Private Secretaries to First Lord 1743-1870

Private Secretaries to First Lord 1743-1870

Before 1806 very little information exists in the Treasury records concerning the Private Secretaries to the First Lord. They received, as such, no salaries from public funds and their recruitment and remuneration were questions which were entirely within the discretion of successive First Lords to decide. The emergence of the position of Private Secretary as distinct from that of Secretary to the Treasury itself was a gradual process the details of which are likely to remain obscure. However, from the time of Pelham's period of office (1743-54) a regular series of Private Secretaries can be identified with reasonable certainty. During the eighteenth century First Lords usually appointed their Private Secretaries from outside the Treasury. In some cases these individuals were rewarded with favourable positions in the clerical organisation (fn. 1) or with sinecure offices within the structure of the department. (fn. 2) Occasionally Clerks already on the establishment were selected for this function. (fn. 3)

In 1806 provision was made for a salary of £300 for one Private Secretary to the First Lord, payable out of the fee fund. (fn. 4) From 1812 a salary of the same amount was made available for a second Private Secretary. (fn. 5) Thereafter the First Lord usually selected one of his Private Secretaries from amongst the Treasury Clerks and the other from outside the office. (fn. 6) For the former the salaries were additional to their ordinary remuneration. No salary was paid to Private Secretaries who were members of the House of Commons.

LIST OF APPOINTMENTS