Chamber Administration: Treasurer of the Chamber, 1660-1782

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

'Chamber Administration: Treasurer of the Chamber, 1660-1782', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 8-10. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp8-10 [accessed 27 April 2024]

Treasurer of the Chamber 1660–1782

The treasurer of the chamber was responsible for paying many Chamber and chapel salaries, messengers' and other bills for goods and services, and riding wages. The position was in the gift of the Crown. (fn. 1) The treasurer was admitted in pursuance of a warrant issued to the lord chamberlain for that purpose. Appointments were embodied in letters patent under the great seal. Both Griffins succeeded by virtue of life reversionary grants. Tenure from 1689 was during pleasure. The office was left vacant between 1692 and 1694. The fixed remuneration consisted of a salary of £314 1s 4d and a clerk's patent fee of £153 6s 8d amounting to a total of £469 8s. In addition, the treasurer of the chamber took fees of poundage on a sliding scale of between 4 and 5% depending on the size of the bill or salary being paid. Under Queen Anne, this yielded between £1,100 and £1,500 per annum; under George I, about £2,220. (fn. 2)

The treasurer was empowered to act by deputy and increasingly did so with the passage of time. The first identified deputy, John Richards, occurs from 1692 and acted during the absence of a principal 1692–4. (fn. 3) The succession is unclear from 1702 to 1714 but from 1714 the position of deputy was combined with that of clerk in the office and enjoyed the salary of £50, together with £200 which he received from his principal. (fn. 4)

The office of comptroller was created in 1690 with a salary of £150, appointments being made by Treasury constitution. (fn. 5)

The clerk was appointed by the treasurer of the Chamber. He was paid by the Treasury. By 1782 the chief clerk made £462 per annum in salary and gratuities. A second clerk made £204. The officekeeper made £102 10s. (fn. 6)

These offices were abolished in 1782. (fn. 7)

Treasurer 1660–1782



1660	9 June	Griffin, Sir E.
1679	26 May	Griffin, E.
1689	18 Apr.	Gwynne, Sir R.
1692	11 May	Office vacant
1694	8 Mar.	Russell, Hon. E.
1702	22 June	Fitzhardinge, 4th Viscount
1713	14 Sept.	Delawarr, 6th Lord
1714	6 Dec.	Radnor, 2nd Earl of
1720	30 May	Pelham, Hon. H.
1722	12 Mar.	Stanhope, C.
1727	23 Sept.	Hobart, Sir J.
1744	24 Dec.	Cotton, Sir J.H.
1746	12 June	Arundell, Hon. R.
1755	27 Dec.	Hillsborough, 1st Earl of
1756	14 Dec.	Townshend, Hon. C.
1761	23 Mar.	Dashwood, Sir F.
1762	2 Aug.	Elliot, G.
1770	23 May	Rice, G.
1779	27 Nov.	Spencer, Lord C.

Deputy Treasurer c. 1692–1782



By 1692		Richards, J.
1698	Mar.	Sizer, R.
1714	Dec.	Holbech, J.
1720	May	Fairfax, B.
1722		Keene, W.
1727		Britiffe, E.
1746	Sept.	Powlett, A.
1754	Nov.	Holland, --
1756	Jan.	Semmer, R.
1756		Huske, J.
1761		Whitehead, P.
1763		Douglas, A.
1770		Owen, H.

Comptroller 1690–1782



1690	30 July	Langford, S.
1690	30 Dec.	Chudleigh, H.
1707	7 Nov.	Vanbrugh, W.
1716	23 Nov.	Nicholls, P.
1727	12 June	Nelson, H.
1727	23 June	Jenkins, E.
1736	2 Jan.	Seymour, W.
1738	7 July	Jones, T.
1757	5 Mar.	Jones, T.

Deputy Comptroller of the Treasurer of the Chamber (by 1703–1708; by 1728–?1738)



By 1703		Vanbrugh, W.
1708		Office vacant
By 1728		Jones, T.

Clerks of the Household (occ. 1727–1748)



By 1727		Matthews, J.
By 1727		Robe, T.

Clerk to the Treasurer of the Chamber (c.1703–1727; 1756–?1782)



By 1703		Girardeau, M.
By 1707		Holbech, J.
By 1723		Keene, W.
By 1756		Adams, P.
By 1772		Webb, D.
By 1773		Webb, W.

Office Keeper to the Treasurer of the Chamber c. 1759–?1782



By 1757		Porter, J.
By 1763		Webb, W.
By 1773		Stokes, W.
By 1778		Eaton, J.