willis, H.N.
1800 11 Oct. Powell, C.

Supernumerary Clerk 1660–1668

1660 13 Nov. Boroughs, J.
1664 1 Oct. Hope, R.

Deputy Clerk ?1693–?1702

By 1693 Gretton, A.

Assistant Clerk 1761–1813

1761 1 July Stephens, E.
1762 1 Jan. Tarris, J.
1764 14 June Willis, H.N.
1765 25 May Gale, J.
1768 1 July White, J.
1773 1 Jan. Ramus, J.
1777 1 Jan. Wall, J.
1795 19 Mar. Mulliner, T.

Porter 1761–1815

1761 1 July Jones, R.
1779 12 Feb. Mulliner, T.
1795 19 Mar. Coster, J.D.
1805 6 Apr. Coules, T.
1811 3 June Altride, H.

Footnotes

  • 1. PSBC, p. 9; Beattie, p. 90.
  • 2. LS 13/31, ff. 11v, 16; LS 13/34, f. 11; LS 13/35, f. 11; LS 13/36, f. 13; LS 13/37, f. 10v; LS 13/38, f. 10v; LS 13/39, p. 19; LS 13/55; LS 13/184, f. 47, p. 407; Beattie, p. 212. In 1668 the third clerk was paid as for the second. In addition, all three split a supplementary allowance of £600: LS 13/31, f. 10; LS 13/36, f. 11v.
  • 3. LS 13/55; LS 13/69, p. 58; LS 13/184, p. 407; LS 2/39.
  • 4. LS 13/180, f. 46v.
  • 5. The establishment of 1 Dec. 1662 lists but does not name a supernumerary clerk of the spicery: LS 13/31, f. 16.